What is the difficulty rating in upgrading from ME to XP and should I back up ME prior to the upgrade.

Hi,
The most common problem with upgrading to XP is that if you have any older programs, they might not run or be able to be used with XP. For example; Microsoft Picture It 99, etc. Great photo/graphics program, but won't work with XP.

You can do a compatibility check, to see what, if any, programs you have, won't work with XP.

Here is the best site I have found, with step by step on checking it out, and also installing XP, if you choose to do so:

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/expertzone/columns/honeycutt/02october07.asp

If you decide to install XP, you might want to print out all the steps at the site.
Best wishes, and best of luck,
fredg