Install Windows XP

This procedure demonstrates how to install Windows XP Professional. The procedure to install Windows XP home edition is very similar to the professional edition. Since Windows XP Pro is more advanced operating system, it will be used to demonstrate the installation procedure.
The best way install Windows XP is to do a clean install. It is not difficult to perform a clean installation. Before you perform the installation I recommend that you checkWindows Xp Compatibility List to ensure that your hardware is supported by XP. If your hardware is not on the compatibility list you can check your hardware manufactures website to download the drivers for Windows XP. Save all the necessary drivers onto floppy disks or CD before you start the installation.
All versions of Windows XP CD are bootable. In order to boot from CD/DVD-ROM you need to set the boot sequence. Look for the boot sequence under your BIOS setup and make sure that the first boot device is set to CD/DVD-ROM. You can then perform the following steps to install Windows XP:
Step 1 - Start your PC and place your Windows XP CD in your CD/DVD-ROM drive. Your PC should automatically detect the CD and you will get a message saying "Press any key to boot from CD". Soon as computer starts booting from the CD your will get the following screen:

Step 2 - At this stage it will ask you to press F6 if you want to install a third party Raid or SCSI driver. If you are using a an IDE Hard Drive then you do not need to press F6. If you are using a SCSI or SATA Hard drive then you must press F6 otherwise Windows will not detect your Hard Drive during the installation. Please make sure you have the Raid drivers on a floppy disk. Normally the drivers are supplied on a CD which you can copy to a floppy disk ready to be installed. If you are not sure how to do this then please read your motherboard manuals for more information.

Step 3 - Press S to Specify that you want to install additional device.

Step 4 - You will be asked to insert the floppy disk with the Raid or SCSI drivers. Press enter after you have inserted the disk.

Step 5 - You will see a list of Raid drivers for your HDD. Select the correct driver for your device and press enter.

Step 6 - You will then get a Windows XP Professional Setup screen. You have the option to do a new Windows install, Repair previous install or quit. Since we are doing a new install we just press Enter to continue.

Step 7 - You will be presented with the End User Licensing Agreement. Press F8 to accept and continue

Step 8 - This step is very important. Here we will create the partition where Windows will be installed. If you have a brand new unformatted drive you will get a screen similar to below. In our case the drive size is 8190MB. We can choose to install Windows in this drive without creating a partition, hence use the entire size of the drive. If you wish to do this you can just press enter and Windows will automatically partition and format the drive as one large drive.

However for this demonstration I will create two partition. The first partition will be 6000MB (C: drive) and second partition would be 2180MB (E: drive). By creating two partition we can have one which stores Windows and Applications and the other which stores our data. So in the future if anything goes wrong with our Windows install such as virus or spyware we can re-install Windows on C: drive and our data on E: drive will not be touched. Please note you can choose whatever size partition your like. For example if you have 500GB hard drive you can have two partition of 250GB each.

Press C to create a partition.

Step 8 - Windows will show the total size of the hard drive and ask you how much you want to allocate for the partition you are about to create. I will choose 6000MB. You will then get the screen below. Notice it shows C: Partition 1 followed by the size 6000 MB. This indicates the partition has been created. We still have an unpartitioned space of 2189MB. Next highlight the unpartitioned space by pressing down the arrow key. Then press C to create another partition. You will see the total space available for the new partition. Just choose all the space left over, in our case 2180MB.

Step 9 - Now you will see both partition listed. Partition 1 (C: Drive) 6000MB and Partition 2 (E: Drive) 2180MB. You will also have 8MB of unpartitioned space. Don't worry about that. Just leave it how its is. Windows normally has some unpartitioned space. You might wonder what happened to D: drive. Windows has automatically allocated D: drive to CD/DVD-ROM.

Select Partition 1 (C: Drive) and press Enter.

Step 10 - Choose format the partition using NTFS file system.This is the recommended file system. If the hard drive has been formatted before then you can choose quick NTFS format. We chose NTFS because it offers many security features, supports larger drive size, and bigger size files.

Windows will now start formatting drive C: and start copying setup files as shown on the two images below :

Step 11 - After the setup has completed copying the files the computer will restart. Leave the XP CD in the drive but this time DO NOT press any key when the message "Press any key to boot from CD" is displayed. In few seconds setup will continue. Windows XP Setup wizard will guide you through the setup process of gathering information about your computer.

Step 12 - Choose your region and language.

Step 13 - Type in your name and organization.

Step 14. Enter your product key.

Step 15 - Name the computer, and enter an Administrator password. Don't forget to write down your Administrator password.

Step 16 - Enter the correct date, time and choose your time zone.

Step 17 - For the network setting choose typical and press next.

