How should I install XP?

OvenMaster

OvenMaster

VIP Member
I plan on installing XP Home SP1 from a fresh, brand-new OEM Windows disk. My question is how should I install it?

I had planned on installing XP with one hard drive, one DVD/CD-RW, and my modem, in order to make it simple. Then I was going to add my second optical drive (DVD-ROM), second hard drive, and then activate the onboard sound chip, install all the latest device drivers, and then activate XP.

Or...

Should I install all the hardware I plan on using at the start, and then install all the latest drivers? I've read there are occasionally lots of hassles when XP is trying to detect all the hardware and install the windows-supplied drivers automatically, sometimes stopping the installation in its tracks with BSOD's.

I would then activate XP when all the hardware's in place and running properly.

Any help here'd be appreciated.

Tom
 
I alwyas just plug in only whats needed to make sure i dont run into any problems, then after i plug everything else in.
 
I would say install all your hardware during the install. Unless the hardware you are using is not a name brand.
 
pishposh, I know about the 30 days to activate. What I'm looking for is the way to install internal components to give me the least hassle. Bare minimum and then add, or put everything in and try to let the installer deal with it.
Tom
 
With a bare hardware drive you can elect to cancel the "new hardware found" pop ups until Windows is running by itself. From there you would simply install mother board drivers/ softwares first. Then you would go for the video and sound(unless onboard already) to get the essentials done. With the other devices like printers, modem, NIK or Lan(board cd some of those may already be on), and other devices(external) you can later go through the add new hardware wizard to see the driver/software installed at that time. Once the essentialls are on XP WILL WANT SP2 as part of the update process. That you can download complete to a folder from http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/xpsp2.html

SP2 does offer security fixes as well as other things to make things work smoother with IE and a few other things. SP3 is also just around the corner with the release of Vista this summer. Once you get connected you will also find some 43+ updates that will come your way from MS with the auto updater set on. You may decide to go to Microsoft's update page to get that done and over with. But getting SP2 from a full download of the 266mb rather then the wait at MS will go faster. Once you have rebooted a few times you can then proceed to install your regular softwares. Personally I'm glad a good deal on XP Home/SP2 OEM came along to avoid the hassle there.
 
As of this moment, I'm 90% complete with the big DL of SP2 via a download manager. Dialup's such a hassle, but it's all I got. I got an OEM SP1 disk before I realized some software issues, and only got it after the 30-day return privileges ended. (avoid www.royaldiscount.com ! Royal PITA is more like it)
Thanks much.
Tom
 
It's too bad you missed a sale at http://www.ewiz.com on the full version with SP2 included a few months ago. I grabbed a copy along with a few friends for the new builds. Make sure to save SP2 into a folder outside of the regular MyDocuments and Program Files directories in case you have to reinstall the OS at some future point. It also helps to burn it to a cd-r along with other files, updates, etc. in the event of a drive wipe or new drive added. Besides the problem on that site you should be able to locate a copy with SP2 included at this late date with Vista just about released.
 
I'm putting SP2 and all my other saved Updates to a CD-RW so I can install as much as possible offline... just for insurance in case a rebuild is necessary at any time. As soon as the software apps I've ordered arrive, I'll be starting from scratch. Thanks for all advice and help:)
Regards from Tom
 
Generally I use some TDK cd-rs here for saving all types of updates along with other files as soon as they accumilate. I've seen enough times when having a long list of files burned to disk come in handy. SP2 however will not be needed while still on a cd-r due to going from an XP recovery disk to a full install cd spotted on sale with SP2 included. Even that will now seem outdated with SP3 coming out soon along with DirectX 10. The next build will start with SP2 already there only to upgrade to SP3. Eventually when I get a loaned out drive to put back in the current case(120bg) the present drive(250gb) will host a pair of 400gb SATA drives. You will find things will run smoother with the fresh installation. But if you get stuck on anything you know where to come for help. :)
 
what i would do is use a win98 boot disk and make two partitions c and d and then format d and then copy the content of the cd to partition d and then restart and boot from there and setup run winnt.exe inside the i386 folder, is faster that installing from a cd. then later on if you need the files from an update or language you can grab it from there.
 
kof2000 said:
what i would do is use a win98 boot disk and make two partitions c and d and then format d and then copy the content of the cd to partition d and then restart and boot from there and setup run winnt.exe inside the i386 folder, is faster that installing from a cd. then later on if you need the files from an update or language you can grab it from there.
Click to expand...

How are you going to boot from a secondary partition without any mbr or operating system running? Generally when you split a drive it is done to create a storage partition or to multiboot two different OSs. XP's installer doesn't start from a dos prompt either. You either upgrade from the existing OS with that running or boot direct from the installation cd. The third option most would find awkward is to create the 6 or 7 floppy disks needed to start the installer by that means. :confused:
 
All I would do differently than you is leave out the modem. Install it and drivers when done. It's a pain in the rear contending with a re-occurring hardware box every time you reboot to install your other drivers.
Bronson7
 
OvenMaster said:
I'm putting SP2 and all my other saved Updates to a CD-RW so I can install as much as possible offline... just for insurance in case a rebuild is necessary at any time. As soon as the software apps I've ordered arrive, I'll be starting from scratch. Thanks for all advice and help:)
Regards from Tom
Click to expand...

I went one step further after the battery on the board caused a numbers of issues leaving one with the impression that the bios EProm chips were failing. Upon grabbing an OEM XP full with SP2 I had been waiting to backup all data collected for the 6 months onto a dvd-r set due to the capacity there. It didn't happen. A few days ago the main drive was wiped in the attempt to figure out why Windows was stalling at boot. It wasn't Windows. When the new copy of XP later failed to even detect the HD ouch! Well $3- gets you a pair of cr2032 lithium batteries to replace the original 2 1/2yr old. Gee now I got a second 250gb HD to clone the first when finally ready again. When going for a new battery there just happened to be a sale on what? The same size and model drive. Besides making a large storage partition on the back of the old hd a dual OS is also looking good again. Get something to make data dvds up with along with frequent backups. It can save you from a world of hurt. :(
 
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