Before you upgrade your existing version of Windows to Millennium, you should perform the following steps:

• Read the Setup.txt file on the Millennium CD-ROM, and perform any additional preinstall steps as suggested.

• Make sure that your computer is not infected with a virus. To do so, run an anti-virus program with the latest virus signatures and allow the program to remove any viruses that it finds.

• Disable any programs that run automatically, including anti-virus programs, screen savers, or system utilities.

• Uninstall any utilities or tools that protect or encrypt the Master Boot Record (MBR) or partition table (for example, uninstall Bootlock included with Symantec Norton Your Eyes Only).

• Back up all critical data on your hard disk. While it is unlikely that you will encounter a serious problem installing Millennium, it is always a good idea to perform a complete system backup before installing a new operating system. When you upgrade your computer's operating system, it is possible that an error could occur (such as a problem due to incompatible hardware or a power failure) that could temporarily or permanently prevent access to the data on your hard disk.

• If your computer came pre-installed with your current operating system, check with the hardware manufacturer to make sure that you have the latest drivers for your hardware.