10.1 Installing the Operating System
Both the steps to begin the installation procedure and the
procedure itself can vary, depending on what's already installed on your system
(if anything) and how you choose to approach the task.
Windows XP setup can be run from within an installed copy of
Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4, Windows Me, or Windows 98/95. You can
also run setup from DOS (also known as the Windows 9x Command Prompt). Or, if
you have no operating system at all, you can boot off the CD and install it
fresh. The following sections cover the advantages and drawbacks of each type of
install.
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Anyone installing Windows XP on a hard disk that has
data on it would be wise to back up the entire system before starting
the install process. Make sure the backup software you use will also
operate in Windows XP so you can read the media after the install is
complete; otherwise, your backup will be worthless. See Chapter 6 for
more information. |
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10.1.1 Installing on a New (Clean) System
The Windows XP installation CD is bootable, which means that
you can put it in the drive, turn on your computer, and the installation process
will start automatically.
While most modern systems support bootable CDs, very few are
configured to actually boot off such a CD when one is inserted. If your computer
doesn't boot of the Windows setup CD, you'll need to change your BIOS settings
accordingly. Start by entering your system's BIOS setup utility (discussed in
Appendix B), going to the boot section, and changing the "boot device priority"
or "boot sequence" so that your CD drive appears
before your hard disk. Exit the BIOS
setup when you're finished.
If you're unable to boot off the Windows XP CD, you'll need
to use a bootable floppy, either one made from a previous version of Windows
(see "Installation from the Command Prompt," later), or one that comes with the
full version of Windows XP. See Section 10.4.2, later in this chapter, for more
information.
Otherwise, setup will display a welcome screen and spend
several minutes loading drivers for your hardware. This ensures that setup will
properly support your hard drive, CD drive, and mass storage controllers; when
Windows XP is installed, only the drivers you specifically need are loaded. But
since Setup hasn't been prepared in this way (for obvious reasons), it must load
(or attempt to load) every possible driver.
When the initialization is done, you'll be presented with
several choices. The first screen instructs you to press
Enter to set up Windows XP now, or press
R to repair a Windows XP installation using the
Recovery Console (an advanced diagnostic and repair tool covered later in this
chapter). Unless you specifically need to use the Recovery Console, press
Enter to continue (even if you're here to
repair a Windows installation).
Next, Setup will look for an existing Windows XP
installation. If one is found, you'll have the opportunity to repair it now (see
Section 10.1.4, later in this chapter for details). Just press
ESC to continue.
The next screen will allow you to choose a drive and
partition on which to install Windows. Here, you'll have the option of
installing onto an existing drive or making changes to your partition table to
add or remove partitions. See Section 10.3.2, later in this chapter, for more
information. Note that Setup will not allow you to choose the installation
folder, but instead will simply place the files in the \Windows folder.
During the installation of some earlier versions of Windows,
you could choose the name of the folder in which Windows is stored (by default,
\Windows). This can be a problem if you're upgrading a Windows 2000 or
Windows NT system, which, by default, placed their files in \WINNT. If
this applies to you, it's better to use the procedure outlined in Section
10.1.2, later in this chapter. In this case, Setup will use the whatever folder
name is used by the current Windows installation.
If you're installing on a clean system (with a new, empty
hard disk), you'll want to create a new partition using all of the available
space (or several partitions, as desired). If your hard disk already has data on
it, you'll be given the opportunity here to repartition your drive or simply
install Windows XP on an existing partition (usually the first one, C:\).
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Repartitioning your drive involves deleting one or
more existing partitions so that one or more new partitions can be
created. It's important to realize that if you delete any partition that
has data on it, all of the data will be erased. And without a complete
backup, there will be no way to get it back. |
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When asked about the file system, you'll want to choose the
NTFS file system in most cases; see Section 5.2.2 for more information.
At this point, Windows setup will begin to copy files and
configure your system. The rest of the installation process should be fairly
straightforward; if you run into a problem, see Section 10.1.5, later in this
chapter.
