Good point, and a good option for more experienced users.
For less experienced users though, I still think the "Live" option is the best way to go. Nothing extra to install or configure, so no additional learning curve involved.
Certainly food for thought.
Thanks... Jim
Thanks Jim for your appreciation - and for helping me to get there. I re-enabled my two ad blockers, and well I'm darned! Your PayPal thing has disappeared again! MUST be an advert...
Thanks to @Dandl, but I don't know what vm is, and I wouldn't know how to do what you kindly suggest. I have the latest LINUXMINT 16 - XFCE (stable) downloading right now, having started it about 45 minutes ago. It is a 1.156 GB
download, now reached 46%. With about an hour to go, and nearing 4 AM now, no sleep this night for me. I want to burn it to a live (and, I hope, installable?) DVD.
Now Jim, having done the first things, I will proceed to try to install it on my XP Machine (which has an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and 2 GB DDR2 RAM - very fast machine with my XP) after backing up what I want, and then saying a sad goodbye. I have your previous information saved to assist me - if I get into trouble I'll ask for your help.
And by the way Jim, I have written my will, stipulating that I want to be cremated and my ashes burnt.
Cheers from SA.
Hi Bob,
A VM is a "Virtual Machine" which is installed inside a working operating system. The user can then install a different OS within the VM and run it as per normal. It's a good way to test out different operating systems but a little complex for less experienced users.
Your XP machine's specs are good, should run Linux brilliantly. Mint XFCE is a good choice.
I haven't ever installed Mint XFCE myself but I'm guessing the process would be similar to Ubuntu and Mint KDE, in which case it should be pretty straightforward. By all means get back to us if any issues arise.
You may need to change the boot preferences in BIOS to boot from the disc first. Just holler if you need help with that.
Best... Jim
I've installed Mint 14 x64 a few times and can honestly say that it's faster than a ferret up a drainpipe!
Hi Jim, I'm back with Mint; my attempt to use the live DVD had me stumped. The DVD showed up OK, but that's as far as I got. There must be a step I've missed. (1) I was confused by there being no .exe setup file (none of the Mint files had file-type indicators) so how does one boot into Mint? No use in telling a dodo like me to do anything in BIOS because I simply am too simple to work with BIOS.
(2) Thanks for the VM explanation, which I don't understand. (3) I believe there's a counterpart to WUBI for Mint
installation. (4) I want to burn all my private stuff, photos, documents, wallpapers, videos etc to DVD and wipe my XP HDD clean with a higher format, and do a full, clean install of Linux Mint. it's a lot of work for you acting as my procedure manual, so what about finding a p.m. on the internet? Ideas on a good Linux web site for the procedure, please Jim?
Bye for now, and thank you.
so how does one boot into Mint?
I realize you've said you are unable to work with BIOS Bob but, in this case, you may simply have no choice - you cannot install Mint, or any other Linux flavor, unless your boot preferences in BIOS is set to boot from the CD/DVD drive first.
Some manufactures set it this way by default, some don't. To find out if the CD/DVD drive is set as first boot device; place the DVD in the CD/DVD Drive and wait for it to finish loading, then restart your machine. If the machine boots to the disc, you are good to go. If not and it still boots into the operating system you'll need to change the boot preferences in BIOS - read on.
When you first start the machine up you should see a message indicating which key to use to access BIOS - most common keys are F1, F2, and Delete. The message won't appear for long so you have to be quick. You'll need to restart the machine and tap that key repeatedly BEFORE the operating system begins to load.
Once in BIOS, you'll need to change the order of boot devices... generally your system hard drive will be first, or top of the list, followed by other devices. You need to move the CD/DVD drive to the top of the list with the system drive second. Then, save the changes and exit BIOS. Navigating around BIOS is generally done via the arrow keys and Enter key, but each page should include a description of which keys to use and what they do.
Now, whenever you start your machine, it will look for bootable media in the CD/DVD drive first, and if it finds a bootable disc, it will then load it. If it doesn't find any bootable media it will just move on to the next device and boot your operating system as per normal.
I've tried to couch all that in layman's terms, so I hope you can follow it okay. 
I believe there's a counterpart to WUBI for Mint installation
Not that I am aware of. You can install Mint inside Windows but it's nowhere near as straightforward as using Wubi, see here: http://cbopt.com/install-ubuntu-or-linux-mint-inside-windows-using-mint4win-or-wubi/
Let's see if we can get past the BIOS and boot preferences issue first mate, and then we'll take if from there.
