I've bought a used 2GHz Windows XP computer that I think is an upgrade from Windows ME
(under user accounts there is a description for 'newuser' that states "Account upgraded
from Windows Millennium Edition"). I have not yet hooked the computer up to the
internet.
I've run Norton DiskDoctor and Norton Windoctor. I've already scanned for viruses and
spyware.
Is there anything I can do to check/test the stability of this used Windows XP system?
On Fri, 6 Jul 2007 20:23:59 -0400, "Bill" <Bill124523@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> I've bought a used 2GHz Windows XP computer that I think is an upgrade from Windows ME
> (under user accounts there is a description for 'newuser' that states "Account upgraded
> from Windows Millennium Edition"). I have not yet hooked the computer up to the
> internet.
>
> I've run Norton DiskDoctor and Norton Windoctor. I've already scanned for viruses and
> spyware.
>
> Is there anything I can do to check/test the stability of this used Windows XP system?
If I bought a used computer, the very first thing I would do with it
would be to reinstall the operating system cleanly. You have no idea
how the computer has been maintained, what has been installed
incorrectly, what is missing, what viruses and spyware there may be,
etc. I wouldn't want to live with somebody else's mistakes and
problems, possibility of kiddie ****, etc., and I wouldn't recommend
that anyone else do either.
Don't even consider worrying about the stability of the used system.
Start over.
--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
On Jul 6, 8:23 pm, "Bill" <Bill124...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I've bought a used 2GHz Windows XP computer that I think is an upgrade from Windows ME
> (under user accounts there is a description for 'newuser' that states "Account upgraded
> from Windows Millennium Edition"). I have not yet hooked the computer up to the
> internet.
>
> I've run Norton DiskDoctor and Norton Windoctor. I've already scanned for viruses and
> spyware.
>
> Is there anything I can do to check/test the stability of this used Windows XP system?
>
> Thanks!!!
Hello Bill,
I've done the upgrade from Millennium thing, leaving Millennium intact
and simply upgrading the existing Millennium installation to XP. My
advice is that this is a bad idea as it carries all the Millennium
junk with it. If there's nothing on the current XP installation that
you need (you can always save data etc. to removable media or a
separate partition), and if you have the XP Upgrade CD and you also
have a Millennium CD (or a Windows 98 CD), then my advice is to wipe
the drive (format it) and use the upgrade XP CD to install XP from
scratch. During the install, when you are asked for a qualifying
installation to upgrade from, simply insert the Millennium (or Windows
98) CD, let it be recognized, remove it, re-insert the XP CD, and
carry on with the install.
"Bill" <Bill124523@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:uQOvP0CwHHA.4132@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> I've bought a used 2GHz Windows XP computer that I think is an upgrade
> from Windows ME
> (under user accounts there is a description for 'newuser' that states
> "Account upgraded
> from Windows Millennium Edition"). I have not yet hooked the computer up
> to the
> internet.
>
> I've run Norton DiskDoctor and Norton Windoctor. I've already scanned for
> viruses and
> spyware.
>
> Is there anything I can do to check/test the stability of this used
> Windows XP system?
>
> Thanks!!!
>
Yes. Remove the Norton products. As a whole they are notorious for causing
problems. Hook up to the internet and visit the Windows update site to check
to see if the system passes the authenticity check. If it doesn't you likely
have an illegal version of XP. If it passes the test do an update of all
critical patches.
But don't forget to download and install the chipset drivers for the
motherboard as well as any drivers you might need for the installed
hardware.
"John Waller" <johnw@REMOVETHISpinnacleweb.com.au> wrote in message
news:uFPupbDwHHA.3560@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> You've had some sound advice.
>
> Wipe the drive and re-install XP from scratch.
>
> --
> Regards
>
> John Waller
>
Bill wrote:
> I've bought a used 2GHz Windows XP computer that I think is an upgrade from Windows ME
> (under user accounts there is a description for 'newuser' that states "Account upgraded
> from Windows Millennium Edition"). I have not yet hooked the computer up to the
> internet.
>
> I've run Norton DiskDoctor and Norton Windoctor. I've already scanned for viruses and
> spyware.
>
> Is there anything I can do to check/test the stability of this used Windows XP system?
>
> Thanks!!!
>
>
With second-hand computers, especially if acquired from strangers
but perhaps even if acquired from a family member or friend, your wisest
course of action would definitely be to format the hard drives and start
fresh. You don't want to get in trouble because the original owner may
have filled the hard drive with kiddie ****, or have problems because
the original owner downloaded/installed viruses or other malware.
"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote...
> On Fri, 6 Jul 2007 20:23:59 -0400, "Bill" wrote:
>
> > I've bought a used 2GHz Windows XP computer that I think is an upgrade from Windows
ME
> > (under user accounts there is a description for 'newuser' that states "Account
upgraded
> > from Windows Millennium Edition"). I have not yet hooked the computer up to the
> > internet.
> >
> > I've run Norton DiskDoctor and Norton Windoctor. I've already scanned for viruses
and
> > spyware.
> >
> > Is there anything I can do to check/test the stability of this used Windows XP
system?
>
>
>
> If I bought a used computer, the very first thing I would do with it
> would be to reinstall the operating system cleanly. You have no idea
> how the computer has been maintained, what has been installed
> incorrectly, what is missing, what viruses and spyware there may be,
> etc. I wouldn't want to live with somebody else's mistakes and
> problems, possibility of kiddie ****, etc., and I wouldn't recommend
> that anyone else do either.
Thanks to everyone that responded.
As I had already written, from my original post, please understand that I have already
scanned the system for viruses and spyware.
Also, as a result of your posts I've since wiped the free space and searched for, ah,
"inappropriate" images.
I understand that Best Practices demand that I wipe the HD and re-install Windows XP.
But I must tell you now that the sole reason why I bought this used desktop is because
it has installed on it a licensed copy of a program that is no longer available, and
uses a DRM license (enabled over the internet) from a company that no longer exists.
So, wiping the HD is definitely not an option. I NEED this program.
Again, I'm wondering if there is a way to check/test the stability of the OS.
(BTW, Windows Update hasn't been run on this computer in 1½ years - I know that in these
cases this can often fix minor OS issues.)
>I've bought a used 2GHz Windows XP computer that I think is an upgrade from Windows ME
>(under user accounts there is a description for 'newuser' that states "Account upgraded
>from Windows Millennium Edition"). I have not yet hooked the computer up to the
>internet.
>
>I've run Norton DiskDoctor and Norton Windoctor. I've already scanned for viruses and
>spyware.
>
>Is there anything I can do to check/test the stability of this used Windows XP system?
>
>Thanks!!!
>
As for an upgrade from Windows Me that, in itself, should not be any
problem. The upgrade procedure for Windows XP starts by renaming the
existing Windows directory, creating a new one and doing a clean
install of Windows XP into the new directory. Then it imports
whatever is needed, and only what is needed, from the old Windows
directory for the upgrade.
My own system is an upgrade from Windows Me, which in turn was
upgraded from Windows 98SE, and that was upgraded from Windows 98
original, and so back to Windows for Workgroups 3.11 which was the
last time I did a clean install for my own personal system.
But I do agree with the others with respect to both the purchase of a
used computer, where a reformat and reinstall is the only prudent
option, and also with regard to getting rid of Norton Disk Destroyer
and Norton Witch Doctor and any other Norton/Symantec crapware.
Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair
"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
Stability of an Upgrade to Windows XP? 
Linear Mode