10.1.2 Upgrading from a Previous Version of Windows
The preferred way (at least according to Microsoft) to
upgrade to Windows XP from a previous version is to install from within the
existing copy of Windows. With Windows running, insert the Windows XP
installation CD into your drive, and it should start automatically.
When Setup starts, you'll be given four choices:
- Install Windows XP
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This opens the main Windows Setup program (also accessible
by launching \i386\Winnt32.exe). When it starts, your first choice will
be between Upgrade (Recommended) and
New Installation (Advanced). Choose the
upgrade option only if you want to install Windows XP over your existing
installation, replacing your current OS with Windows XP and migrating all your
settings and applications in one step.
On the other hand, you may wish to choose
New Installation if you want to install on
another partition or on a clean hard disk (see Section 10.1.1, earlier in this
chapter). This option is instrumental in setting up a dual-boot system
(discussed later in this chapter).
- Install Optional Windows Components
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This is the same as going to opening Add or Remove Programs
in Control Panel, and clicking Add/Remove Windows
Components. Place a checkmark next to components you want installed, or
clear the checkmark next to components you want removed.
- Perform Additional Tasks
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This page contains links to several, mostly
self-explanatory, tasks. Click Set up Remote Desktop
Connection to install the Remote Desktop Connection software (described
in Section 7.2.8) on another computer. Click Set up
a home or small office network to run the Network Setup Wizard, also
discussed in Chapter 7. Finally, click Transfer
files and settings to run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard,
discussed in Section 10.3.1, later in this chapter.
- Check system compatibility
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This runs the Microsoft Windows Upgrade Advisor, which
looks for potential problems, such as incompatible software and hardware, and
lists them in a report. See Section 10.2.1, later in this chapter, for
additional issues.
At this point, Windows setup will begin to copy files and
configure your system. The rest of the installation process should be fairly
straightforward; if you run into a problem, see Section 10.1.5, later in this
chapter.
10.1.3 Installing from the Command Prompt
If you need to install Windows XP on a new system, and you
are unable to boot off the CD, you can optionally install from a DOS boot disk
(created on a Windows 9x/Me system by going to Control
Panel
Add/Remove Programs). Just insert the floppy in
your A: drive and power on your computer. If it's a Windows 98 or Windows
Me floppy, it should contain all the necessary drivers for your CD drive,
required to access the setup program on the Windows XP CD.
When you get to the command prompt (A:\>), change to
your CD drive by typing D: or E: (including the colon),
depending on the letter with which the drive is installed. Then, type \i386\winnt.exe
to start the DOS-based setup utility. The setup utility will copy the necessary
boot files to your hard disk, reboot your computer, and run the same installer
discussed in Section 10.1.1, earlier in this chapter.
10.1.4 Reinstalling Windows XP
You may find yourself in a position where you'll need to
reinstall Windows XP, either to solve a configuration problem or to repair a
damaged installation. The procedure you choose depends on the current state of
your computer.
If you're able to start Windows XP and access your CD drive,
your best bet is to reinstall from within Windows. See Section 10.1.2, earlier
in this chapter, for details.
Otherwise, if Windows XP won't start, you should use the
following procedure to repair the installation:
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Boot off the XP CD, as described in Section 10.1.1, earlier
in this chapter.
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When setup begins, it will display two timed choices
(timed, in that they disappear in 2-3 seconds if not activated). The first
allows you to load a third-party SCSI or RAID controller driver by pressing
F6. Use this only if Setup is unable to
access your hard drive without them.
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The second option allows you to repair your system with the
Automated System Recovery (ASR) feature by pressing
F2. If you have a dual-boot system or other special arrangement, I
recommend avoiding ASR, as it will attempt to repair your installation based
on a few pre-determined scenarios. The assumptions made by such an "automated"
feature can wreak havoc if they're wrong.
If you're unable to repair your system using the subsequent
steps listed here, and you're unable to start the Windows Recovery Console due
to a lost administrator password, you may wish to return here and try ASR as a
last resort.
