Installing XP on Second Computer - will it work??? (so far so good)

[javeryh]

Tonight I'm going to put together my first computer but I do not have an operating system to install. I have a copy of XP on discs that came with my Dell laptop but I am afraid that I will not be able to install it on my new computer due to licensing issues. What are my options? Is there a way to install the version of XP that I have? Maybe get (buy) a new key or something?

Any advice would be great. I also have less than zero knowledge about this crap so something like Linux is beyond my capabilities. If buying a new copy of XP is my only option then where can I get it super duper cheap?

Oh yeah, this thing will only be running one program (MAME) so I just need a bare bones copy. No internet, no music, no movies, etc...

THANKS!

[markb]

Linux is an option but why even bother with an OS if you will be using mame. You could use a version of Mame in DOS (Sorry I'm no expert) or AdvanceCD mame which doesn't even require a harddrive and only needs a CD drive.

http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/cd-readme.html

If you want to go with a Windows version, cheap copies of windows 98 can be picked up for next to nothing on the net and it runs mame fine.

[kiddk1]

Bittorrent,

seriously, you can use 98se, or if you want the cheapest copy of xp I am constantly upgrading computers for coworkers and get xp at www.edirectsoftware.com

[Kangum]

xp is a huge resource hog. i had a p2 300 mhz computer. it had win98 se. i installed a copyof winxp lite on it because I lost my original 98 disk and had no way of updating or installing drivers. Its basically xp without all the garbage. even simple games that ran perfectly fine on 98se like bubble bobble ran like crap on xp with this setup. the difference is alot.

if your system isnt exactly new or you dont have a copy of windows 98 use a free copy of dos and one of the many copys of the free dos front ends.

i will admit i am using xp now but its on a newer system (1.8 ghz) and its because i had an extra key. windows 98 really was great on the 300 mhz system. just wish i still had the original disk for the drivers and i would have kept it. it ran smooth and would have been just as good. it went downhill real fast as soon as i installed xp.

i cant stress enough the difference between xp and win98 on older systems. bubble bobble went from like 60 fps to like 4 fps just from the operating system change.

[Howard_Casto]

Granted that is true xp requires more resources, but I don't think it's fair to give that system as an example when the true minimum requirements for xp is a 500mhz pc with 256 megs of ram (Don't you know the m$ sys req rule? You take the reccomend processor speed and add a half and double the ram req. )

Given the choice I'd always pick xp over 98, simply because some emulators run better in xp or only run in xp.  You say you are only going to run mame now, but you might change your mind later down the road.  Will you be willing to purchase xp and reinstall everything? Daphne doesn't run well in 98 and some emulators like chankast don't run in 98 at all.  Also remember that the newest builds of mame allow the usage of directx-9, which will use your video card to do artwork effects.  Dx9 support in 98 is shoddy (or maybe non-existant I was thinking dx 8 is the cut-off point). 

Dos and linux aren't really choices if you don't have a lot of computer knowledge. 

Btw, the whole advance cd thing... sure it sets everything up automatically, if you are using a pc monitor with a video card it recognizes.  If you are using a tv, an arcade monitor or want to do anything special, however, it either out right doesn't work, or requires more tweaking than setting up advance mame. 

Also dos just sucks on new systems as it doesn't (and more importantly dos mame doesn't) take advantage of your newer hardware. 

Regardless of what many die-hard fans of alternative oses tell you, in this hobby dos and linux aren't as much choices as they are last resorts for machines that can't handle windows.  Windows is just easier to deal with for beginners and gives you a lot more room for expansion. 

I reccomend xp, but 98 should do ya as well. 

Oh btw... if you want to get a deal on xp, you could be patient and wait for vista to come out.  The price is sure to drop then.

[javeryh]

Thanks guys - this is all helpful information.  I'm leaning towards XP because it's what I'm familiar with.  I seriously doubt there will ever be a time where I am running something other than MAME, SNES9x, Nester or Daphne on my cabinet.  It's a cocktail so it doesn't lend itself to running things like N64 emulators or whatever else comes out.  I also don't own a single PC video game so that's not going to happen either...

[javeryh]

OK, I'm trying to install my copy of XP that came with my Dell.  It seems to be working so far - I am at the part where the hard drive is being formatted.  I have a valid key if it ever asks me for one (on the bottom of my laptop) so is this going to work? 

Anyone else ever do something like put XP on more than one computer in the house?  If so, how?

[javeryh]

OK, I got XP up and running... I called MS and they just gave me an activation key... sweet!  It's the cleanest desktop I've ever seen - just one icon for the recycle bin!  Now I have to install MAME and a frontend - are there any other programs I should have on there?  Like Flash or something?  Will MAME just run in and of itself?  THANKS!

[kiddk1]

you need a frontend for mame on that illegal copy of windows xp you have , if you want a user friendly frontend that is like a windows environment use Gameex, I have it and love it.