Step 18 - Choose workgroup or domain name. If you are not a member of a domain then leave the default settings and press next. Windows will restart again and adjust the display.

Step 19 - Finally Windows will start and present you with a Welcome screen. Click next to continue.

Step 20 - Choose 'help protect my PC by turning on automatic updates now' and press next.

Step 21 - Will this computer connect to the internet directly, or through a network? If you are connected to a router or LAN then choose: 'Yes, this computer will connect through a local area network or home network'. If you have dial up modem choose: 'No, this computer will connect directly to the internet'. Then click Next.

Step 22 - Ready to activate Windows? Choose yes if you wish to active Windows over the internet now. Choose no if you want to activate Windows at a later stage.

Step 23 - Add users that will sign on to this computer and click next.

Step 24 - You will get a Thank you screen to confirm setup is complete. Click finish.

Step 25. Log in, to your PC for the first time.

Step 26 - You now need to check the device manager to confirm that all the drivers has been loaded or if there are any conflicts. From the start menu select Start -> Settings -> Control Panel. Click on the System icon and then from the System Properties window select the Hardware tab, then click on Device Manager.

If there are any yellow exclamation mark "!" next to any of the listed device, it means that no drivers or incorrect drivers has been loaded for that device. In our case we have a Video Controller (VGA card) which has no drivers installed.

Your hardware should come with manufacturer supplied drivers. You need to install these drivers using the automatic setup program provided by the manufacturer or you need to manually install these drivers. If you do not have the drivers, check the manufacturers website to download them.

To install a driver manually use the following procedure:

(a) From the device manager double click on the device containing the exclamation mark.

(b) This would open a device properties window.

(c) Click on the Driver tab.

(d) Click Update Driver button. The Wizard for updating device driver pops up as shown below:

You now get two options. The first option provides an automatic search for the required driver. The second option allows you to specify the location of the driver. If you don't know the location of the driver choose the automatic search which would find the required driver from the manufacturer supplied CD or Floppy disk. Windows would install the required driver and may ask you to restart the system for the changes to take affect. Use this procedure to install drivers for all the devices that contain an exclamation mark. Windows is completely setup when there are no more exclamation marks in the device manager.

How to Install Windows XP ? – Step By Step

Why Do We Need To Re-install Windows XP?

You need a “clean install” of Windows XP when you got millions of viruses in your computer or you had tried every thing to restore your windows by using anti virus or system restore tools etc. A brand new hard drive also needs to install clean XP. A clean install simply means formatting the hard drive ( only C drive ) and reinstalling the operating system, puts the system back in the state in which you first got the machine.

Before You Proceed With The Installation

Backup your important data before you begin this process! (If you have multiple partitions on your hard drive, data on partitions other than the system partition “except C drive” will not be affected with the following steps, but a backup is still recommended to be on the safe side). You will also have to re install all the softwares you were using in your previous XP.

NOTE : Use these instructions at your own risk!. Only users experienced in installing, troubleshooting, and making repairs to Windows Operating Systems should attempt to follow these instructions on their own. If you choose to proceed, be aware that GetPcMemory assumes no responsibility for any problems encountered.

Step 1 : Prepare The Boot Sequence

Insert the windows XP cd in your cdrom and than go to the BIOS by hitting “DEL” or “F12″ when your system in powering on. Go to Boot order and make sure cdrom is on the first place.
Save settings and restart your computer.
Once you have successfully booted from the CD, you will see the Windows XP “Welcome to Setup” screen. Press ENTER to begin the setup process.

Step 2: Accept the license agreement

When you see the Windows XP license agreement press F8 to accept it and proceed.

Step 3: Searching for Previous Versions of Windows XP

Setup will search for existing Windows installations. You will see the next “repair or install fresh copy” screen appear only if a Windows installation currently exists on your machine. If you’re installing on a brand-new hard drive, skip to Step 5.

Step 4:Continue Installing a Fresh Copy

Press ESC. You will be given a list of partitions available on your hard drive.

Step 5: Partitions

If there are multiple partitions on your hard drive, or you have multiple hard drives in the computer, use the UP or DOWN arrow keys to choose your install partition. Please note that your system partition needs to be a primary partition (usually the first partition that shows up in the list), not a logical partition.
The partition should be at least 10 GB in size. Make sure that all the data you need from this partition is copied elsewhere, because it will be deleted.
Once you have selected the right partition selected, press ENTER. You will see the next “you already have a system installed” screen only if you already have Windows installed on this partition. If you are installing on a brand-new hard drive, skip to Step 7.

Step 6: Continue Installing On The Selected Drive

Press C to continue. You will be given a list of install options
/

Step 7: Format The Selected Partition

Select the option to “Format the partition using the NTFS file system (quick) and press ENTER.You will receive a warning about formatting the drive unless the drive is brand-new.

