Posted on 06/18/2003 5:07:23 AM PDT by dalec
After researching the Good the Bad and the Ugly about Windows XP and reading all the horror stories from users about the product activation, security holes, installation restrictions, Passport privacy violations etc I decided to blow away Windows XP off the two new state of the art Powerspec PCs that I just purchased from a large chain Computer OEM distributer and install WIN2K. The PCs were both working fine and but based on what I was reading I could see trouble ahead. Apparently Microsoft did not get the message even after 8 years of litigation with the Justice Dept. They have gone from bad to worse. Windows XP represents everything I can't stand about Microsoft. Windows 2K on the other hand still would allow me to control the PC the way I like to the most part, and reprentes the lesser of two evils.
My experiences performing this downgrade were very interesting. First, I could hardly even find a vendor willing to sell WIN2K to a private users. I found one for $175 and bought my own copy. I installed it over the XP blowing that bloated operating system away and now I was back in business. At least I thought so. Problems mounted. First the video drivers didn't work and I had to run back to the computer store to get the WIN2K drivers. Then the Zip drive didn't work with the USB port and neither IOMEGA nor the store could figure how to get it to work. I gave up and had the store install an internal IOMEGA disk drive. That worked fine. Next, I tried to get connected to the Internet and found the Modem which worked with XP didn't with WIN2K. I went back to the computer store and got the so called WIN2K drivers, tried them out that evening and they didn't work. I replaced the internal modems with external U.S. Robotics modems reinstalled the harware using the existing drivers supplied with WIN2K and it worked. Finally, the Internet software supplied by Earthlink called Total Access 2003 didn't work with WIN2K and I had to created a manual dial up connection. Finally, after two weeks of hassle I was up and running on Windows 2000. Its worth it in the long run rather than sticking with Windows XP and being hostage to Microsoft's insane software policies
I wonder if any users out there have had similar experiences downgrading from WINDOWS XP to Windows 2000
I'm sticking to NT 4.0, since I don't use it for gaming or other nonsense. I watch TV on the TV, play music on the stereo, pop popcorn on the stove, and develop software on the computer. If Microsoft would quit playing "new OS this month" and refine whatever they now have I would upgrade. I just don't see any reason to buy the new one just because it was released. There has yet to be a feature wotrh the upgrade expense.
I ran Linux (Red Hat) exclusively for 5 years. Both on the desktop and server. I used WindowMaker as my window manager.
Linux is great, however, I had to move to Windows (2K).
Why?
Linux simply does not have a stable web browser that will run several java applets simultaneously, macromedia, audio/video plug-ins, etc.
If I had $1 for every time I had to ps -a | grep -i netscape, kill -9 [netscape process], I would be a very wealthy man. Netscape/Mozilla on Linux doesn't cut it stability-wise. Yes, there is Opera and Konquerer, but I work with alot of media rich, plug-in laided, java-oriented broweser apps.
These days, for many people, the browser is the operating system. The OS is becoming irrelevant, they just fire up the browser as soon as they turn the computer on. Linux does not have a *truly* stable browser, and thus for many people is much less stable than Windows.
It's the best server in the world, and I miss the free tools (C compiler, etc) - but until something even remotely similar in function and stability to IE for Windows is released ... it is not a viable desktop, IMHO.
You are kidding right? XP is without a doubt the most unsecure and anti-consumer privacy OS MS has ever produced. Not to mention the fact that if your HD goes down, you need to reformat for any reason or you change some hardware a few times MS requires you to get another auth. number from them before your system will even run again. Nothing like removing a virus from your system and getting the ole freeze up until you contact MS for another Auth. number.
Oh and lets not forget the older dos based programs that refuse to even run on XP. And before you "MS is G*D" types say some assinine statement like "Well they should upgrade their programs then", why don't you pay for the retraining and the new program expense associated with such a move.
Perhaps you don't need reliable TCP/IP communications in your SW development, or else you would KNOW that Win2K's TCP/IP stack is light years ahead of NT's. There are many other features that you would NEED as a SW developer (depending on the platform your SW runs on at the customer sites). Perhaps there are other reasons you don't want to switch to Win2K?
I've done them all as well. Win2K is much more stable than NT.
If something works, I use it. I'd drop MS in a heartbeat if it didn't perform well.
Upgrading Windows over an existing installation is difficult enough. Downgrading is trickier, because there is almost no support. You better be sure all the critical new components on your system have drivers. If you are going to downgrade, you should first backup the factory installation; then you should make a clean install preferably with the option to reformat the hard drive first.
I really don't understand why you wanted to downgrade. Check the date on the complaints about bugs. Windows XP has been out for well over a year, and most of the bugs you have heard about have been fixed by service packs and patches that can be automatically or semi-automatically installed across the internet using the Windows Update option on the Start menu. I would not recommend Windows XP as an upgrade to an existing computer unless it has at least a 1 Ghz processor. It is after all a resource hog (and slow) compared to Windows 2000. Windows 2000 gives acceptable performance with older computers with 333 Mhz - 1 Ghz processors. In 2003, it's pretty hard to buy a new Intel based PC with a processor too slow for good performance with XP.
I have been using an XP for about two years. No real trouble. I also have two ME I use, also very little trouble.
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