G.pradhap kumar
Windows XP is one of Microsoft’s most popular operating systems,
and though it’s starting to show its age, many people still use it exclusively.
Whether you’ve got an old computer that you want to get functioning again or
you want to install XP on your new machine, it will only take a short while.
Note: Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows XP, which means
it will no longer receive essential security fixes. It is highly recommended
that you consider upgrading to a newer version of Windows, such as Windows
7 or Windows
8.
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1. 
1
Ensure
that your computer can run Windows XP. Your computer will
need to meet or exceed the minimum system requirements in order to run Windows
XP. You can find your system information by either checking the computer
manufacturer's manual, or by running DirectX Diagnostic on an existing Windows
operating system of the computer.
·
To start the DirectX Diagnostic, open the Run dialog (press
WinKey+R simultaneously), type dxdiag, and click OK.
·
Minimum System Requirements
·
300 MHz Intel or AMD CPU
·
128 megabytes (MB) of system RAM
·
1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available drive space
·
Super VGA (800x600) or higher display adapter
·
CD or DVD-ROM
·
Keyboard and mouse, or other pointing devices
·
Network Interface Adapter required for Internet and Network
Connectivity
·
Sound card and speakers or headphones
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2. 
2
Find
your Windows XP Product Key. It is printed on a
sticker on your software package or located on the computer itself. It is a
string of 5 groups of characters (each 5 long), separated by dashes, resulting
in 25 characters in all. You need the product key to complete installing
Windows.
3. 
3
Set
your computer to boot from CD/DVD. Before inserting
the CD, you'll need to set your computer to boot from a CD instead of from the
hard drive. This will allow you to load the Windows XP setup files before your
computer boots to its installed operating system. You can change the boot order
from the BOOT menu in your BIOS.
·
To enter the BIOS of your computer, you usually press F9 or DEL
when your computer starts or notifies you that you can enter "setup".
Click the green "BIOS" link for more information. [1]
·
In the BOOT menu, set the order so that your CD/DVD-ROM drive is
set as the 1st Boot Device.
·
If you are installing Windows XP from a USB drive, make sure that the USB drive is set as the
1st Boot Device. You may need to have the USB drive inserted for it to appear
as an option.
1. 
1
Load
the installer. Once your Boot Order is set, insert the Windows XP CD into
your drive and Save and Exit from the BIOS. Your computer will reboot and you
will be presented with the message: Press
any key to boot from CD. Press any key on your keyboard to start the Setup program.
·
Setup will load files necessary to begin the installation, which
may take a few moments. Once the loading is complete, you will be taken to the
Welcome screen.
2. 
2
Press
ENTER to begin installation. Once the loading is
complete, you will be taken to the Welcome screen. You are given several
options, but if you are installing or reinstalling Windows XP, you’ll want to
press ENTER to start the installation configuration.
3. 
3
Read
the License Agreement. This document tells you what you can and
can’t do with Windows, and your rights as the consumer. After reading, press F8
indicating you agree to the terms.
4. 
4
Select
the partition you want to install on. You will see a list
of available partitions on your installed hard drives. If you are installing
Windows XP on a new hard drive, you should see only one entry labeled
"Unpartitioned space." If you have a previous version of Windows or
Linux installed on your computer, you will potentially have multiple partitions.
·
Installing Windows XP will erase all of the data on the
partition that you choose. Select a partition that is empty or that contains
data that you do not care to lose.
·
You can delete your partitions with the “D” key. This will
return them to “Unpartitioned space”. Any data on the partition will be lost
when it is deleted.
5. 
5
Create
a new partition. Select the Unpartitioned space and press “C”. This will
open a new screen where you can set the partition’s size from the available
space. Enter the size in megabytes (MB) for the new partition and then press
ENTER.
·
By default, the partition will be set to the maximum amount of
available space. Unless you plan on creating multiple partitions, you can
usually leave this at its default.
·
Windows XP requires at least 1.5 gigabytes (1536 MB) for its
installation files, but you will want more than this for programs, documents,
downloads, and other files. 5 gigabytes (5120 MB) is a good baseline amount for
Windows XP, with more if you plan on installing a lot of programs.
·
You can create multiple partitions on a single drive. This can
allow you to separate your programs from your movies and music, or to install
another operating system. Windows XP can only be installed on one discrete
partition.
6. 
6
Select your
new partition. Once you’ve created your installation partition, you will
be returned to the partition selection screen. Select your new partition,
usually labeled "C: Partition 1 [Raw]" and press ENTER.
7. 
7
Select
"Format the Partition using the NTFS File System" and press ENTER.NTFS is
the preferred method, supporting a larger amount of disk space per partition
than FAT, and including security features at the file system level. NTFS also
includes system level compression. There are almost no situations anymore where
choosing FAT would be preferable.
·
If your partition size is larger than 32 GB, you will not be
given the option to choose FAT.