Step 8: Continue With The Format

Press F to continue formatting selected partition. If you still haven’t backed up, this is the last change to backup your important data, after this step you will not to able to go back and restore your data.

Step 9: Copying Files

After the format setup will automatically copy files and restart your computer. Go to BIOS and remove cdrom from first boot device. Start your computer.
/

Step 10: Automatic Installation After Restart

Setup will continue to install after the restart. it will ask you for the product key and user name etc. Fill the forms yourself.

After The Installation

Install the missing drivers because windows XP will install a limited set of drivers,you’ll have to find the rest. To see which drivers you’re missing, go to the Control Panel > System > Hardware tab > Device Manager. Things next to a Yellow exclamation is a missing driver. You’ll need to reinstall these drivers from a system CD that came with your computer or download them from the manufacture’s website.

How to Format and Reinstall Windows xp

MS DOS

1. Click start.
2. Click Run.
3. Type cmd or command and press enter.

Additional information about the difference between "cmd" and "command" can be found on document CHOOO395.

If you're attempting to get into a MS-DOS prompt to troubleshoot the computer, boot the computer into Safe Mode. Additional information about how to get into Safe Mode can be found on document CHSAFE.

Windows 2000 and XP users who are unable to boot the computer into Normal Windows mode or Safe mode, can also enter the recovery console to manage their computer from a prompt. Additional information about how to do this can be found on document CHOOO627.

Finally, if you are experiencing issues getting into Windows NT, 2000, or XP, it may be necessary to run troubleshooting steps from a MS-DOS prompt. It is recommended that the Network Administrator get into the MS-DOS prompt by using either a standard MS-DOS boot diskette (note: will not be able to access data using a standard MS-DOS bootable diskette) or the ERD diskettes created after the installation of Windows NT, or boot from the Windows XP CD.

Below is a listing of each of the MS-DOS commands currently listed on Computer Hope and a brief explanation of what each of the commands do. The below commands are all MS-DOS commands, which means not all the below commands will work in your version of MS-DOS and/or Windows command line. Clicking on the command will open the help page for that command with full details about it.

