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The Office of Information Technology (OIT) Help Desk began support of Windows XP, the newest
version of Windows, after the official release date of
October 25, 2001.
9/9/2002: Service
Pack 1 for Windows
XP was released today. Users of Windows XP are encouraged to download
and install this service pack in order to update their system.
Here are some basic questions and answers
regarding Windows XP:
Should I upgrade to Windows XP?
What are the recommended minimum system
requirements for running Windows XP?
What are the pros and cons to using
Windows XP as opposed to other Windows operating
systems?
If I decide to upgrade my system to
Windows XP, what sort of steps or precautions should I
take?
Where can I find out more information
about Windows XP?
Question:
Should I upgrade to Windows XP?
Answer:
That is always a difficult question to answer. If you
are happy with the performance of your current operating
system, then there is no compelling reason to upgrade to
Windows XP. If you use DOS-based programs or games,
upgrading to XP may make such software inoperable.
Question:
What are the recommended minimum system requirements for
running Windows XP?
Answer:
The OIT Help Desk recommends that you have at least a 600Mhz
system with 128MB of RAM and at least a 4GB hard drive
(Windows XP alone can take up to 1.5GB of hard drive space).
Question:
What are the pros and cons to using Windows XP as opposed to
other Windows operating systems?
Answer:
Windows XP is supposed to be faster and more stable than
previous versions of Windows. It will also come
equipped with the latest Microsoft multimedia software and
will include operating system support for CD burners and DVD
drives. However, software applications originally
designed for DOS or Windows 3.1, or custom-built
applications, may not run on Windows XP.
We recommend reading CNET's
"What's the deal with Windows XP" web page for more
information.
Question:
If I decide to upgrade my system to Windows XP, what sort of
steps or precautions should I take?
Answer:
There are several steps you should take to protect yourself
from a worst-case scenario (such as needing to format your
hard drive and reinstall
everything). Here are the steps the OIT Help Desk
recommends:
-
Back up all of your data (important papers, spreadsheets,
databases, etc.) to a secure location that will not be
affected by the upgrade.
-
Check to make sure that your hardware and software are
Windows XP-compatible. An easy way to do this is to
download the
Windows XP Upgrade Advisor, a program designed to tell
you what problems you may run into with your hardware and
software if you upgrade.
-
Make sure that, should the installation fail or you decide
that you do not like Windows XP, you can reinstall your old
operating system from an installation CD-Rom.
If you have completed the previous steps, you can proceed
with the installation.
Question:
Where can I find out more information about Windows XP?
Answer:
Here are several excellent sources of information regarding
Windows XP:
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