What OS to go? XP or Win2000?

Luuve · Apr 23, 2003

I have never reinstalled my system since Win95, I have upgraded to Win98 and have been running it since.

This week I put to gether 2 systems one for me and one for my kids. I don't play game but my kids ask to install game on their systems, and here are the 2 new systems.

1. My system for graphic, and CD/DVD stuff

BioStar M7VIT Pro (333mhz)
AMD XT 2400 (1.93Mhz)
512K memory (PC-2600)
GeForce 4 MX 64M AGP 4X
(2) 100GB hard drives
1 SONY DRU500AX DVD/CD burner
1 Plextor 12/10/32 burner

2. My kids

BioStar M7VIP (266mhz)
AMD XT 2400 (1.93mhz)
512K momory (PC-2600)
GeForce 440 AGP 8X (guess they need faster video for game)
100GB hard drive
HP CD burner

There will be 2-3 other systems network to my system (plus around 2 notebooks). Right now I am using wired network but will go weireless (already have everything).

Since I have never run XP or Win2000 to know much about them, so my questions are.

1. I am thinking to go XP and Win 2000 for my kids (because they want game). What do you think?

2. And how about Partition (SIZE), Format (FAT or NTFS). I don't know much about them to have any question to ask except your opinion.

3. And what do you think about Win 2003? and any driver problem for all OSes?

TIA

drsgb · Apr 24, 2003

Windows XP with NTFS. Very stable. How can partition size be an issue with 2 100 gig drives!! Give the kids 10-20 gigs at least depending on their other needs (pictures, video, music...) and don't be stingy with that hard disc space for the kids!

The-poacher · Apr 24, 2003

@drsgb took a while to post but tnx for your input keep the posts coming.

@Luuve for DVD burning NTFS is a must (& I reckon its better than FAT32 anyway)
I changed to XP with Service pack 1 integrated & its been running like a dream
I too do not play games but I am told XP is the business re games.
I have a puter for DVD burning but my main machine is partioned
on the op system Drive (dual boot) 20 GB with ME cos I have some s/ware that dont go in XP.This is FAT32.
& 60 GB with XP NTFS.I have a further drive just for documents.
In ME the XP drive is invisible but in XP the ME drive is there & some of the s/ware runs in XP.

The main thing whether U go XP or 2000 is U must have NTFS for DVD burning etc.

ChiMusic · Apr 24, 2003

My 2 cents

OK. What drawbacks is WinXP Pro "OEM"? Or 2000 Pro OEM for that matter? It is as cheap as a new FULL Home XP

No updates? No up-GRADES no problem. Going from WinMe.

weboneando · Apr 24, 2003

"OEM" license is suposed to be sold only with a new equipment, otherwise is the same as other presentations.

XP has complete integration of directx wich 2K has not and directx is a must have for a lot of games specialy new ones.

For partitions I´ve been told that XP gets a better handling of the disk if it has only one partition, can tell if this is true and why so I´m just telling this to see if some1 knows about this. NTFS is the way to go.

As for networks XP seems to be more friendly to end users.

Drivers are not a problem this days unless you were planning to use an old piece of hw.

scarecrow · Apr 24, 2003

Win2000 SP2 with IE 5.5 SP2 is the best OS Microsoft ever issued. 2000 SP3 introduced some very annoying "novelties" which should be avoided.
XP is just an overfed 2000, with no real improvements and tons of utterly useless overhead.

Luuve · Apr 24, 2003

drsgb said:
Windows XP with NTFS. Very stable. How can partition size be an issue with 2 100 gig drives!! Give the kids 10-20 gigs at least depending on their other needs (pictures, video, music...) and don't be stingy with that hard disc space for the kids!

Thanks for the information, and it seems like with fast CPU there should be no problem with neither XP or Win 2000, so I will go for XP myself.

About the kids, they already have their own systems (Win98 with smaller hard drives just for homework and internet) and I just built them a AMD 1.93Mhz with 100GB hard drive for everything including games.

Luuve · Apr 24, 2003

The-poacher said:
@drsgb took a while to post but tnx for your input keep the posts coming.

@Luuve for DVD burning NTFS is a must (& I reckon its better than FAT32 anyway)
I changed to XP with Service pack 1 integrated & its been running like a dream
I too do not play games but I am told XP is the business re games.
I have a puter for DVD burning but my main machine is partioned
on the op system Drive (dual boot) 20 GB with ME cos I have some s/ware that dont go in XP.This is FAT32.
& 60 GB with XP NTFS.I have a further drive just for documents.
In ME the XP drive is invisible but in XP the ME drive is there & some of the s/ware runs in XP.

The main thing whether U go XP or 2000 is U must have NTFS for DVD burning etc.

I have expected that XP may have problem with some programs and lacking of driver for some hardwares, and prepare to have another Windows as backup (how about Win2000?).

We only need NTFS for system files and the rest can be FAT32 right? I am plan to give both XP and Win2000 (kids' system) at least 10GB of NTFS.

There will be lot of new things for me to learn, and thanks for the informations.

Luuve · Apr 24, 2003

scarecrow said:
Win2000 SP2 with IE 5.5 SP2 is the best OS Microsoft ever issued. 2000 SP3 introduced some very annoying "novelties" which should be avoided.
XP is just an overfed 2000, with no real improvements and tons of utterly useless overhead.

I just take my chance to try something new that wasn't able with slower systems (I now have 6 Win98 systems so I want something new), and lacking of driver is the only thing I concern, but it seems like XP is picking up rather quick and most companies have driver for their hardwares (except some older hardware?).

And I will have one system running Win2000 too so I will try to gather as much information as possible before start installing them.

And thanks for the information.

