A+: Troubleshooting the Windows Vista or Windows XPUpgrade

If a Windows XP upgrade from Windows 2000 goes badly, you can uninstall Windows XP and revert back to Windows 2000 by using the Uninstall Windows XP option in the Add or Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel (Classic mode). However, if after upgrading to Windows Vista you find that you want to go back to Windows XP, you will need to back up your data and re-install XP as a clean installation. There is currently no uninstall option in the Control Panel for Windows Vista.

In general, try the following tips to make the upgrade go smoothly.

If you are unable to start the upgrade, check the ffree disk space— You need 15 GB free for Windows Vista, and 1.5GB free for Windows XP at the minimum; more is better. Also check the requirements posted previously.

    If you receive other types of errors during the upgrade, such as blue screen “STOP” errors, see http://support.microsoft.com and search for the specific error code.

    For a list of specific errors concerning a Windows Vista upgrade, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930743.

    A useful resource for Windows XP installation/upgrade errors is http://labmice.techtarget.com/windowsxp/Install/installbugs.htm.

    A list of Windows 2000 to Windows XP upgrade problems and solutions is available at http://labmice.techtarget.com/windowsxp/Install/win2kupgrade.htm.

Various problems can take place after you upgrade to Windows Vista or XP from older versions, including

    • Can’t connect to network or Internet resources

    • Can’t remove programs with Uninstall

    • Certain systems and hardware don’t work properly

You should carefully study Microsoft Knowledge Base articles and any tips from your computer vendor to determine if your particular system might have problems with the upgrade to Windows Vista or XP.

Because some upgrade problems can prevent you from accessing the Internet for solutions, you should make sure you have performed the following before you start the upgrade process:

    • Checked your hardware, applications, and utilities for compatibility using the proper compatibility tools mentioned earlier

    • Downloaded updated drivers and application patches

    • Removed or disabled applications and utilities that cannot be updated to Windows Vista or XP–compatible versions

    • Updated the system BIOS to handle the full capacity of your hard disk and removed nonstandard drivers such as EZ-BIOS or Disk Manager Drive Overlay

EZ-BIOS and Disk Manager Drive Overlay have been provided as part of older versions of vendor-supplied disk setup programs from most major drive vendors (Western Digital, Seagate, Maxtor, and so forth). Contact the maker of your drive for details of how to remove the driver (which is no longer necessary after you update your system BIOS or add a helper card to handle the full capacity of your hard disk). Keep in mind that you should make a full backup of your hard disk in case something goes wrong.

One final point: Many users agree that upgraded computers just don’t seem to function as quickly as computers that had a fresh installation. If you can back up the data and settings and re-install applications, consider doing a fresh install whenever possible.