Clearing out a drive would not even be necessary. Dont use Xp but both winnt and win2000 can install alongside 98 and you make it dual boot. Id stay away from nt, though i used it for years; IF for some reason you mess up the install, you can potentially lose the 98 as well. For the graphics side, youll never look back to 98 or ME once youve got 2000 or XP. You might have a issue with some very old games but hey, in the end its the graphic programs that win out.