Will I lose all my pictures and saved files?
Tmac, I know you're going to freak. But building your own is simple, and cheaper. Plus building your own you get what you want, without the junk (Trial software, junk files, unreliable hardware).The only area where things get more expensive is when you include a Windows Installer Disk. Currently Windows XP Pro SP3 runs you $139.99.http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116515Or if you feel you're not up to the challenge of building it yourself, ask one of us to do it for you. It will still be much cheaper and much more reliable than if you bought one from Dell, HP, or Compaq.
XP only recognizes 3G.
This is incorrect. 32bit operating systems will recognize up to 4GB, but that's a systemwide total. Memory on any expansion cards will also be counted. So, if you've got a 512MB video card and nothing else with onboard memory, your maximum system RAM will be 3.5GB.Sound cards have a small amount of RAM...some other cards do too. All of it totals up against the 4GB limit.
Sorry about the confusion. 32 bit XP will not address more than 3G ram depending on configuration. Its not as simple as 4G - 512 video card. Don't know what the max is but I think it is 3G