3 computers, 3 different operating systems! HELP!

We just bought Mich a brand spanking new lap top with the works, including an external hard drive! It's Vista. The machine I'm using right now is XP. My oldest machine... well it's Windows 98. Not a pretty picture! I did make the XP and the 98 machine play nice. I have just finished making the Vista and the XP machines play nice. I will NOT even consider making them both play nice with the 98 machine at the same time. Not gonna happen! I suppose I'm going to have to upgrade my "spare" PC. Or... just go buy another one! hehe, don't tell Bob ok? He's stressed enough with having 3 machines and only 2 users. The 98 machine is a good one, not too old, just an old operating system. So, my home network is 3 machines with only 2 of them playing together at any one time. Works for me!

Oh, if you're in Windsor Ontario and want to buy a machine go to PC Outfitters... they are great! Google for the number.

Comupter trials and triumps!

Our newest machine, running XP is our main machine. We also have an older Windows 98 machine networked with it so if needed Michelle and I can both be on at once. Now getting XP to play nice with 98 was no small matter but I won in the end. (The 98 machine has been upgraded since original purchase and what's in the tower is only about 4 years old. The operating system is the only really, really old part.Though in computer terms, 4 years is pretty old!)

Lately the newest machine has been making funny noises at boot up. I've been ignoring them as they didn't last long and went away. Today I booted up and well... I think someone was grinding coffee in the tower. It went away. I had been saying I was going to take it in. I was planning on doing it Friday but my trip into work was different than normal so I said it could wait until Monday. WRONG!

There I was playing on line poker, drinking a Tims and OMG, the noises it started making! Seriously I couldn't even concentrate on my cards. I shut it down, after folding a fairly decent hand I might add.

Now, the desk for the sick machine is the most comfy so I had a genius ides. Unplug and switch the monitors and keyboards and voila... The 98 computer is running at the comfy desk. Did you note what I did? Monitor & keyboard... any problem there? hmmmm?

Yep forgot the dang mouse. So I couldn't even shut down to switch mouses and just did it running. I figured the mouse was no biggie and luckily it wasn't. (note, not USB plug ins.)

Anyway all is solved. We still have one up and running computer and yet another spare should I need to have two going.

Hopefully it's not a big deal. I'm hoping fan, I'm NOT thinking hard drive!