Easy guide to installing Windows XP

Windows has this really bad habit of getting slower with time due to various reasons including misuse. [Does it hurt to be called one of the culprit for a damn slow system that is bogged with malwares and spywares?] So if you are among those who need to get a new Windows on your system read on as should those who have a new system to install the much-hated operating system (OS).

What will you need?
1. Windows XP installation CD with product key [We will assume that you have a "genuine" windows XP CD.]
2. All hardware drivers for your machine. This will include audio drivers, modem drivers, network drivers, etc. I would suggest you to get all the necessary drivers by finding it on your system or searching on the Internet.
3. And a minimum of two hours

Once have all these things at hand you can start with the process of giving fresh life to your system. Though this post has been written for installing XP on a system running with an OS, you may also follow the steps to install XP on a fresh machine. Just skip the steps that don’t apply to you.

Installing an operating system can be a risky proposition and may damage your system. So please take utmost caution and follow the procedure mention over here at your own discretion and risk.

Now that you are ready to go ahead,follow these steps.

1. Backup all important data
If you are reinstalling your system we do not need to tell you to backup all your stuff. And with DVD writers becoming a standard with most new systems it has never been easier. [Unless you have loads of data.] And if you have a huge bookmark in your Firefox browser, export it using bookmark manager.

2. Audit the setup of your current system
This is very important to save yourself from feeling like loser after getting a new windows XP but with some hardwares not running. We need to prepare an inventory of all the things that are up and running in your computer. How do you do that? Get a small application called Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) to create a detailed inventory of your system. This free software will give you a detailed report of your system with the list of hardware components, applications and their serial numbers. Get a copy of the report safely for future reference as it will be of great help incase you don’t have the drivers for your hardwares.

3. Install Windows XP
Now you need to make sure that your system is set to boot from CD drive first. Go to BIOS setup and look for boot order setting of your BIOS. If it is not set to CD drive, make it the priority boot device. This means the computer will first check the CD drive for a bootable CD while starting. You may also have to disable some hard disk enhancement settings to allow installation of Windows XP, a legacy OS. You will find an instruction next to it saying that legacy OS may not install if this option is enabled. Now insert the Windows XP CD and exit setup. The system will start booting from the CD. (If you can’t verify and make CD the priority booting disk, you can try restarting your system after inserting the Windows CD in the drive. You should turn the system off and then start. This should give you the option to boot from the CD.)
Do not run the installation process with your Windows XP. Install only after booting from CD other wise the partition that houses the OS will not be deleted. Though you would be able to install and get a new Windows XP by such installation that is carried within Windows itself, you will end up with the same (C:) drive with all its files and folders. You will also have to bear with a ghost user (the previous one).

4. Facing the blue screen

Once the system boots from the Windows XP CD, you need to select install button. At this point of time your mouse may not function and you will have to use “TAB” key too select install button and then press enter. You will be greeted by a blue screen with white text of the Windows XP setup. At the Welcome to Setup page, press Enter. Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement. You’ll be asked if you want to repair your existing Windows XP installation. Press “ESC” to bypass the repair and install a fresh copy. All your existing disk partitions will be listed.
Delete the partition [most probably C] where Windows is installed.Use the arrow key to select it, and press D to delete. Press L to confirm.
Repeat the process with other partitions if you want to delete them. Else leave them untouched.
If you wish to change the size of your C: drive you will need to delete other partitions as well to accommodate the extra space or the shortage. You may also want to partition the drive using partition managers like Norton Ghost and Partition Logic or Partlogic (http://partitionlogic.org.uk/download/index.html) (Open Source). But you will have to do this before starting Windows installation.
Now create a new partition to install Windows XP. I would suggest you to keep the first (C:) for installing Windows. Also, you should allocated only as much space you think would be essential for installing various programs considering your future needs. Generally a 20 GB partition should be enough for housing a huge number of programs. [I like dedicating my C: drive towards all system needs and programs. Keeping other partitions just for myself, and not for softwares.] Create other partitions if required. To create a partition select the unpartitioned space and press C. Type the size of the partition in KB. This means if you want a 20 GB partition you need to type 20000 and then press enter.
Now select the topmost (C:) partition for installing XP. Choose NTFS format for your partitions, preferably thorough formatting and not the quick one.
Now just keep following the on-screen instructions and wait. Soon you will have you spanking Windows XP.

5. Installing drivers

Now that you have your new XP, chance are, you will need to install drivers for various hardware components of your system. First, get a list of what Windows doesn’t have installed correctly. From Control Panel, go to System, then Hardware, and click on the Device Manager. It will look something like this:

All the hardware components that are in your system but don’t have a driver for get them running will have a yellow mark. Right click on those one by one and install drivers. If you have a drivers CD given by the manufacturer the computer will automatically install it from there. But you may also have to force-feed some drivers for proper functioning if you don’t have a driver CD. In addition to the hardware components showed in the device manager you may need to install some other drivers like graphics and sound control for more enhanced functioning of your system.

6. Still way to go
Now you have to update your Windows XP using automatic updates function of XP (only if its a genuine Windows XP). Else you should manually download patches and updates from Microsoft Windows site and install them on your system. Now it’s time to format other new partitions that you may have created (Go to My Computer and right click on the partition to format in NTFS). You may follow this step anytime when you need to use the new partitions for storage.
Now that you have your system up and running it’s time to load all applications and data back and enjoy a fresh system.

For further reference visit Microsoft site.
(http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/install.mspx)