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After Setup loads the hardware drivers, you'll then be
presented with several choices. Press R at
this point to start the Recovery Console (discussed later in this chapter). If
you wish to repair XP without using the Recovery Console, press
Enter here instead (I know, it's a bit
counterintuitive). Or, press F3 to abort
Setup and reboot the computer.
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Next, Setup will look for an existing Windows XP
installation, and will hopefully find the one you're trying to repair here.
Each Windows XP installation on your system will be listed here (you'll see
only one if you don't have a dual-boot system). If it finds the installation
you wish to repair, make sure it's highlighted and press
R to begin the repair procedure, which,
essentially, is an express reinstallation of the OS.
If Setup can't find your installation, it means that one or
more key system files are corrupted or missing. If you have a backup of your
system, now would be the time to pull it out and think about restoring said
files (see Chapter 6).
Otherwise, your best bet is to use the Windows Recovery
Console, discussed later in this chapter.
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If you try to repair Windows by pressing
ESC here to start a new install, it
may not work as expected. For example, even if you install to the same
partition as the installation you're trying to repair, Setup may place
the new copy of Windows in a different folder (i.e., \Winnt vs.
\Windows). |
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The rest of the repair procedure should be relatively
automated and fairly self-explanatory. For more troubleshooting information,
see Section 10.1.5, later in this chapter. See also Chapter 6 for more general
troubleshooting tips.
10.1.5 Dealing with Potential Problems During Setup
No single book could possibly document every possible problem
and incompatibility you might encounter while trying to install Windows XP.
Luckily, about 95% of the problems you're likely to encounter (as well as where
to find solutions to the other 5%) can be covered by the following tips:
- Motherboard BIOS
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The most common cause of a failed installation of Windows
XP is an out-of-date BIOS. Fortunately, nearly all motherboards made in the
last decade have software-upgradable flash BIOSes. Contact the manufacturer of
your system or motherboard for any BIOS updates they have available, but don't
bother unless a BIOS upgrade is absolutely necessary. (A failed BIOS upgrade
will make your motherboard unusable.) See Appendix B for more information.
- Video card
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Another common stumbling block to a successful Windows XP
setup is your video card (display adapter). If setup stops with an
unintelligible error message, reboots unexpectedly during setup, or just hangs
at a blank screen, your video card may be at fault. Some older video cards are
simply not supported by Windows XP, but Setup will rarely, if ever warn you
about such an incompatibility before you begin. If replacing the video card
permits Windows XP to install, then the culprit is obvious. Note that while
many video cards have upgradable flash BIOSes, I've never seen an instance
where a BIOS upgrade can solve this type of incompatibility (although, it may
be worth a shot). See the discussion of video cards in Chapter 6 for more
troubleshooting advice.
- Hardware Inconsistencies and other Problems
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Windows XP is a little more touchy about improper hardware
configurations than previous versions of Windows. If, for example, your memory
(RAM) is not all the same rated speed, is not the correct type for your
motherboard, or is malfunctioning in some way, it will prevent Windows XP from
installing or running. Other potential problems include insufficient processor
cooling, incorrect SCSI termination, improper jumpers on your IDE devices, bad
cables, and even an older power supply. Chapter 6 includes troubleshooting
tips for many kinds of hardware. See also Appendix B for system BIOS settings
that may prevent Windows XP from installing.
- Driver roadblocks
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Windows XP attempts to install drivers for all detected
hardware towards the end of the setup process. If Setup crashes at the same
point each time, try temporarily removing any extraneous devices (unneeded
drives, cards, and external peripherals).
- CD drive
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Since Windows XP installs from a CD, your CD drive may be
to blame if the installation fails. A drive that delivers corrupt data to the
computer will certainly cause problems, as will a drive that isn't accessible
during the entire installation process. The same goes for older controllers
(RAID and SCSI units, for example).
- Dust in the wind
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Lastly, I've seen Setup fail from nothing more than
excessive dust on the CD. Wipe the disk against your shirt and try again.
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