Installing windows xp. Reinstall Windows Xp for Dummies. What to do before installing Windows XP

When system files become damaged, your Windows becomes inoperable. Perhaps all programs start to run slowly and you want to return to the previous performance. Fortunately, restoring and reinstalling Windows XP is easy enough. Follow this tutorial to learn how to make them, regardless of the version of Windows XP you are using.

Steps

Recovery

Insert the Windows XP disc. If you do not have such a disc, contact your computer vendor, or download the .iso file from the Internet to burn it to a blank disc. Be careful with viruses and remember that you will still need to enter an activation code.

Write down your activation code. It is important to do this before you begin the installation. This is a 25-digit code that you need to enter in order to install Windows. It can usually be found in two places:

Restart your computer. Make sure the Windows XP disc is inserted. Your computer must be configured to boot from CD. To do this, you need to go to the BIOS settings menu.

Start the installation. After the manufacturer's logo disappears, you will see the phrase Press any key to boot from CD. Press any key on your keyboard to start the installation process. If you don't press anything, the computer will boot from the hard drive as usual.

To begin the installation process, Windows must download the required drivers. Then you will see a welcome window. Press Enter to start installation. Don't launch the Recovery Console.

Read the agreement. Then press F8 to agree and continue. The program will display a list of Windows that are available for installation. Most users will only see one option.

Select the installation option. If you only have one, it will be selected by default. Press R to start the recovery process. Windows will start copying the files and later will automatically restart the computer. After that, the recovery process itself will begin.

Enter your activation code. Towards the end of the installation, you will need to enter an activation code. Windows will verify this code for authenticity before proceeding.

Check programs. After the installation is complete, your restored Windows will start. Since the system files have changed, some of your programs may not work - they will need to be reinstalled.

Formatting and installation

1. Save your data. Formatting and reinstalling Windows will clean up your hard drive. Make sure to back up all your important data before starting the installation. Photos, movies and music will be erased.

   Wait for the drivers to load. To begin the installation process, Windows needs to download the required drivers. After that, you will see a welcome window. Press Enter to start installation. Do not launch Recovery Console.

   Read the agreement. After that press F8 to agree and continue. The program will display a list of Windows that are available for installation.

   Delete partitions. You will see a list of your hard drive partitions. These are C: and D: drives (the letters depend on your system settings).

   Create a new section. Select an unallocated area. Press C to create a new section. Enter the maximum possible value and press Enter.

   Begin installing Windows. Once you've created your partition, highlight it and press Enter to start installing Windows. You will need to format this section. Select "Format the partition using the NTFS file system". Choose NTFS over FAT as NTFS works much better with Windows.

   Windows will begin installation. This is an automatic process during which you only need to enter some data. First of all, this is your language and region. Change the default settings if they are not appropriate. Then click "Next".

   Enter your activation code. You will need to enter a 25-digit code. If you are installing Windows XP SP3 from a disc, you will not need to enter it at this stage.

   Enter the computer name. This name will appear on the network to describe your computer. Windows will automatically create a name for you, although you can easily change it to something else.

   Set the correct date and time. You will see a calendar and clock that you can customize. You can also set the time zone for your region.

   Make basic network settings. You will have to choose between standard and manual network configuration. For most users, the default settings are fine. If you are installing the system in a corporate environment, check with your administrator.

   Windows will complete the installation. This takes a few minutes and does not require user intervention. After completing the installation, your computer will automatically restart and start Windows XP.

   Click OK to adjust the screen resolution. Windows will try to automatically adjust the screen resolution for your computer. During setup, you will be asked if you can read the text on the screen. If so, click OK to continue. If not, click Cancel, or wait 20 seconds until the screen returns to default settings.

Many PC users believe that installing Windows XP on a laptop or a computer is not feasible for them and that a person with special education, knowledge at a high level, etc. can do it. Based on this, they take their computers to service centers or invite specialists to their homes, although to find the answer to the question how to install Windows XP correctly you can do it yourself.

In fact, the process of installing the most common operating system, Windows XP, is so simple that even a person with the most minimal computer knowledge can handle it. Do not think that the process of installing (reinstalling) windows is a matter that is within the power of some programmers or hackers who sit at the monitor from morning to evening.

