>If you've already uninstalled most of your software, your best bet is to do a "bare-metal" installation of XP Pro (not an upgrade). Yes, you can do that with your XP Upgrade CD:
>
>- Back up any data you want to save
>- Make sure your backup is good (see next step!)
>- Format your HD
>- Boot from the XP Upgrade CD, run Setup
>
>At some point it will say "This product is an upgrade. Please insert your original media" or words to that effect. Put in your WinMe CD, let Setup detect that, put the XP CD back in and then the installation should proceed normally.

Thanks Al,

I had considered this, but much of the software that came with this computer (P4 1.4GHz HP Pavilion) did not come with individual install disks, but instead it had a system restore disk that would restore the system to the factory configuration. I uninstalled all software that I had purchased separately, ran the compatability check, uninstalled anything that it said was not compatible, downloaded drivers and software updates that it indicated were necessary. My hope was that I could keep the installed software and settings, my address book and documents without having to backup and restore them individually. I did backup my critical files in case something went wrong, but I hoped to avoid the additional hassle of restoring the many things that would be required. Just installing the additional software and getting all things to work has taken the better part of the weekend.

I bet I have rebooted this computer 100 times since Friday night when I started. Anyway, everything was going OK (with only a few minor problems and annoyances) until I started to install Visual Studio on Sunday night. I did have some problems with the Lexmark printer. I got the updated drivers and firmware installed fine and got it working, but when I installed a postscript printer, the Lexmark stopped working and had to be uninstalled and installed again. It appeared to have some problem with the order in which it loaded I guess.

When I had the problem with VS last night, I decided that maybe I should download any available updates to XP (even though I had just purchased it on December 22). To my surprise, there were over 30 "critical updates" required which took about 4 hours to download with my dial-up connection. Some of these updates went as far back as October 2001, so I guess my WinXP Pro upgrade disk is actually over a year old. After installing these, Visual Studio still would not install. I checked for updates again and XP Service Pack 1 was required. 3 hours later I had this update and installed it. Still no luck installing VS6. I checked again and there were 3 more "critical updates" required and an updated video driver was available. 2 hours later I had these installed and still no luck, I guess I am going to have to get a DSL or Cable modem just to keep up with the numerous updates and patches that XP is going to require ;<)

After all of this, I found that the "Samsung Smarthru engine" that controls the scanner for the Lexmark multifunction printer was being started as a service on startup. I temporarily stopped this service and eureka!! Visual Studio finally would install. I guess this "Smarthru engine" was either written in VS 97 or it has a signature that the VS 6.0 setup program mistook for VS 97. But finally, I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it isn't an oncoming train!

I still have to install SQL Server, Oracle and the VFP 8 Beta. I hope that they will not be such an ordeal.