Command	Description	Type
ansi.sys	Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys.	File
append	Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command.	External
arp	Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices.	External
assign	Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter.	External
assoc	View the file associations.	Internal
at	Schedule a time to execute commands or programs.	External
atmadm	Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.	Internal
attrib	Display and change file attributes.	External
batch	Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file.	Recovery
bootcfg	Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.ini	Recovery
break	Enable / disable CTRL + C feature.	Internal
cacls	View and modify file ACL's.	External
call	Calls a batch file from another batch file.	Internal
cd	Changes directories.	Internal
chacp	Supplement the International keyboard and character set information.	External
chdir	Changes directories.	Internal
chdsk	Check the hard disk drive runningFAT for errors.	External
chkntfs	Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors.	External
choice	Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file.	External
cls	Clears the screen.	Internal
cmd	Opens the command interpreter.
color	Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window.	Internal
command	Opens the command interpreter.
comp	Compares files.	External
compact	Compresses and uncompress files.	External
control	Open Control Panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt.	External
convert	Convert FAT to NTFS.	External
copy	Copy one or more files to an alternate location.	Internal
ctty	Change the computers input/output devices.	Internal
date	View or change the systems date.	Internal
debug	Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings.	External
defrag	Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs.	External
del	Deletes one or more files.	Internal
delete	Recovery console command that deletes a file.	Internal
deltree	Deletes one or more files and/or directories.	External
dir	List the contents of one or more directory.	Internal
disable	Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers.	Recovery
diskcomp	Compare a disk with another disk.	External
diskcopy	Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk.	External
doskey	Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past.	External
dosshell	A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users.	External
drivparn	Enables overwrite of original device drivers.	Internal
echo	Displays messages and enables and disables echo.	Internal
edit	View and edit files.	External
edlin	View and edit files.	External
emm386	Load extended Memory Manager.	External
ename	Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver.	Recovery
endlocal	Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command.	Internal
erase	Erase files from computer.	Internal
exit	Exit from the command interpreter.	Internal
expand	Expand a Microsoft Windows file back to it's original format.	External
extract	Extract files from the Microsoft Windows cabinets.	External
fasthelp	Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them.	External
fc	Compare files.	External
fdisk	Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive.	External
find	Search for text within a file.	External
findstr	Searches for a string of text within a file.	External
fixboot	Writes a new boot sector.	Recovery
fixmbr	Writes a new boot record to a disk drive.	Recovery
for	Boolean used in batch files.	Internal
format	Command to erase and prepare a disk drive.	External
ftp	Command to connect and operate on a FTP server.	External
ftype	Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations.	Recovery
goto	Moves a batch file to a specific label or location.	Internal
graftabl	Show extended characters in graphics mode.	External
help	Display a listing of commands and brief explanation.	External
if	Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing.	Internal
ifshlp.sys	32-bit file manager.	External
ipconfig	Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values.	External
keyb	Change layout of keyboard.	External
label	Change the label of a disk drive.	External
lh	Load a device driver in to high memory.	Internal
listsve	Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers.	Recovery
loadfix	Load a program above the first 64k.	External
loadhigh	Load a device driver in to high memory.	Internal
lock	Lock the hard disk drive.	Internal
logoff	Logoff the currently profile using the computer.	External
logon	Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login.	Recovery
map	Displays the device name of a drive.	Recovery
md	Command to create a new directory.	Internal
mem	Display memory on system.	External
mkdir	Command to create a new directory.	Internal
mode	Modify the port or display settings.	External
more	Display one page at a time.	External
move	Move one or more files from one directory to another directory.	Internal
msav	Early Microsoft Virus scanner.	External
msd	Diagnostics utility.	External
msdex	Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM.	External
nbtstat	Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT.	External
net	Update, fix, or view the network or network settings	External
netsh	Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS.	External
netstat	Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information.	External
nlsfunc	Load country specific information.	External
nslookup	Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network.	External
path	View and modify the computers path location.	Internal
pathping	View and locate locations of network latency.	External
pause	Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command.	Internal
ping	Test / send information to another network computer or network device.	External
popd	Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd xommand.	Internal
power	Conserve power with computer portables.	External
print	Prints data to a printer port.	External
prompt	View and change the MS-DOS prompt..	Internal
pushd	Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time.	Internal
qbasic	Open the QBasic.	External
rd	Removes an empty directory.	Internal
ren	Renames a file or directory.	Internal
rename	Renames a file or directory.	Internal
rmdir	Removes an empty directory.	Internal
route	View and configure windows network route tables.	External
runas	Enables a user to run a program as a different user.	External
scandisk	Run the scandisk utility.	External
scanreg	Scan registry and recover registry from errors.	External
set	Change one variable or string to another.	Internal
setlocal	Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else.	Internal
setver	Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs.	External
share	Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities.	External
shift	Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program.	Internal
shutdown	Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt.	External
smartdrv	Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory.	External
sort	Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen.	External
start	Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt.	Internal
subst	Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter.	External
switches	Remove add functions from MS-DOS.	Internal
sys	Transfer system files to disk drive.	External
telnet	Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt.	External
time	View or modify the system time.	Internal
title	Change the title of their MS-DOS window.	Internal
tracert	Visually view a network packets route across a network.	External
tree	View a visual tree of the hard disk drive.	External
type	Display the contents of a file.	Internal
undelete	Undelete a file that has been deleted.	External
unformat	Unformat a hard disk drive.	External
unlock	Unlock a disk drive.	Internal
ver	Display the version information.	Internal
verify	Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly.	Internal
vol	Displays the volume information about the designated drive.	Internal
xcopy	Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another.	External

How make a newtool on taskbar

1- Right click on Taskbar.
2- Select Toolbars.
3- Choose new tool bar.

4- Press ok
Now you can see in first picture your new toolbar appear on taskbar.

Set up your screen saver

Screen savers can help protect your monitor from wear by showing a constantly changing display when your computer is not being used. Screen savers can be simple, like the Blank screen saver that turns off your monitor to save energy.
To change your screen saver

1.	Right-click your desktop, and then click Properties.
2.	In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Screen Saver tab.
3.	Click the Screen saver drop-down box, and then click a screen saver.
4.	Click the Preview button to see how the screen saver will appear on your monitor.
5.	Move your mouse or press a key to return to the Display Properties dialog box. To try a different screen saver, return to step 3.
6.	Click the Settings button to change the standard behavior of the screen saver you selected. (Each screen saver has its own settings dialog box.) Then, click OK.
7.	In the Wait box, type the number of minutes the computer should wait to start the screen saver after you last touched the keyboard or mouse.
8.	If you are the only person who uses your computer and you are not concerned about security, clear the On resume, display Welcome screen check box. Otherwise, leave this check box selected. Note: If your computer is joined to an Active Directory, the Fast Users Switching feature will be disabled. This is a common change made to computers used for business, and it happens automatically when a computer joins an Active Directory domain. However, disabling the Fast User Switching feature is not the default setting. Almost all computers in home environments will have Fast User Switching enabled. When Fast User Switching is enabled, you'll see the On resume, display Welcome screen check box. If you're part of a domain, you'll see the On resume, password protect check box.
9.	Click OK.

Windows XP will start the screen saver you selected after your computer has been idle for the specified number of minutes. You can also instantly activate your screen saver. To stop the screen saver, just move your mouse or press a key.