We've acquired a used computer, Dell 2100, from a business environment. They wiped all programs from the hard drive, so we've got a "clean" machine. If I load a brandy new Windows XP Home OS, can I then load my existing copy of Office 97 Pro, then upgrade that with a brandy new Office2003 upgrade? I'm worried about compatability issues like Win. 98 vs Win. XP Home, and the chance that Office 97 won't upgrade properly. we've invested around $500 for XP and the Office upgrade, but I don't even want to open the packages if there are going to be a bunch of problems in setting up the new computer. Would we be better off to just get a whole new computer with XP already loaded?
Thanks for your input. I'm the guy they write all those "dummy" books for.

After you install the Windows XP Home Edition, there should be no problem at all with installing the Office 97, then upgrading that to the Office 2003.

In fact, if it were me, after installing the WinXP Operating System, I would just install the upgrade version of the Office 2003.

When prompted by the Office Installer about the base program (your Office 97) either put the Office 97 CD in, or else put in the CD Product Key Code, as appropriate.

I hope this is of some help!

Dwight

Thanks Dwight, I appreciate the info. Here's one more question. How do I get all my email stuff from the old computer to the new one? The new one has a cable port that is larger than a typical phone plug. I'm guessing that was for a network cord. I'm also guessing that I'll have to remove the modem form the old comp and install it in the new. (we're still on dial-up)
Any recommendations on what to do from here? What to look for? What to avoid?
Thanks again!

If it is just old emails that you want to transfer, it may be easiest to buy a USB Jump Drive (sometimes called Flash Drive). You plug the Jump Drive into your old computer's USB port and export the emails to the drive. Then plug the jump drive into your new computer and import the emails into your new system.

You can do the same thing with your Address Book and other files that you may wish to save (like Favorites, for instance).

See more here. I have both a Lexar and a PNY drive and I like both of them very much. The price difference is mostly in the amount of data the unit can store. The more memory, the more cost. I have a 256 MB unit and a 1 GB unit.

If your old computer doesn't have a USB port, you may be able to use floppy disks to accomplish the same thing. Another option would be to put the emails into a folder and use a compression utility like WinZip to compress the folder into a file. Then email that file to your new computer.

Locating the store folder for your email messages depends upon what program that you're using for your emails. If Outlook Express, you can click on the "Tools" menu, then "Options". Click the "Maintenance" tab, then the "Store Folder" button. That will give you the address of your stored messages. Go to the address and copy the folder over to the media you choose to use to transfer the data to your new system.

For the MS Outlook message store folder, see this page.

If you want to continue using your old computer, you could network the two together. The best connection method depends on what type of network card the old computer has. If it has a 10/100 Fast Ethernet card, you can connect them via a switch or even directly.

See more here.

There are lots of ways to network computers and that makes this a confusing topic. The Network Wizard in your new computer makes this process pretty simple. Remember, if you're using a Firewall, you will need to give permission for the computers to connect.

I hope this is of some help!

Dwight

Wow! You rock, Dwight! thanks so much for the detailed reply. Some of it is still mysterious to me but after following your prompts its not too intimidating. You've been a great help. I plan to tackle this project this weekend (with the help of a youngster who LIVES on the internet!) Thank you very much.