Windows XP is arguably Microsoft’s best operating systems to date. It’s probably the most user-friendly, stable, complete and compatible OS to come from the company in one package. Along the same lines, it’s also really easy to install. So why are we writing an article on how to install Window XP? Well, there are a couple reasons…
First, we wrote this article because we know of a couple tricks to make your installation go more smoothly, and if you run into problems, we probably know the cause. We know of ways to make your PC faster, despite the fact it’ll be running the same OS as your neighbor or Counter-Strike rivals.
The most important reason for writing this article is that many people are afraid to install something as serious as an operating system – and for a good reason. If you have ever installed Windows 3.1, 95 or even 98 before, you know it can be a frustrating and tricky task. There are a couple steps you must follow that are too much for the average PC user (if you’ve even found Tweak3D, you are probably much more tech-savvy than that average PC user). A boot diskette is required, and it seems that at least 90% of the time it is corrupted. Some familiarity with DOS is necessary, and the wrong move can nuke your hard drive. If errors are encountered, no colorful and friendly menus are there to help you wade through the mess.
The days of risky business are over, though. Yes, installing a Microsoft OS is a very easy task, so long as you follow a couple steps that we’ve included in this guide to make your life easier. For best results, you’ll want to print this article and use it while you install Windows XP. This guide was written with Windows XP Professional in mind, but Windows XP Home will offer very similar options and this guide should offer ample support.
Preparing to Install XP
Before you go off and try to be a hero, be sure you have the necessary equipment to complete the installation. This means before you format a hard drive or even turn your PC on, locate the following:
Windows XP CD – Be sure it’s free of scratches and debris. If it’s scratched badly, it might only make it through half the installation, giving you a big dumb box of metal and a severe headache.
If you stare long enough, you might see a 3D image of a sailboat.
Preparing to Install XP (cont.)
Valid Windows CD-key – Installing Windows is easy, but impossible without a valid CD-key. Be sure your key is legible and that it’s not in use, or Windows might not activate properly. The key can usually be found on the backside of the CD sleeve or the license agreement.
What, you thought I’d share my key? You’re too trusting.
Backup – If you are planning to reinstall Windows XP over another version of Windows or you have information on your hard drive you want to keep, be sure to back it up to another drive.
3rd party SCSI or IDE controller drivers – If your PC has a SCSI adapter or even an ATA133+ controller, be sure to have the newest drivers on a floppy disk or CD. When Windows prompts you (as you’ll read later), hit F6 and install these drivers. It will make the installation process much quicker and will help you avoid strange errors part-way through the install.
Internet software – If your ISP (Internet Service Provider) requires special software to get connected that you know is not included with Windows XP, be sure to have it now. This could include connection software, drivers for modems or other devices, etc. Windows without the Internet is like a Ferrari without wheels. It might look pretty, but it isn’t going to get you to Starbucks.
Let’s Get Started, Shall We?
Warning: The first rule while installing Windows is: do not press keys without reading what you’re doing. The second rule of installing Windows is: do not press keys without reading what you’re doing. Seriously, read what you’re doing and do not rush through the install, or your PC could be as useful as a turnip (it would still taste better, though).
If you could be so kind, please turn on your PC at this point and hit "Delete" on your keyboard, or the other key indicated by your BIOS information screen to enter the setup utility. In this utility, look for "Boot Sequence" or "Boot Options". You may have to search around a bit to find it. If you accidentally make a change, exit without saving. Otherwise, locate the boot sequence and promote your CD-ROM drive to the primary boot device. This is just the easiest way to boot from the drive. Once you’ve done this, pop the CD-ROM drive open and insert your Windows XP Installation CD. Choose "Exit Saving Changes" or whatever option allows you to save the current settings and exit. Your PC will reboot, and you’re on your way.
An Epic Begins, Installing Windows
Once your PC has rebooted, follow the instructions on-screen to boot from the CD. It may require you to hit some key on the keyboard. It might be automatic. Either way, within a couple seconds if you’ve done this, you should see a familiar blue screen as the installation starts. Right away, it will say at the bottom of the screen something along the lines of "If you have a 3rd party SCSI driver, hit F6". If you do, as mentioned above, hit F6 now. You will not have another chance to do this, and if you miss it, you may want to reboot your PC and try booting from the CD again. You will be prompted to install these drivers later.
If you have already installed XP on this PC and there are remains of it on one of your hard drives, it will ask you if you’d like to repair an installation. This is most likely not your plan, so hit Esc on your keyboard to continue and do a fresh install.
Choosing Your Partition
Once you’ve done this, you should reach the partition setup screen.
Read carefully before proceeding.
If you know which drive for certain you want to install Windows XP on, choose the drive and hit C for "create partition". You will have to hit D to "delete partition" if there are any problems with the old partition. This is recommended if you plan on doing a clean install as it could avoid problems during the install. Once you’ve deleted the partition, you will have to recreate it by hitting C.
If you create a partition, it’s best in most cases to use the whole drive for the partition. This might avoid confusion later with drive names.
If you don’t want to create a new one or you are ready to install, choose the desired partition and hit the Enter key. If it prompts you to choose either FAT or NTFS, you would probably be best suited with FAT (in this case, FAT32). It offers some advantages over NTFS (although it also has some disadvantages) and it is compatible with more versions of Windows.
Setup Continued, w00t!
