Windows Tips

Setting Up Windows XP
When setting up either edition of Windows XP, you need to first choose one of three installation strategies, each with its own set of pros and cons:

Clean install.
As the name implies, this installation option sets up a fresh new copy of Windows XP, completely replacing any previous version of Windows on the partition where it’s set up and erasing all other files on that partition. Although you can start a clean install by running Setup from an earlier version of Windows, it is much simpler to do so by booting directly from the CD. In either case, you can use an existing partition or define and format partitions during Setup.

Upgrade over an existing Windows version.
You can upgrade to Windows XP Home Edition or Professional from Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Millennium Edition. You can also upgrade to Windows XP Professional from Windows NT Workstation 4 (Service Pack 6) or Windows 2000 Professional (with or without service packs). If you’re currently running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, you cannot upgrade to any version of Windows XP and must perform a clean install. In all upgrade scenarios, Setup preserves most user settings and installed programs and attempts to upgrade device drivers to Windows XP–compatible versions.

Side-by-side (multiboot) installation.
Use this option (a variation of the clean install process) when you want to preserve an existing copy of Windows. When Setup is finished, you’ll be able to choose your OS from a boot menu. You must install the new version on a separate partition; installing multiple Windows versions on a single partition is a recipe for disaster.