hi there...hope someone has some ideas!!! Trying to upgrade windows 98se to windows xp pro. But everytime i start the upgrade it just stops when it is analysing the computer with 64 minutes to go. Everytime. I have tried turning everything off in msconfig to see if it was a program causing the problem but its the same. Any other ideas I can try?! i dont really want to back everything up and format the drive.

I recommend you bite the bullet, backup, reformat, and install XP. Upgrades have a tendency to bring along the problems that you had on the old OS, or create new ones. Might as well do it now, because I think it's a pretty sure bet you'll be doing it very soon.

If you boot from the XP Pro CD to start the install, it should give you the option of upgrading or a new install. Check the screens carefully so you don't make a mistake.

I upgraded from win98se and had the same problem but corrected it by making sure that anything windows found that was not compatable with XP must be uninstalled AND any files or folders left after uninstall must be deleted completely. Any virus program MUST be removed completely and any type of GoBack program MUST be removed. Search for folders left by the unistall for removal. I did a complete scan disk, defrag and emptied all temp folders and history folders before upgrading. Everything went perfect after that,the upgrade kept office 2000 and saved files and all of the My Document folder. Runs like a charm. After a couple of months I deleted all the win 98 files kept by Xp just in case you want to go back to 98. Disk cleanup will give you the option to eliminate them.

where do you get the xp software if you do please copy it and send to richard8114@hotmail.co.uk via e-mail rh