Cheers... Jim
Thank you Jim, dandl and marc for your kind assistance.
First off Jim, of course I know how to set CD as the first boot device! Been doing it for years as all Windows users experience! Apologies for completely misunderstanding you. I really thought you were telling me to make manual configurations to the BIOS itself, like when one upgrades the BIOS! However, the penny suddenly dropped...
I have downloaded three versions of Linux Mint, flawlessly - with the excellent Internet Download Manager (as is usual with IDMan, bought version) - about three hours per download - and burned the ISOs to DVD: Mint Petra 16 Xfce, both the 32- and 64-bit versions, and the Petra 16 MATE x 64 bit version.
All three function live on my XP Home 32 bit. I didn't expect the 64 bit versions to function, but they do. However, marc's humorous "I've installed Mint 14 x 64 a few times and can honestly say that it's faster than a ferret up a drainpipe!" did not apply at all, as all three versions operated painfully slowly. Is this in keeping with a machine that has XP installed, with most of the RAM unused, and 444 GB HDD free space? Would Mint be ferret-up-a-drainpipe-like if the PC were clean of XP? Or does my PC require some upgrading? Briefly, does Linux Mint consume more resources then XP?
I have not tried them out on my Intel Yorkfield Core 2 Quad Q8200 Windows 7 Pro yet.
So, at least I am on way thanks to you folk; but I must say that it will take time for me to become familiar with Linux, it's so very different. But the desktop in both cases is really clean-cut, beautiful and ultra-professional. And I do have the PDF Procedure Manual downloaded.
Thank you all again for your kind and clear advice and tutorship! It's not always easy getting through to an oldie but, somehow, you did an excellent job!
Greetings from ZA. (PS, it's on the bottom of the gigantic African continent - if you look carefully, you'll find it. Bet you didn't know that! The ZA Rand is now at 11.1 U$D - Sob!)
Hey Bob - You have been busy!!
The misunderstanding re BIOS was probably my fault mate. Anyway, no problem now that you have your "live" Linux up and running... good one!!
The speed (or lack thereof) has very little to do with the machine's hardware specs and all to do with the fact that you are running the OS from a disc. The disc is much, much slower than when the OS is running from the hard drive, you will see a massive improvement in responsiveness once you install Mint on the hard drive... it should then indeed be faster than a ferret up a drainpipe.
"ZA" from the Dutch I presumble? Wikipedia is my friend!
Cheers and beers from the land of Oz.
Hi Jim, good to hear from you again.
Thanks, that sets my mind at rest - I had no idea that using a live DVD made things slow. So I learned something new - or is that "knew" since it relates to knowledge?
I didn't know about the ZA being Dutch, but it makes sense. Zuid Afrika. I always thought SA was referred to as ZA to distinguish it from another country, maybe South America???
The South African Rand as you know, has the financial "emblem" ZAR(ands)
By the way, I reported Jim Hellier to Dave Hartysock for telling illegitimate Irish jokes! Don't believe me? Ask Dave.
Totsiens from ZA. (Afrikaans: Lit. Untill see (again) = Auf Wiedersehen
Apparently ZA is from the Dutch... Zuid-Afrika. SA from Afrikaans... Suid-Afrika. I tell ya Bob, that Wikipedia is a veritable font of information.
I got a copy of your report mate, I get a copy of all reports. But I don't recall ever telling a joke about illegitimate Irishmen.
I was actually born in Wales, that's close enough, isn't it?
Cheers mate... Jim
Oops! I forgot to clarify that the Mint installs were full clean installs and not running 'live' from CD.
Apologies for any confusion.
Hi Jim, What made your Irish joke "illegitimate" is not the joke in itself, but the fact that only the Irish may tell Irish jokes! OK, my Mom was Welsh (her Dad, Phillips, her Mom, Kurnick - reckon my spelling here is incorrect?) so that lets you off the hook. 
Just all in good fun... thought I'd take the Mickey out of you and maybe brighten up your day... I hope you didn't take offense. It's just not in me to be offensive, but my warped sense of humour does get me into much trouble.
