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correct. Just make sure you don't put too much on your system for now (apps mostly) and have system restore enabled in xp. If something happens to your system before then, you're screwed until vista comes out if system restore and safe mode doen't help solve the problem (main worry is virii, so keep your anti-virus updated very frequently just in case).

Uhoh my subsription ends soon!! I have a good reason not for me not to worry but i don't want to jinx it so i won't say I just hope that my dad wil get some more soon. I'm going to ask his mate as he is a technical guy if he can just check stuff for me (as he can see what i have atm as well) Also i was wonderig if anyone knew the price of vista just so i know how much i need to be prepared to spend when it comes out?

Off-topic : I have remarked that a few Online Stores had already published Approximate Estimates of the Final Cost generated by the Purchasing of the different Microsoft® Vista Variants which will be made available within a few months, and as I guess you might not upgrade additional Components installed inside your upcoming Personal Computer so soon, I would simply want to tell you that you shouldn't pour more than 500 USD in order to obtain an Operating System meeting the Technical Specifications and Possibilities offered by this same Machine...

Ok, i have uninstalled most of the unessential programs on my comp and copied files i need to my USB pen drive. Is there anything else i can do before the new components arrive (after i order them yet). I have the OS CD and i took the CoA off the current case which has the product key on it. Also i will need to know how to do what u said shadowhawk (boot from hardrive) does that mean copy the cd's contents onto the drive? Thanks for all your help guys

Off-topic : Seriously speaking, I cannot help considering the keeping of your current Microsoft® Windows Version as being too much restricting and unhelpful, and that's why I would have certainly attempted to follow ShadowHawk's previous Advice regarding the advantages and possibilities offered by the Purchasing of an OEM Variant of the aimed Operating System. Indeed, by proceeding so, you won't be annoyed and disturbed that much compared to the Situation you will experience once you will have obtained the sought Retail Parts, additionally to the fact you may obtain Expensive Releases of these same Products for a Final Cost being actually rather accessible, and for these reasons, considering back your current Choice should not be ignored so soon...

Err do u mean that Vista isn't as expensive as i think it will be so buying Xp and then Vista at a later date would be a good idea?

Off-topic : I have indeed considered this Possibility, and anyway, the upcoming Operating System designed and announced by Microsoft® will be possibly so much requiring and System Resources-consuming that attempting to install it on a Platform comparable to the one you will assemble within a few weeks might not be eventually that enjoyable, and that's certainly why Machines commercialized nowadays and being associated to the "Vista® Capable" Label aren't that numerous and accessible...

Meaning...don't go and buy it when it first comes out but wait till it is essential to run programs on and when i have upgraded my new rig a bit more?

I personally would recommend that. It's like buying a 2006 ferrari engine and putting it in a 2002 Ford Mustang (though that would be cool). Why put so much power into something that can't handle it structually? Buy the parts for a ferrari then buy the engine because you can get better deals from parts dealers and kit shops than goin straight to the dealer and buy the whole car with the engine. (using an analagy for both the Build-your-own and vista.)

Vista would be cool, but it will tax even some of the mid-ranges. Basically you won't be able to take part in the really cool features like the 3d desktop and alpha blend. (I got to try those out though.) Buy XP then later upgrade when you are well beyond its recomended specs (if min is all they show, even further. It's microsoft, remember.) How many updates and service packs has xp had for the past four years. Expect close to that for vista. Wait til you need it and the bugs are close to weeded out.

For the Boot thing I mentioned, use the old drive as the boot drive. Basically means it will be the primary drive or master. If you don't get another hdd, then the optical drive will be the secondary, or slave. (think the ones that came up with those terms were into a little s&m there. Bring out the whips, chains and leather cause it pppaaarrtty time! )

did I make it clear enough for you? Sometimes its hard for me to stop talking techy and start explainin in layman. (trust me, it makes me feel just as stupid as the other person feels, but more embarassing and frustratin. ).

That's all i really needed, your opinion, so now the price goes up to around £300 but i hopefully won't have to upgrade for another year which will give me plenty o' time to get the money in. Thanks for your help guys, now i just gotta get my dad's friends opinion on it (hoping he will say something similiar to what you think, meaning i can go ahead and order these Diet Dr. Pepper parts!):P

Off-topic : Upcoming Microsoft® Vista Versions will indeed certainly have to be updated and fixed rather frequently, additionally to the fact some of this Operating System's Original Features won't be shipped at all with the Storage Medium(s) required to expand and install it on a brand-new Personal Computer, and that's why you will be sooner or later forced to execute Microsoft® Windows Update in order to get your hands down on the Patches and Upgrades demanded so as to enable the WinFS File System, which eventually make the immediate ordering of Microsoft® Vista as being optional and even unadvised for now...

