Member Avatar for camelNotation

I have a pentium 2 processor and 112kb of cache ram. Is it possible to install XP in place of 98?
Will I be able to install windows xp once i change the RAM ?

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Short answer for : Windows XP can be installed on many Pentium II systems, but it will usually be slow unless the system RAM and disk are upgraded. The 112 KB of on‑chip cache is part of the CPU and cannot be increased without changing the processor; main system RAM is what can and should be upgraded. ( made this point correctly.)

Official install requirements are modest (XP can be placed on older hardware), but real usability needs more than the minimum. As other posters noted, disk space and RAM matter — the installer needs roughly 1.5 GB of free disk space, and while XP will boot with very little RAM, practical use typically requires at least 256–512 MB to avoid constant paging. If the box stays at very low RAM levels, performance will "crawl" as warned.

Practical checklist to decide next steps:

  • Identify the motherboard and memory type (check the silkscreen on the board or the manual) and the maximum supported RAM. PII‑era boards use different module formats (SIMMs or early DIMMs), so confirm the exact type before buying.
  • If the board supports it, add RAM toward 256–512 MB. Install matching modules and verify in BIOS/System Information that the memory is recognized.
  • Ensure at least 5 GB (preferably more) of free disk space for paging, temp files and apps; back up important files first.
  • Prepare drivers (network, video, chipset) on removable media before doing a clean install so connectivity isn’t lost immediately after setup.

If upgrading RAM or drive isn’t practical, keeping Windows 98 (or installing a lightweight Linux distribution designed for old hardware) will usually give a much better experience than forcing XP on a very low‑spec PII machine. Also note: Windows XP reached end of support on April 8, 2014; any XP install should be treated as unsupported and protected accordingly (offline use or strong network protections).

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Member Avatar for FragFighter

How much space do you have on your harddrive?
XP takes up a lot of space, so you should leave about 1 gig dedicated to it.
If you don't have enough space then just stay with 98.

Member Avatar for caperjack

I have a pentium 2 processor and 112kb of cache ram. Is it possible to install XP in place of 98?
Will I be able to install windows xp once i change the RAM ?

112 cache is built into the processor and not changable ,unless you change cpu' to one with more cache,you will need to add sdram, to the computer and like other poster says have enough space on harddrive for xp and its more than 1 gig,more like 2.5 gig .also if you really don't want to slow your computer to a crawl ,leave win98 on it .

Member Avatar for Suspishio

Windows XP will crawl with a Pentium 2. As advised, simply don't do it.

If you need XP, then buy/build something current with at least 1GB RAM on it.

Member Avatar for camelNotation

okay thanks.

Member Avatar for thejtothek

does anyone know how/why my XP Pro machine would not recognize a 2nd hdd? it is set up correctly, in every way, but still will not show up anywhere. Thank you!

Member Avatar for bobbyraw

it would be best if you start a new thread, with your question. anyway what file system is on the hd. was the drive format on a windows system..

Member Avatar for thejtothek

ok. Thank you!

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