I’m getting a new laptop. It will have Windows XP Chinese. I have a copy of Windows XP in English that I bought. Now my question is how do install Windows ZP English? Do I have to format or can I just install it over the Chinese version?
Thanks
Ryan in Taoyuan
I would never install a Win OS on top of another one. Formatting a drive is quick and easy. You don’t want “ghosts of Windows past” on your machine, so just format and reinstall.[/code]
Alternatively, you can do what I usually do when I reinstall - if the harddrive is partitioned (ie you only have one drive physically, but the computer has it split into multiple sections so Windows thinks each section is a different drive), install the English version of Windows XP onto a different partition to the Chinese one, then delete the Chinese one.
Better to reformat and start with a clean boot imho.
Got to agree with the reformatting and start from new.
Also, you might ask if they can do the install of your english Wn XP at where you buy it. Also ask them to do all the updates when they do the install. SP2, Media player 10, etc.
This is what I have done several times and it has worked out well.
Also ask them if they have a spare Office they can install and give you a CD for your ‘back-up.’ needs….
Actually, now that I read again and see that it’s a new machine, I say format too. If there was any data already there you needed or wanted to make sure wouldn’t get mashed, the alternate partition is a good way, but since it’s new, no need to arse about with that. Reformat and install.
I’ll just ask them to do it. What about drivers for all the hardware and other stuff on the new laptop? Will I have to reinstall everything else such as Lan card, sound card, graphics card, DVD-ROM, etc?
XP should detect the vast majority of that automatically.
I bought a new Compaq with Chinese XP installed. I had a PRO English version and I had the vendor partition my 80 gig drive and install the English version onto the new D drive (the partition). This works great but I found that some drivers are omitted on the install. It wasn’t a big problem as the vendor was able to get the drivers and install them. Everything works great but keep in mind that your new D partition will be fairly small and you need to be sure to install downloads of music, etc onto the C drive or you will quickly fill up the small D partition. Just redirect the save onto the C drive. My docs and the like will save automatically to your D. As an aside, I also purchased an 80 gig stand alone drive and had it put into a small drive box. It’s a USB cabled drive so it’s easy to use and to pack around if I want to travel with it. I try to back up my C and D drives onto this stand alone G drive and now I have no crash problems.
I bought a new Compaq with Chinese XP installed. I had a PRO English version and I had the vendor partition my 80 gig drive and install the English version onto the new D drive (the partition). This works great but I found that some drivers are omitted on the install. It wasn’t a big problem as the vendor was able to get the drivers and install them. Everything works great but keep in mind that your new D partition will be fairly small and you need to be sure to install downloads of music, etc onto the C drive or you will quickly fill up the small D partition. Just redirect the save onto the C drive. My docs and the like will save automatically to your D. As an aside, I also purchased an 80 gig stand alone drive and had it put into a small drive box. It’s a USB cabled drive so it’s easy to use and to pack around if I want to travel with it. I try to back up my C and D drives onto this stand alone G drive and now I have no crash problems.
Before you wipe it clean, be sure you can obtain all the drivers for the operating system. Some of the newer model Toshiba’s for example, their drivers were not obtainable via their own website and were not included on their recovery disks. So we had to go back to the vendor to get a copy of it which took a while. Some vendors, depending on who you buy it from, may not have it.
Check, ask and then reformat, reinstall.