Tweak Tip!
A "quick format" takes a couple seconds, where normally it takes up to an hour.
Following this step, you should have the option to either do a normal or quick format. If it works, try a quick format. This should save you some time. At this point, you can take a short break. Windows will work through the next few sections automatically. One of the steps is Scandisk, where Windows will scan the hard drive for errors. It may prompt you for action if an error is found, however if the disk was just formatted, it should not have any problems.
Windows will now install a few more components and reboot the PC. If your PC automatically booted from the CD before, you will need to again enter the BIOS setup utility to change the boot sequence. If your PC required you to press a key, then do not press a key this time. Let the hard drive boot up. If you have an error like "non-system disk", "no boot disk found" or "press a key to reboot", then enter your BIOS setup utility as before and be sure your hard drive is set to be your primary boot device. If all goes well, you should see a Windows XP splash screen and the installation process would continue.
Nearly 20 years of Windows and this is our greeting. I am overwhelmed.
Assuming you encounter no errors, you should reach a blue installation screen with some Microsoft propaganda on the right. This is what you’ll see for the next 20 minutes or so as the installation continues.
"Buy an X-Box, buy an X-Box!"
More Options
Tweak Tip!
With all this copying, it'd be wise to defragment your hard drive after installation.
After some automatic copying, the setup program should ask you about regional and language options. These only apply if you’re outside the United States, do not use a standard keyboard, or do not speak English. If this does not relate to you, click Next to continue.
Here you have the option to enter a name and organization. This will be used for many Windows programs, but is not very important. You can enter your first name and leave organization blank for now.
At the next screen, you will be prompted to enter that oh-so-important CD-key, which is located on the back of the sleeve or it should be packed with the license agreement. Enter it carefully (if you make a typo it will not work, but you can return and correct it). The letters will automatically be capitalized. After you’ve entered this, it will ask for a name for your PC. Again, this is not very important and if you want, you can just click next. We generally use the same name we used for Windows, or if we’re on a network we’ll follow it with a number. Once this has completed, you can set the administrator password. If you do not want to do this now, you can do it later. Finally, you’ll set the time, date, and time zone.
Choose Your Own Networking Adventure
Tweak Tip!
XP does a surprisingly good job managing your network automatically.
Most users prefer typical network settings, but for the tweakers out there, "custom" is definitely the option you want. You’ll most likely want to remove QoS (choose "Uninstall"), because few programs take advantage of it, and you might want to install IPX if you play older network games. To do this, choose Install, Protocol, Add, NW Link IPX/SPX then click OK. If you have share files or printers over a LAN, you’ll want File and Printer sharing. Click next when you’re done here.
Now, choose a name for your workgroup or enter the known network workgroup to which this PC will belong. If you know the Domain you’ll be part of (if you don’t know what this means, skip it) enter it. Otherwise, choose Next. At this point you should have another short break, and when this is completed, your PC will reboot again.
Welcome to Windows
Windows XP will attempt to setup your desktop resolution automatically once it has rebooted. If it scrambles the screen or has an error, hit "Esc" on your keyboard immediately.
When you startup Windows XP, plug in your cable modem etc. and you should have Internet access automatically when available. Internet is needed for the next few steps, which can be repeated later if it’s not available now. You’ll be prompted to activate and register Windows. Activation is required to use Windows, but registration is not. Activation is very quick and easy, but if you need to skip it, Windows will notify you later.
The desktop should now come up you’ll quickly realize that Windows is fully functional. You can do what you want here, but we suggest you do a few more things before continuing.
Kind of reminds me of Fruity Pebbles…mmm, that was a great cereal.
Let the Tweaking Begin
If you do not like the default Windows XP theme, you can easily change it. Right click the desktop and choose "Properties". You can change the theme here from XP’s colorful theme to something more conservative, such as the Windows Classic theme.
I guess clouds and rainbows are not for everyone.
Windows Update
Assuming you have Internet access, you should update all the drivers and patches on your system before installing your favorite word processor, ICQ, Space Bunnies Must Die, etc. To make this fast and easy, open Internet Explorer (Start button, then Internet Explorer). Once it’s open, choose Tools, then Windows Update.
Don’t worry, you can change your start page to Tweak3D later.
Tweak Tip!
Run Windows Update once a week, every week.
Click "Scan for Updates". Once this has completed, choose "Review and Install Updates". Critical updates and service packs will be installed automatically. These will usually fix problems with Windows or its built-in features. Then click "Windows XP" on the left side. Scroll down and read through the options. Some of these are good, but you want some like you want the bubonic plague. Choose "Add" on the good ones, and skip over the others. Especially avoid the .Net updates.
Choose "Driver Updates" on the left, and confirm all updates for your drivers. Most likely, you’ll want to update your video card drivers from the manufacturer’s site, as they are probably more up-to-date and include utilities. Once you’re done with this, click "Review and Install Updates", then "Install Now". It will take a while to install and download updates. Once it has completed, the PC will probably reboot. At this point, try running Windows Update again to see if there are other updates that patch previous updates.
Conclusion
You’ve successfully installed Windows. You are now one-step above every person in society that has not installed Windows, and when you’re at a cocktail party and someone says, "Hey, who here has installed Windows?" you can raise your glass without feeling a bit of shame.
Go install your favorite programs, games, restore your backups, and enjoy your new PC.
