Whats the best DOS upgrade path?

[Mark H. Granoff]

After a total mishap and 98% recovery, I am now ready to try and
upgrade the DOS on my PC.

I am currently at AT&T MS-DOS 2.11.  I have an AT&T 6300, 640KB
memory, 20MB Seagate ST225 hard disk, 1 floppy, AT&T monochrome
monitor.

As I understand it, I cannot use SYS to upgrade DOS from 2.x to 3.x
because 3.x is bigger.  I must reformat.  (Once I get to, say 3.1, I
could then use SYS to go to 3.2 without formatting, right?)

I have read quite a bit lately (here, in fact) that BACKUP/RESTORE
between DOS versions doesn't work.  Whether that's true or not (is
it?), I am not planning on using DOS BACKUP and RESTORE.  I got a copy
of FastBack+, which I am told by others, works just fine on AT&Ts.
Any comments?  Will I be able to read FastBack+-written disks (under
DOS 2.11) under DOS 3.x?

Since I will have to reformat, what is the exact procedure?  I think I
know, but I would like to check it out before I start:

     1. DOS BACKUP my FastBack+ directory, to RESTORE later onto 3.x
        disk, rather than reinstall it from scratch.
     2. Low level format with interleave factor 3.
     3. FDISK to create partition.
     4. SYS to copy 3.x system.
     5. DOS 3.x RESTORE of FastBack+ directory.
     6. FastBack+ restore (all but DOS 2.11 stuff)

Right??  Will I be able to run DOS 3.x RESTORE on DOS 2.11 BACKUP
disks????

Next, I can go to either AT&T MS-DOS 3.1 or AT&T MS-DOS 3.2.  Which
should I use?  Does it matter?  I had heard that there was a problem
under PC DOS 3.2 in reading 2.x disks?  Is this the case?  Is this the
case with AT&T MS-DOS 3.2?

What am I forgetting?  Tell me.

Thanks for the information.