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Upgrading from Windows 98 to Windows XP

Disclaimer:

A word of caution here: read through this entire document before you do anything! Upgrading to Windows XP isn't exactly rocket science, but does require some familiarity with installing/removing/reinstalling software and a good deal of patience and perseverence. Most upgrades go pretty smoothly, but if you're careless or try to cut corners, you will run into problems. If, after reading through these instructions, you're not comfortable doing this yourself, you can bring your personally-owned computer to The Computer Fixer on Campus in the lower level of the Korman Center. If you do attempt this yourself and hit a wall, they can help you out as well, but it will generally take longer to troubleshoot the problems than it would for them to do the whole job start to finish, and they charge by the hour. (NOTE: Most University-owned computers running Windows 98 are out of warranty, so consulting The Computer Fixer is a viable solution for those machines, too. If you have a University-owned computer and have questions, contact IRT at 215-895-2698 before you start.)

Furthermore, DO NOT stray from the instructions provided here. These instructions are designed to help you complete the upgrade; but the responsibility is your own. Keep track of what you are doing. MAKE BACKUP COPIES of your documents. Check before you begin for original copies.If you inadvertenly delete all your files, it's not our fault. If, when instructed, you do not disconnect your network cable and your computer is then infected and/or compromised, we are not to be held responsible for any loss of personal data or inconvenience you may suffer because your network port is disabled. Again, it's not rocket science, but, even in the simplest of circumstances, bad things can happen when you don't follow the directions. As most of you have most likely heard at some point during your academic career: "poor planning or judgement on your part does not necessitate an emergency on our part."

Can your computer handle XP? Should you Upgrade or just get a new PC?

Considering that Windows 98 has be around for 5+ years, some computers that came with 98 installed may not have the hardware necessary to run Windows XP very well (or at all). Generally speaking, if you're computer is no more than 2-3 years old, it should be able to run XP, but please check the system requirements for Windows XP Professional, which are published here. Keep in mind that the specifications listed are "minimum recommended" requirements, meaning that, while XP may install and run, it won't necessarily run very well. Furthermore, if you have problems running Windows 98 (ie: it already runs slow or freezes/crashes regularly), upgrading to XP may or may not help. If you're having trouble with your PC as it is, you're probably much better off backing up your data and doing a full format and reinstall of Windows 98. Once you have that up and running smoothly, run the XP upgrade (again, assuming your computer can handle it). If you're not sure how to go about this, I'd recommend bringing your computer to The Computer Fixer for help. For a very reasonable fee, they can help you straighten out your PC and get it up-to-date.

If your computer doesn't quite meet the hardware requirements, a new PC is your best alternative. Sure, your computer can probably be upgrade with a faster processor or more memory, but you'll get more "bang for your buck" out of a new computer, not to mention that "new computer smell!" ;)

Obtaining the XP Upgrade files:

(Note: these instructions assume you are using Internet Explorer for FTP. If you're using an FTP client, use "software.drexel.edu" for the host name and the same username/password combination as shown below.)

1. Open up Internet Explorer
2. Go to the Drexel FTP Software Site (Note: If you can't open that page, please go to the IE/FTP help page)
3. For "User Name:", enter "drexel\<insert your user name>" (this is usually your initials followed by 2 or 3 numbers)
4. For "Password:", enter your Drexel domain password (Note: this may be different from your e-mail/DrexelOne password, go to the IE/FTP help page if you're not sure)
5. Click Login
6. Double click on "FacultyandStaff" (if you're faculty or staff) or "Students" (if you're a student)
7. Double click "PCSoftware", then "WindowsXP_Upgrade". You should see the following files:
8. In the "WindowsXP_Upgrade" folder, right-click the "ProductKey.txt" file and select "Copy To Folder..."
9. Click on "Desktop", then click "OK"
10. Repeat steps 8 & 9 for the "WindowsXP_Upgrade.zip" and "winxp_sp1.zip" files
11. Also, at this point, double-click the "ProductKey.txt" file and write down the product key...you'll use this a bit later when you get to the actual XP setup process