Luuve · Apr 24, 2003

Oops! I forgot another important question I meant to ask too. The new built system will have DVD burner, and I will need to burn some movies from current system (with no DVD burner). And I wonder *if* it's possible or any problem to burn HUGE data through network?

scarecrow · Apr 24, 2003

It is possible to burn large amout of data thru network of course, but you'd better use a dedicated backup to DVD applucation for that (NTI Backup Now, Veritas Backup, or Nova Backup) and not a mastering application (unless you use a client/server burning app like Discjuggler.net)..

Duracell · Apr 24, 2003

go for Windows 2000 SP2

weboneando said:
XP has complete integration of directx wich 2K has not and directx is a must have for a lot of games specialy new ones.

about Windows 2000: install DirectX8.1 for NT systems and now you have the same game compatibility like WinXP;

==> Luuve

like scarecrow told, go for Windows 2000 SP2 for both PCs; make a 20GB partition for system and program files, do the rest like you want but choose for all partitions NTFS;

Greetings from
Duracell

Luuve · Apr 25, 2003

scarecrow said:
It is possible to burn large amout of data thru network of course, but you'd better use a dedicated backup to DVD applucation for that (NTI Backup Now, Veritas Backup, or Nova Backup) and not a mastering application (unless you use a client/server burning app like Discjuggler.net)..

It's good to know (thanks). I just need to burn couple old TV series to DVD, and if it works then I don't have to remove the hard drive from old system to new built system to burn them.

Luuve · Apr 25, 2003

Re: go for Windows 2000 SP2

Duracell said:
==> Luuve

like scarecrow told, go for Windows 2000 SP2 for both PCs; make a 20GB partition for system and program files, do the rest like you want but choose for all partitions NTFS;

Greetings from
Duracell

Format both hard drives NTFS or just enough for the system and program files? I read few people on usenet mentioned it is not a good idea to have large NTFS drive, because something relates to running defragment program that I wasn't sure what they meant.

ChiMusic · Apr 25, 2003

OEM

What I see OEM comes with a wire/cable as HARDWARE. $140 for XP Pro is good then. I guess I could have one HD for WinMe for any pgms that will not run on XP.

Right now I think my video card w/o fan working fried my MB. Still checking.

Duracell · Apr 25, 2003

Re: Re: go for Windows 2000 SP2

Luuve said:
Format both hard drives NTFS or just enough for the system and program files? I read few people on usenet mentioned it is not a good idea to have large NTFS drive, because something relates to running defragment program that I wasn't sure what they meant.

format all HDDs, all partitions and all logical drives in NTFS;
e.g. your kids 100GB HDD:
C: 20GB NTFS for system and programs
D: 20GB NTFS for "My Documents" and downloads
E: 30GB NTFS for game images (to load in virtual drives)
F: 30GB NTFS there your kids may store and hide the adult videos and pics you should not see

NTFS is more insensitive about fragmenting and file system errors, than FAT32; nevertheless it's always recommended to use a good defragmenting software like O&O Defrag Pro periodically;

Greetings from
Duracell

Luuve · Apr 25, 2003

Re: Re: Re: go for Windows 2000 SP2

Duracell said:
format all HDDs, all partitions and all logical drives in NTFS;
e.g. your kids 100GB HDD:
C: 20GB NTFS for system and programs
D: 20GB NTFS for "My Documents" and downloads
E: 30GB NTFS for game images (to load in virtual drives)
F: 30GB NTFS there your kids may store and hide the adult videos and pics you should not see

NTFS is more insensitive about fragmenting and file system errors, than FAT32; nevertheless it's always recommended to use a good defragmenting software like O&O Defrag Pro periodically;

Greetings from
Duracell

Got it! as long as NTFS is safed then I have no problem to have all of them NTFS (but Win98 from network can't read the NTFS drives right?).

I am testing the XP right now (will have to reinstall later to give it 30GB instead of 10GB) and having problem networking with the Win98 systems (XP doesn't have Pri. Network Logon like "Windows Logon" and Win98 doesn't have the one XP has).

And so far, the AMD XT-2400 using PC-2700 is running much faster than my old P-II horse.

Ad thanks for all the informations.

Luuve · Apr 26, 2003

Re: Re: Re: Re: go for Windows 2000 SP2

Luuve said:
Got it! as long as NTFS is safed then I have no problem to have all of them NTFS (but Win98 from network can't read the NTFS drives right?).

I am testing the XP right now (will have to reinstall later to give it 30GB instead of 10GB) and having problem networking with the Win98 systems (XP doesn't have Pri. Network Logon like "Windows Logon" and Win98 doesn't have the one XP has).

And so far, the AMD XT-2400 using PC-2700 is running much faster than my old P-II horse.

Ad thanks for all the informations.

After playing around with them I finally be able to see something now. The XP system can see 1 of the Win98 *but* not the main Win98, and the main Win98 finally be able to see the XP system (because of the NTFS drives?). I am copying the movies from Win98 system to XP system to try the DVD burner.

weboneando · Apr 26, 2003

Fat32 and NTFS has nothing to do with networking, any system that has acces by network must see everything that you had shared no matter what kind of partition.

If you´re using dial-up for internet then set IP adress for your pcs something like 192.168.0.1 for one pc and keep changing the last value for the others (192.168.0.2 / 192.168.0.3 etc...). This should free you from problems.

Luuve · Apr 26, 2003

weboneando said:
Fat32 and NTFS has nothing to do with networking, any system that has acces by network must see everything that you had shared no matter what kind of partition.

If you´re using dial-up for internet then set IP adress for your pcs something like 192.168.0.1 for one pc and keep changing the last value for the others (192.168.0.2 / 192.168.0.3 etc...). This should free you from problems.

I see! and I am talking about local network between my systems connecting to a 5 port HUB, and I am cable modem user (using router).