Installing Windows XP

No, you must upgrade with the "upgrade" version. Q292607

SUMMARY
This article details the supported upgrade paths for Windows XP.

MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Windows 3.x
No supported upgrade paths
Microsoft Windows 95
No supported upgrade paths
Microsoft Windows 98\Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition\Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Windows XP Home Edition Retail (Full) Version
Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade Version
Windows XP Professional Retail (Full) Version
Windows XP Professional Upgrade Version
Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 Workstation
No supported upgrade paths
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Windows XP Professional Retail (Full) Version
Windows XP Professional Upgrade Version
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP Professional Retail (Full) Version
Windows XP Professional Upgrade Version
Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 Server
No supported upgrade paths
Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 Server with Citrix
No supported upgrade paths
Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server
No supported upgrade paths

Won't really know until the software is on the shelfs to buy the upgade to XP. but my guess is that you should be able to - if a bare minimun OS installed like ME, and nothign else - Since dos is dead with XP I doubt that you would get a cd boot up disk/cd with teh XP upgrade.

Just like any previous version of Windows, you can do a "clean" install on a freshly formatted hard drive as along as you have the installation CD from your previous "qualifing" version of Windows. You can install XP Home using W98, ME, or W2000. XP Pro and Home will not install if you're using versions 3.x or 95(a/b). Microsoft does not feel computers running that software can support any version of XP. I tend to agree. You would NOT want to install any version of XP on a 486 anything. MS recommends at LEAST 300MHz CPU.

Back to your question, yes you can clean install as long as you have the original CD. Restore CD's won't work.

Regards,

mbm