·
It is highly recommended to avoid Quick Format, as this skips an
important process that checks the hard drive for errors or bad sectors. This
scan is what consumes the majority of the time taken when performing a full
format. If there are errors on a disk at the physical level, it's best to catch
them now rather than later.
8. 
8
Wait
for the format to complete. The system will now format the
partition. The length of time this process requires depends on the speed and
size of the drive. In general, the larger the partition, the longer the process
will take.
9. 
9
Wait
for the Setup files to copy. Windows will now
start copying files from the installation disc and prompt you to reboot the
computer when the process is completed. Press ENTER when prompted to reboot,
otherwise it will do so automatically after 15 seconds.
10.
10
Allow
the computer to boot normally. You will see the
message asking you to press a key to boot from CD. Ignore it and allow the
computer to continue booting from the hard drive. You will see the Windows logo
as the Setup program loads.
11. 
11
Wait
for the installation to proceed. After the Windows
logo goes away, you will see a list of steps remaining on the left side of the
screen, and tips for using windows on the right. The time remaining for the
installation will be displayed below the list of steps remaining.
·
It is normal for the screen to flicker, turn on and off, or
resize during this process.
12. 
12
Choose
your language and region settings. During the
installation process a dialog window will appear, asking you to choose your
Regional settings. Select appropriate settings native to your area. Click the
Next button when that is completed.
·
Enter your full name if you want. This will be set as the
“owner” of Windows, and will be attached to certain things, such as Document
creation.
13. 
13
Enter
your Product Key. You will not be able to complete the installation process
without a valid Product Key. Click "Next" to continue.
·
Some versions of Windows will not ask for the Product Key until
installation is complete.
14. 
14
Set
your computer’s name. This will be the name that represents the computer on a
network. Windows sets a default name, but you can change it if you would like.
You can also set a password for the Administrator account. This is optional,
but recommended for public computers.
15. 
15
Select
your time zone. Ensure that the date/time are correct. Click
"Next" to continue.
16. 
16
Choose
your network settings. Almost all users installing Windows XP
on a home or personal computer can leave "Typical Settings" selected
for Network Setup. If you are installing Windows XP in a corporate or academic environment,
check with the system administrator, though Typical Settings will most likely
work.
·
In the next window, nearly all users can select “No, this
computer is not on a network, or is on a network without a domain.” If you are
in a corporate setting, ask your system administrator which you should choose.
·
You can typically leave the workgroup name set to default.
17. 
17
Wait
for the installation to finalize. This will only take
a few minutes, and the computer will reboot when it is finished installing.
Once the computer reboots, you will be taken to the Windows XP desktop. At this
point, installation is complete, though there are a few things left to do
before Windows is completely usable..
1. 
1
Set
your display preferences. Once Windows loads, you will be told
that Windows will automatically configure your display. Click OK to start the
configuration. Your screen will flash a couple times, and then you will be
asked if you can read the box that appears.
2. 
2
Set
your connection preferences. If your computer is
connected to the internet, select your connection type. Press Next to continue.
3. 
3
Activate
your copy of Windows. If connected to the Internet, Select "Activate
Now." Windows will connect to the activation server and automatically
authenticate your copy of Windows. If you haven’t entered your Product Key yet,
you will need to enter it now.[2]
4. 
4
Create
Users. After the Activation Process, a window will appear
allowing you to select the users for the computer. Enter your name, and the
names of others who will be using the machine. Press Next to continue.
5. 
5
Start
using Windows. You will now be looking at the default Windows XP Desktop.
Congratulations! There are a few things that you should probably do now that
you have Windows up and running:
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Video
Tips
·
If you encounter any difficulties installing, Windows Setup will
give you technical information about the error, which can help determine its
cause. Check the troubleshooter on Microsoft's website for
assistance with common installation problems.
·
The setup generally takes 15 to 40 minutes depending on the
speed of your system. It's best to stay near, because throughout the
installation, it will ask questions such as the Time and Network settings.
·
Don't forget to set your boot priority in your BIOS. On older
systems, the BIOS is set to read Floppy, HDD, and THEN CD-ROM. You will need to
set your boot priority to load the CD-ROM before Floppy and HDD.
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Warnings
·
Some user's installing Windows XP from disks with Service Pack 2
or below experience issues during the early stages of install on modern
computers, characterized as never-ending reboot loops, or a Blue Screen Error
(BSOD). This is due to some disks lacking a driver for SATA hard drives. In
order to fix this, the user will have to slipstream
the drivers to a copy of the install CD, or put the required
drivers on a floppy disk and manually add them to the install list.
·
Do not attempt to install Windows on a system that does not meet
the minimum requirements.
·
Be sure to Activate Windows within 30 days of installation,
otherwise the system will not allow you to log on until Activation is complete.
·
You can install Windows more than once on a single partition,
but this may lead to system instability in the future. Download software such
as Partition Magic 8, to safely divide the hard drive into partitions for safe
install.
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