Unzipping the XP Upgrade files:

To save space and prevent file corruption problems, the XP Upgrade files are stored in a compressed Zip file. Before you can upgrade, you need to "extract" the files using a decompression utility, such as WinZip or PowerArchiver. Instructions here are for WinZip. If you don't already have it installed, you can download an evaluation version from http://www.winzip.com. To extract the installation files for the XP Upgrade using WinZip:

1. Double-click the icon for WinZip (or go to Start > Programs and click on WinZip)
2. Click on "Use Evaluation Version"
3. Click and drag the "WindowsXP_Upgrade.zip" file into the WinZip window. You should see a window like this:
4. Click "Extract"
5. In the "Extract to:" box, type "C:\XP_upgrade"

6. Click "Extract" and let WinZip finish (usually this takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on your computer's hardware)
7. When it's finished, click and drag the "winxp_sp1.zip" file into the WinZip window. You should see a window like this:

8. Click "Extract"
9. In the "Extract to:" box, type "C:\XP_SP1"

10. Click "Extract"
11. When it's finished extracting the files, close WinZip

Downloading the Windows XP RPC Security Patch

There are several serious vulnerabilities that have been exploited in Windows 2000 and XP. After you upgrade your computer from Windows 98 to XP, you must install the Microsoft patch to fix these vulnerabilities or your computer will be infected once it's got a network connection to the internet. This can happen literally in seconds, so it's very important to download this patch now. During the XP upgrade install, you'll disconnect your network cable or internet connection...do not reconnect until you've installed the MS patch. Again, you machine can and will be infected if you don't. To download the patch from Microsoft, click on the link below, select "Save" when prompted, and save the file to your desktop so that you can easily find it later.

Microsoft Windows XP RPC Patch

Checking Software Compatibility

Before you upgrade to Windows XP, you need to run the compatibility checker to see if any of your currently installed software or hardware is incompatible. Unfortunately, this is not 100% foolproof and may not catch all of the potential problems, but it's better than nothing. Most software (such as Office, Internet Explorer, etc) will work fine or upgrade itself in the process of installing XP. One program that it often does not even pick up on, but which can present serious problems down the road, is Antivirus software. The software that we distribute (Symantec AntiVirus) installs very differently on Windows 98 and Windows XP, even though you use the same installer for both versions. It's best to download the latest installer from the FTP software page (as described above), then uninstall Symantec AntiVirus (if you have an older version, it may be called "Norton AntiVirus") before you run the XP Upgrade. Once the Upgrade finishes installing, run the Symantec AntiVirus installer to re-install it. You may have other software that is detected as "not compatible". In some cases, you may be able to download the appropriate updates or newer software versions from our FTP site or the vendor's website (if it's not Drexel licensed software).

To start the Compatibility Checker:

1. Double-click My Computer, then the "XP_Upgrade" folder, then the "WindowsXP_Upgrade" folder
2. Double-click on "Setup"
3. In the "Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP" window, click on "Check system compatibility"
4. Click on "Check my system automatically" to launch the "Microsoft Windows Upgrade Advisor"
5. If you're on-campus (and you network port is active) or have a high-speed internet connection (ie: Cable or DSL), you can select "Yes, download the updated Setup files", but this step is not strictly necessary. I usually choose "No" to save some time and have never run into any serious problems.
6. Click "Next"
7. When the Upgrade Advisor finishes, you'll be presented with the Upgrade Report. If you have a printer connected to your computer, it's a good idea to print this report out so you have a record of software or devices that you may need to update manually after upgrading to XP. If you don't have a printer, you should at least write down the items found.
8. After you've printed the report or noted the incompatible items, click "Finish"
9. Click "Back" to get back to the main XP Upgrade menu

Installing Windows XP

Now, finally, the fun part!

