[WriteLog] More re XP Upgrade Issues

[Jon Harder]

Just a heads-up to other WL users with multiple comm ports, etc.  Who was it
that first said, " If it works, leave it alone ...? "

In running the various web-site pre-tests ( like www.PCPitStop.com ) to
ensure hardware/software compatibility before taking the plunge, and getting
reliable-looking OKs of my hardware and overall no serious surprises,  I had
finally decided to move up from Win98 to XP (Home Edition) in a dual-boot
configuration.  And then ......

Before opening the XP upgrade packaging I decided to run one last round of
tests using MS's own UpgradeAdvisor  which came free on a little CD tucked
into the outer box from Staples.Com.  (.I had looked for it earlier on the
MS site with no success.)

Very glad I did!    << OUCH >>     -- It revealed that XP absolutely won't
support some older plain vanilla ISA serial port add-ons I've used for years
as Comm 3 and 4.  My SIIG PCI Comm 5 and 6 ports would require an easy and
free driver update from SIIG - no problem there.    But no more "real"
legacy serial port support!  While I had followed earlier threads here about
LPT port problems, and had already changed CW keying over from LPT2 to a
serial port,  I had not realized that legacy serial ports are also now
rendered unusable without something like the Direct-IO.com driver.  (Or a
future addition to WL?)  Upgrade Advisor also said NO to my trusty HP
OfficeJet printer/FAX/scanner, though no doubt HP has a driver upgrade....?

So -- back goes the sealed XP package to my friendly software vendor, just
as Win2K Professional did before it.   Maybe later, Big Bill,  but not now.
I'll save the $100 bucks for my grandkids'  Christmas.   For the forseeable
future, this WL user sticks with Win 98, which has been stable and solid on
a little BioStar board with 400 mHz K6 and 256mB of SDRAM.

73 to all,

Jon         K1US

Also appears Intel plans to finally kill off RS-232 ports, PS/2 ports  and
1.44mB floppy drives within two years -- see www.BeyondLogic.com .