PS : OGEB', is it me or even my very own Imagination, or are you indeed somewhat Wary with regards to the possible Advices and Precise Details we could have given to you so far ? If so, then you do not need to justify this Decision, as I guess being about to pour a certain Amount of Financial Resources must imply sort of Requirements intended to make sure you won't waste them so easily. On the other hand, be sure we would have never provided you Hints and Tips aiming the assembling of a brand-new Machine if we weren't partly or entirely sure of the Success they could lead to...

I would never doubt you guys, it's just my dad would like to see what someone he personally knows has to say as it is me that has been posting on this forum for almost a year not him, so his response to your advice is not as trusting as mine.

Off-topic : As I may have stated inside my latest replies, endeavour into justifying this Decision isn't required at all, since I assume I would have proceeded the same way in case I would not have gathered the Knowledges and Informations dealing with this same Subject I have assimilated so far. Above all, relying on someone who seems to be close of your Entourage might equally make things a little easier whether you encountered troubles while attempting to assemble your upcoming Personal Computer, which incidentally leads to the presence of sort of "Technical Support" being partly or even completely dedicated to your case...

Ok, i talked to the guy and he thinks i've gotten everything perfect so my dads gonna order the bits soon! Yay!
One more thing, i took another peek at all the specs just to be sure and i hit a snag. The motherboard only supports 1 IDE cable and i thought that would mean either my current harddrive or DVD drive. Great! another £40 on a new SATA hdd. Then i found out that i can use the DVD drive and hdd on the same cable as master and slave. I had originally thought this was only for hdds. But then i realised that i can only have 1 hdd cos i actually have 2 80GB IDE hdds, my current one and a new one that my sis bought for her comp but the case only had room for 1 so waste there on her part. (she ended up buying a completely new comp anyway). It was then that i saw a slightly ifferent motherboard, exactly the same as the one i have planned on buying cept 1. £20 more 2.It has 2 IDE controllers!!! 3. It has 4GB capacity of RAM (that 1 had 2GB). So what im asking is: Is it worth the extra £20 to get a mobo that has twice the RAM capacity and 2 IDE controllers so i can put both hdds (doubles to 160GB)and DVD drive on?

P5LD2-VM SE: £55
P5LD2-VM DH: £75

Off-topic : If I were you, I would indeed chose to to spend additional Money for an ASUS® Motherboard owning even more Connectors and Slots than the one you had picked up earlier, and even though you would not take advantage of all these Physical Interfaces once you will obtain the aimed Product, be sure they might become sooner or later rather helpful whether you would decide to aggregate your Personal Computer supplementary Components and Devices, in order to make it to handle the installing and executing of Microsoft® Windows Vista, amongst other similar Situations...

Ok, and now what does shadowhawk think, as it seems that only the 3 of us are involved in this topic.

Try to limit the amount of harddrives you have on a system. Less power usage. On a IDE channel it has the capability for two drives, master and slave. As far as SATA drives, the best bet is to get a mobo that supports SATA2 or 3gb xfer. SATA1 is half that. It is much better than IDE. I can't give you much advice there as far as chaining hard drives and such on a single SATA Controller, so that should be best left to others until I upgrade and figure it out. (which hopefully be soon.)

Well both of them have 4 SATA2 ports.

Then I'm assuming you can't daisy chain SATA drives (still could be wrong). If you are not planning to use your old drive, go SATA. You'll just need the IDE to clone the other HDD on to the SATA and for your optical drive. Best to have a pro clone the drive though. Do not attemppt until you are more experienced. Can render the info on your old drive completely useless, making you SOL.

Off-topic : I do not think demanding the Assistance and Support of Engineers having learnt how to generate Cloned Replicas of specified Hard-Drives would be eventually needed in case OGEB' would indeed want to port the whole content of the aimed P-ATA Logical Units towards newly-acquired ones taking advantage out of S-ATA Connectors, which is especially demonstrated by the existence of Softwares being partly or even entirely dedicated to this sort of Objectives, such as Acronis® True Image, which is certainly among the most efficient, satisfying and easy-to-use Available Products belonging to this Category. Therefore, either repatriating and installing the Trial Version of this Design or even ordering it might be way more fast-paced and less restricting than requiring the presence of a person knowing how to achieve this kind of Tasks, although I nonetheless assume the Final Decision is only up to the implicated GameToast member...