1. Click on "Install Windows XP"
2. In the "Installation Type:" dialog, make sure that "Upgrade (Recommended)" is selected and click Next.
3. Click to select "I accept this agreement" and click Next.
4. Enter the Product Key that you wrote down earlier (from the "ProductKey.txt" file) and click Next.
5. Since you've already gone through the compatibility check (you did, didn't you??), select "Do not show me the report" and click Next.
6. Again, you'll be asked if you want to download updated setup files. Again, if you're on the campus network or have a high speed connection, you can choose to do so, but choosing "No" is perfectly fine. I usually select "No" to save time.
7. From this point on, the installer is pretty much on autopilot...just be patient while it does its thing
8. When your computer restarts, unplug your network cable or internet connection. Do not reconnect it until you've installed both Service Pack 1 and the RPC security patch that you downloaded earlier.

Setting Up, Patching, and Securing Windows XP

At this point, Windows XP is installed, but connecting your computer right up to the internet right now would be a very bad idea. An un-patched, un-secured XP computer will be (not "might be" or "can be", but "will be") infected by one of the dozens of worms floating around on the internet today. Even if your computer somehow eludes the worms, it's a sitting duck for any even moderately-capable hacker out there. To be sure that it doesn't fall victim to any of this nastiness, you must properly patch and secure your computer before you reconnect it to the network/internet. This process begins the first time you use Windows XP.

1. When XP finishes installing, it reboots and goes right into the XP setup process. You'll be greeted by some very soothing music and a lovely blue screen. To start, click "Next" in the lower right-hand corner.
2. Since you're not connected to the internet (you did unplug your network cable, right??), you can't register right now, so select "No, not at this time" and click "Next".
3. Again, you're not (or shouldn't be) connected to the internet just yet, so select "Do not set up an Internet connection at this time" and click "Next".
4. Type your name in the box next to "Your name:" and click Next.
5. Click "Finish"
6. Next, you should see a "Password Creation" dialog box with two user accounts listed ("<your name>" and "Administrator"). You must set a secure password at this point. A secure password should:
   • be a combination of letters, numbers and special characters (!, @, #, $, etc.)
   • be at least 6-8 characters long
   • NOT contain your name or other personal information (SSN, birthday, etc.)
   • NOT contain any real words (ie: words that appear in the dictionary)
7. A good way to create a safe password that also easy to remember is to use an acronym of some kind. For example, think of a sentence you can easily remember and use the first character of each word, remembering to include punctuation or other special characters. Such as: Ydw2twn! (Yankee doodle went 2 town!) It may seem like a real pain to create and use a secure password, but using something like "password" or simply leaving it blank is like living in the seediest neighborhood you can imagine and leaving your front door wide open 24/7. Not to mention, if you're connected to the Drexel network and your computer is compromised, then you won't be connected to the network for very long ;)
8. After you create the password, you should get to the login screen. Type in the password you created, and press Enter.

Now, to the patching:

1. Double-click "My Computer"
2. Double-click "Local Disk (C:)"
3. You may be greeted by a screen announcing that "These files are hidden"...if so, click on "Show the contents of this folder"
4. Double-click the "XP_SP1" folder
5. Double-click one of the files called "XPSP1" to start the installation of Service Pack 1
6. After the installer "extracts" the necessary files, you'll see the "Windows XP Service Pack 1 Setup Wizard"; Click "Next"
7. Click the dot to the left of "I Agree" and click "Next"
8. If you want to have the option of Uninstalling Windows XP (which is rarely necessary), leave "Archive Files" selected; If you you're short of disk space or don't plan on uninstalling XP, select "Do Not Archive Files"
9. Click "Next"
10. Again, just let the installer do its thing. It'll take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes (maybe even longer) depending on your computer's hardware.
11. When it finishes, click "Finish" and let your computer restart.