Now, down to business: I successfully "clean installed" (thanks marc) Linux Mint Petra 16 MATE 64 bit over my old XP as you suggested Jim, and I cannot believe how well it went: I have a fully-blown Linux Distro working in place of my XP Home and, really, it's quite some OS. (The KDE desktop is downloading right now, which I will add.) It's beautiful, clean and fast as that ferret of marc's!
Thank you all for helping me bury my XP for good, and to find such a worthy replacement. Now learning the Linux ropes begins. I just wanna know: where has Linux been all this time, and why did I not know about it??? #@%xx*&!!
One last question: do I need Malwarebytes and Avast! still?
Bob - I took your comment the way it was meant mate, tongue-in-cheek. I knew you were taking the Mickey so I was responding in kind. My quip about "illegitimate Irishman" was supposed to be a play on words. I didn't take offense at all - my hide is much thicker than that.
Really pleased to hear you're all up and running mate... good one!! And no, you don't need either Malwarebytes or Avast. You might consider installing ClamAV though. It certainly isn't essential but may be a prudent precaution.
I look forward now to hearing all about your adventures with Linux. Don't forget, we are here to help, where we are able anyway.
Cheers mate... Jim
Thank you Jim - I am so relieved to hear I hadn't put my foot in it, and that you have a decent-sized hide, which I hoped I had correctly discerned - I've been worrying about it for days, but now glad my discernment didna fail me. 
Reverting to your take on Wikipedia, I make good use of WordWeb (free), which has a tab that takes one to Wikipedia for an in-depth study of a word: you are right, Wikipedia is a boon to those seeking a deeper understanding of things.
Having heard some time ago that stomach ulcers (both gastric and duodenal) are NOT caused by ongoing stress, but by a bacterium named Helicobacter pylori due to its helix shape and locomotion, I investigated Wikipedia and learned that, in l982, two Australian scientists, Drs Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, discovered that H.pylori, an acid-hating bacterium, was the culprit, causing ulcers by burrowing through the stomach lining to set up home in the stomach wall - an acid-free environment. Well worth a read. These Aussie scientists, as a result of their hotly contested discovery, shared the Nobel Prize for this contribution to human health.
This post is however dedicated to thank you folk at DCT for the very kind and thorough help you have given me on replacing the scrapped XP OS with something free, instead of spending $$$ on another Windows OS. After all, one PC is about all I can handle, so I can now exercise my old brain on discovering buried treasure in Lixux Mint - maybe I also get the Nobel Prize one day soon...
Yes, I recall you did suggest ClamAV for Linux in a previous post, so my question was already answered.
Greetings from SA. Bob.
Hi Jim, I need more of your patient help please. Becoming familiar with the way Linux Mint works is, for me, going to be a slow process, as I can't find the things I am used to in Windows, in particular, how to clean out all traces of XP: e.g. I can't discover how to uninstall stuff from Linux. Nor can I access my D HDD to wipe it clean of XP backups. So right now, I need to render both my HDDs spotless first, to prepare them for Mint.
To recap, I installed Mint on what I thought was a clean C:\ drive HDD after starting a clean XP Home reinstall process with CD/DVD drive as first boot preference, and proceeding through to finishing the higher Format to wipe my HDD clean. I then stopped the process by removing the XP CD, and, on what I assumed was a clean HDD, I installed Mint without a hitch , as you know.
But I find there is still are a lot of XP left-overs, like Program Files, none of which work, but which are cluttering up my Mint installation. I proceeded ion the assumption that a Format would completely remove all traces of XP from the hard drive and give me a completely fresh HDD on which to install Linux. So where do these XP left-overs come from then? Surely not from the backup D: drive?
I am going to have to get both my hard discs scrubbed first, and then reinstall Mint afresh. Could you please advise me on this particular aspect: how to clean my two internal hard drives, C: and D: thoroughly so I can do a spotless install of Mint and D: drive clean for Mint backups as it presently still contains XP backups, image and incremental, and I need that for my Minty backups now. I can find no way to clean these two HDD using the Mint installation. What is Format called in Mint? 
I can have this done for me by our local PC expert Computer Zone, but, I want to do this on my own, with your help, and I don't want to pay! (I'd rather donate to DCT!)
Thanks Jim.
Greetings from a blistering hot Cape! (35 Celcius today) (Hey, your story on the off-course female balloonist was extremely funny and erudite!)
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