# Solved: Upgrade Presario 1277 to XP?



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

I recently got a hand-me-down laptop from an uncle. The laptop is a Compaq Presario 1277. I had to reformat the computer from an old 98 disc lying around because the OS was inaccessible when I received it. Now, my question is: Would it be possible to upgrade this laptop to XP? I have an XP Home Edition disc...but what I want to know is if the laptop could handle it.
Laptop Specs:
AMD-K6 3D Processor
124.0 MB RAM
32-bit file system/virtual memory
If anyone else has any questions about the laptop, I should be able to answer them. If the upgrade is possible, what am I going to be able to load onto the laptop program-wise?


----------



## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

Xp will not run well, XP needs 512mb memory to run decent, that system can only be upgraded to 192mb max.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...gory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=95012&lang=en

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...gory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=95012&lang=en

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?product=95012&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&cc=us

.


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanks for replying. Will it run, but just not as fast as my PC that has 448MB of RAM? Or will it crash because its too slow? According to this website, XP can run with as little as 96MB of memory...is that possible in this case?
http://ask-leo.com/how_much_memory_do_i_really_need_for_windows_xp.html


----------



## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

It will run, but will be very slow, because it will use the hard drive as virtual memory, and those hard drives in that vintage of PC are very slow.

You can use a program like Nlite to customize the XP install CD, take out some XP features to trim it down some.

http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanks. I think I will go ahead with the upgrade. If it's too slow, I can always downgrade. The main reason I'm doing this is because if my uncle is right, there is some sort of wireless card in the laptop, and since I don't have the drivers, Windows has no clue it's there. Hopefully XP will pick it up with its more advanced "Plug-and-Pray"


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

According to the product specs site for that laptop, it comes with:

*AMD-K6 433 MHz processor

64 MB of RAM(upgradeable to 192 MB) - 4 MB of it dedicated to video memory

4.8 GB hard drive*

I doubt if XP will even install.

--------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

I believe my uncle upgraded some parts....Windows says I have 124 RAM.


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

It has 128 MB, but it's showing 124 MB because 4 MB is dedicated to the on-board display adapter.

Even if you get XP installed and running, I don't think that puny display adapter is going to handle the graphic load.

----------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

I'll try it this weekend and see what happens. I could always disable the XP graphics. If all fails, I still have the 98 disc to revert back.


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

Just out of curiosity, let us know how it went.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

You are aware that besides the 98 CD you also need a startup floppy disk with the necessary files to revert back to 98?

-------------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

I will let you know. Thanks, I was not aware of that, but I have a startup floppy thankfully.


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

You need the startup floppy disk to boot from and then run these commands

FDISK

(Restart)

FORMAT C:

(Restart)

then insert the 98 CD and enter the appropriate DOS commands to install 98.

When XP was released in October 2001, the CD did all the work and made the process much easier than it was with 98 and ME.

---------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanks.


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

Upgrade went fine! PC runs like a charm, just can't put too much on it. No internet. (Why am I not surprised?) Will have to invest some money on a WiFi card and a new battery. (It only runs plugged into the wall.) Right now my only problem is the nag saying "You have 30 days to activate windows" and I have no internet connection. I'm trying to fix this now.


----------



## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

A replacement battery, if you can find one, could be as much as $50, and it won't be new. New batteries are not made for old laptops. You may also have trouble finding a PCMCIA wireless network card that works in a laptop that old. A newer, used or refurbished laptop would be a better value than putting any money into this one.


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

That's my thought too. Don't invest too much money into a dinosaur laptop that has the performance of a snail.

----------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

Okay. Thanks everyone for their concern; my main endeavor was just to get XP to run and it does that fine. I understand what you mean about not investing too much money. I found some cheap wirless cards such as this one:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=pcmcia+card&cid=7395326362547144541&sa=title#p
That I might buy if I have a little money lying around.


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

I'd go Linksys over NetGear because they're easier to set up and are more user-friendly.

----------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.a...annelintelligence&SearchTerm=10336401&Type=CJ

$30 dollars for a $50 dollar item....sounds pretty good...something to look at


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

That's the same Linksys model that I used in my old HP Pavilion N5495 laptop before I got rid of it.

----------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

Did you get good performance out of it? How well was its range?


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

I only used the Linksys wireless adapter card when I took the laptop to my computer club meeting at the high school, and it was never more than 20' - 25' away from the wireless router. I can't say how well it would've worked in other environments.

----------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## bjf98 (Nov 8, 2009)

Okay...thanks.


----------



## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

With a system that old, the bottleneck isn't going to be the wireless network connection speed. It's the RAM and processor.


----------



## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

DoubleHelix said:


> With a system that old, the bottleneck isn't going to be the wireless network connection speed. It's the RAM and processor.


*AMD-K6 433 MHz processor

64 MB of RAM(upgradeable to 192 MB) - 4 MB of it dedicated to video memory*

Yep. Big-time performance bottleneck.  :down:

----------------------------------------------------------------


----------