Minimum system requirements - this minimum of configuration that the computer on which we are going to install the system should have. For Windows XP they are as follows:

• processor with a frequency of 300 MHz or more;
• 128 MB of RAM or more;
• 1.5 GB of free hard disk space;
• super VGA graphics card with a resolution of 800 X 600 or higher;
• cD-ROM drive;
• mouse and keyboard.

The first thing we need to take care of before installing the OS is that our computer boots from CD-ROM (by default it boots from the hard drive). To do this, you need to do some settings in the BIOS. Just don’t think something like “well, everything starts…”, there is nothing complicated here and you will see that now. To go to the BIOS, restart the computer and at the time of initial boot, when the hardware testing process begins (this process is called POST), when such an inscription appears at the bottom of the screen "Press DEL to enter SETUP", quickly press the "Delete" key several times. It should be noted here that on laptops or on different BIOS versions this may be another key, for example, on my laptop it is the “F2” key).

Just look, don't miss this moment, here everything needs to be done quickly (I remember myself how many times I blinked this moment). If you don't have time, restart your computer and start again. If everything was done correctly, then the BIOS SETUP interface should open in front of you (blue letters on a white background or vice versa).

It should be reminded once again that the interface may look different for different BIOS versions and the menu may be presented differently. But that shouldn't scare you. They all have the same principle.

Here we are only interested in one parameter (at least for now, for system installation) - Boot. In different BIOSes, it can be called differently - Boot, Boot Device, Boot Priority or something like that. If you cannot find the parameter you are looking for, then simply “walk” through the BIOS using the “up”, “down”, “left”, right ”keys and press“ Enter ”to enter the desired section.

In our case (see the picture above) the Boot menu is located in the "Advanced Setup" section. Going into this section, you can find our menu, here it is called "Boot Device Priority" , press "Enter" to go to the menu .

Now we need to make the first CD-ROM device from which the computer will boot, i.e. parameter "1 st Boot Device" change from HDD (as seen in the picture) to CD-ROM. To do this, place the cursor on the appropriate item and use the cursor keys, or the Page Up and Page Down keys, or simply press Enter and select CD-ROM. You can make HDD the second device by changing the item “2 nd Boot Device”. What is it for? In order that if suddenly the disc in the CD drive does not appear, the computer will immediately start booting from the hard drive and you do not even have to “climb” into the BIOS and change something.

After all these operations, we should save all these operations and exit the BIOS. To do this, you must select the "Save & Exit Setup" item, otherwise our changes will not be saved. In your version of the BIOS it may be called differently, but in any case the word "Save" must be present.

So, we figured out the BIOS, now we should go directly to the installation of Windows XP itself.

Before starting the installation (reinstallation) of the system, we need to do the following:

• to purchase an installation (installation) disc - this is a disc containing operating system files, as well as drivers for some PC components. Installation is carried out using a special installation program and copying files from the CD to the partition of the hard disk we specified. This program is located on the installation CD itself and without it the installation process is impossible. The installation disc should only be purchased from specialized dealers, as in the markets, or in other stores, you can slip a pirated version. If you have a laptop, then the installation CD should be supplied with the laptop by the manufacturer. The disc is also accompanied by a serial number, which we must subsequently enter in the appropriate field. As a rule, the serial is printed on the CD cover itself.
• Next, we need to make sure that the CD drive (CD-ROM / DVD-ROM) is working. You should take care in advance that the installation of the operating system goes exactly from a normally working CD-drive, otherwise the installation process or the installation completion will be impossible.
• In addition to the installation disc, we also need to have a driver package for the hardware installed on the computer. When buying a computer or individual components, the set, as a rule, should include disks with drivers. In extreme cases, you can download them from the manufacturer's website. Each hardware or PC component should have the appropriate driver installed, otherwise problems may arise due to device conflict and the system will not start at all.
• The next step is to preserve the information. You should take care of the safety of valuable information on your hard drive in advance. In general, it is desirable that the disk on which the system will be installed be empty. All existing files should be moved to another logical drive.

