Problems installing Xubuntu 14.04

[John R. Sowden]

I have 13.10 on a drive with the windows that came with the computer 
(compaq presario-desktop).  I tried to upgrade to 14.04 several months 
ago, but the new version modified the system so it would not boot after 
grub (don't remember the details).  Since then I have to select sda7 in 
grub to boot the 13.10 version.

Last night I decided to take the plunge and install 14.04 (from a 
downloaded copy from ubuntu onto a dvd) on a new 2 TB drive (sata).

A few issues (enough that I am back to the previous drive running 13.10):

I had planned on reserving some space in one of the first 3 
(non-extended) partitions for the copy of windows.  I selected LVA 
because it said it will be easier to change the size of the partitions 
and easier to take a snapshot (backup a partition?).  I have been 
installing Linux since RH ver 5.4 or so (almost 15 years).  I used to 
get the options to set up my partitions.  This time I did not.  I went 
to run gparted - not found, including using catfish.  There were 3 
programs in the system directory.  The new menu program mentioned in the 
new features readme was not to be found.  My current version has about 
35 programs in the System menu.

It seems that I have an incomplete version.  How do I fix this.
What method is recommended to install a new version while retaining the 
programs that I am currently running, and have added in the last few 
years?  I have been told that a new install is always better than an 
upgrade in place.  (Also I have about 3 screensfull of errors on boot 
(some file not found).

If I copy my home directory, which I did, to a usb stick, will those 
config files, the hidden ones, interfere with the new, possibly new 
versions of programs in 14.04?

tia,
John