Only the install drive will be affected by the install so data stored on a
separate drive will be unaffected. If you are really paranoid you can
disconnect the other drives during the install.  I think Windows will alway=
s
recognize the boot drive as C: so your drive letters will probably change.
In Windows 8.1 you can right click the "start button" and use the drive
manager to set the letters to anything you want.=20

If you have data on the install drive, you can use the Microsoft Easy
Transfer Wizard. This will transfer your files and even accounts and
settings for Microsoft products to an external or network hard drive. Just
check the boxes for the stuff you want to transfer. Get the latest version
of the wizard from Microsoft (free) and use the same program to retrieve it
all back to your new machine.

If you need those old 16 bit programs, you can run XP in a virtual machine
under Windows 8.1 using Hyper-V. In fact, you can get disk2vhd and copy you=
r
existing hard drive to a virtual drive.

You can find plenty of documentation for all of this on the Microsoft and
other web sites.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-=
t
ransfer

Allen


> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf
Of
> IVP
> Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2014 12:13 AM
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: [OT] XP to 8.1
>=20
> Hi all,
>=20
> I made the mistake of trying to ask Microsoft a simple question
>=20
> An hour later I'm still none the wiser, after two chat sessions
> terminated because my replies didn't send. Grrrrr. I got to say
> hello to Cassandra and Shey S but that was about it
>=20
> Trying to sort out the best and easiest way to update from XP to 8.1
>=20
> I've got an XP PC. Two drives - C: boot and D: data. I'm going
> to get a new clean drive to install 8.1 on, and make the current C:
> boot drive a data drive, probably E: I guess
>=20
> Can 8.1 access, read and use personal system files that were
> created and that I use with XP - eg Favorites, Address Book,
> email folders etc ? Using IE8 and OE6
>=20
> TIA
>=20
> Joe
> --
> http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
> View/change your membership options at
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist


--=20
http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
.