Immediately after starting the installation procedure, you should pay attention to one detail - the fact is that some computers containing cool SCSI hard drives or some kind of RAID array require special drivers (HDD controller driver). To do this, the program will display a message and ask you to press the "F6" key. Just don't miss this message. If you do not know or are not sure whether you need it, then most likely you do not need anything. If you see a message like "The installation program did not find any hard drives in your system" on the screen, then you should install it. These drivers are supplied by manufacturers on CDs, in extreme cases they can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website (which I did when I installed Windows XP for myself). So take care of this in advance and in case of such an error press the "F6" key and follow the instructions on the screen.

After the first copy of the necessary files, the first menu will appear, in which, point by point, we will be offered further actions.

There is nothing complicated here, read carefully and choose the options you need by pressing the appropriate keys. In this case, to continue the installation, press the "Enter" key.

Having accepted the license agreement, we have come to the place where we should choose which of the hard disk partitions the system should be installed on, and also here you can create a partition, change its space, and format it in the desired file system. For beginners, this can be a bit shocking. What are the sections? What is the file system? So let's take it all apart in more detail.

Let's take a look at what hard disk partitions are. In order to record data on a new disk or on a disk from which all data has been deleted, you need to prepare it, or, as they say, format it. Formatting is preparing a disk for partitioning. When a disk is formatted, absolutely all data is deleted from its surface.

A partition is a logical area on a hard disk used by a file system (NTFS, FAT32). One disk can contain multiple partitions. In other words, partitions of a disk are like mentally broken areas, in fact there is only one disk. Each of the hard disk partitions can have its own file system.

Each section is marked with Latin letters (C, D, E, etc.). This is necessary to redistribute information between disks, in addition, it is necessary if two operating systems will be installed on your computer (the files of each OS must be recorded in a separate section). Another good thing about partitions is that if suddenly something happens to one partition (you accidentally formatted the disk, deleted data), then the data will be saved on the other partition. Therefore, it is recommended to make backup copies of very necessary files and keep them in an operating system-free partition of the hard disk.

Well, this is the end of the lyrical digression and let's get back to our installation. We need to partition the disk. If your computer already has partitions, then simply select partition C (place the cursor and press "Enter"), because basically the OS is installed on the logical drive C.

As shown in the picture, we have no sections (this is evidenced by the inscription "Unallocated area"). As written, in order to create a section in the unallocated area, press the "C" key.

When partitioning a disk, I would advise you to allocate at least 30 GB for the system (the logical disk on which the OS will be installed), because as you work on your computer, the operating system will grow in size. If you have a small amount of hard disk drive, for example, 100 GB, then you can do less - 15-20 GB.

And so, then you must indicate the size of the created partition in megabytes. Enter the required size and press "Enter". Thus, we have created the first section. In our case, it is only one. If you still have a lot of free space, then you can create several more in the same way. If you suddenly made a mistake with the size, then you just need to press the "D" key to delete the created section. In this case, the unallocated area will appear again and you can start all over again.

If everything is done correctly, then put the cursor on the created section C and press "Enter".

So, we created a section and chose to install the OS into it. Next, we need to choose which file system our disk will use. There are two file systems you can use to install Windows XP - NTFS and FAT32. The file system is like a database that contains all the information written to the hard disk.

Today the NTFS file system is used to install Windows XP. FAT32 has long been outdated (it is mostly compatible with Windows 95-98). In fact, the FAT32 file system has several disadvantages. The main ones are the limitation on the maximum file size, you will not be able to write a file larger than 4GB to a disk with the FAT32 file system, and this, I think, will not suit many; the performance of FAT32 is much lower than that of NTFS, this can be seen already when copying files from disk to disk; a hard disk partition containing the FAT32 file system cannot exceed 32 GB.

Based on the above, we forget about FAT32 and do not pronounce its name in a company where such issues are discussed, so as not to be laughed at.

The NTFS file system is the ideal choice for the user who decides to install the Windows XP operating system. Compared to FAT32, NTFS is more stable and secure at the file level because NTFS was designed as a complete replacement for FAT32.

Everything is clear with the file system, now let's move on to formatting.

If you haven't forgotten we choose NTFS and our partition will be formatted with the appropriate structure. Let me remind you that formatting deletes all data. There are two formatting options - fast and full. Fast formatting is recommended as full is used with a damaged disk, and it takes less time.

After the partition is formatted, the installer will copy the files to the disk, after which the computer will automatically reboot and begin a new stage of the graphical installation.

The entire process of installing the OS, from the graphical stage to the last system reboot, takes on average 30-50 minutes (depending on the PC configuration).

After restarting the computer, we will see the familiar Windows splash screen, but the installation process has not yet been completed. For a while, the installer will configure the drivers and configure the necessary services and devices without requiring any action from us. After some time, we will be required to answer some questions. Here, too, there is nothing complicated, we will analyze everything in order.

In the first window, we will be prompted to configure the settings for the language and regional standards. If you are installing the Russian version of Windows, then in regional standards Russia will already be selected by default and you should not touch anything.

I will not dwell on this in detail, since all these settings of the language and regional formats can be configured later, after the installation of the system. Moreover, there is nothing difficult here and you can figure it out more fully yourself.

Move on. In the next window we need to enter our name and the name of the organization. It doesn't matter what name you enter, you can use any name, and in the "Organization" field you can just enter Home or nothing. After all this, click "Next".

In the next window, we need to enter a product code that will assign this copy of the product to us. You can find this key on the cover of the disc or on the certificate that comes with the product. The code must be entered in Latin letters in each field, and then click "Next".

In the next window, we need to enter the computer name and administrator password. This computer name will show your computer on the local network. If you are not going to connect your computer to the network, the name does not matter here. But just in case, you can enter. Who knows, suddenly there will be an opportunity to chop on the network in Counter-strike or Underground. Also enter the password and password confirmation and remember it, or better write it down somewhere.

After entering the computer name and password, click further and then the following window will appear in front of us, in which you need to set the date, time and time zone. Choose your time zone and be sure to check the box "Automatically switch to summer time and back" so that we do not have to manually switch to summer and winter time, the computer will do it for us. Have you configured? Click "Next".

In the next window, we should specify the network settings. Here we leave the switch to "Normal settings" and Windows will configure everything automatically. Otherwise, select "Special parameters".

Here again, I will not describe in detail all these parameters, I will write about this in another article. All these settings can also be made after installing the system. As a rule, by choosing the usual parameters, the OS finds all drivers, network components and protocols itself, since has a very solid driver library for a wide variety of devices.

The next window - we must specify whether the computer will be included in a workgroup or a domain. Select the first radio button if your computer is online or offline and does not have an Active Directory domain configured for it. If the computer is connected to a network, then you should specify the required workgroup. The default is WORKGROUP.

If this is your home computer, then leave the switch at the top value and do not enter anything in the field (leave the WORKGROUP value unchanged). After everything, click "Next".

Here we are gradually coming to the end of the installation.

By selecting a workgroup and clicking on the "Next" button, the program will install the remaining files and then the computer will automatically reboot.

With the first boot of the system, the resolution of the monitor is automatically optimized (watch and click "Ok" twice). After that, the first launch wizard will open with an animated splash screen and a nice melody. Here we also carefully read and answer questions.

It is recommended to select the first radio button. An automatic update starts the OS update service. The update makes the OS more protected from any dangers and viruses, and also increases its performance. If you suddenly need to disable this function, you can do this later.

In the next window, we will be offered to register our copy of Windows (Attention, if you purchased a non-licensed copy of Windows, then registration is out of the question). By registering your copy, you can follow the news about the release of a new version of Windows XP. Otherwise, this is no use. Decide for yourself and click "Next".

Now a window will open in front of you, in which you need to enter the name of the main user account (administrator), as well as the names of those who will also use the computer. In fact, the Windows developers have come up with a wonderful function for creating an account for each user.

By registering each under his own name, the user receives his individual desktop settings, software installations, various other settings, and more. etc. If no one else uses a computer except you, then just enter your name in the field "Your account name" and you will have administrator rights. You can add another user to the system later.

All this was the last step of the installation of the Windows XP operating system.

After we have installed Windows, we should further install all the necessary drivers for the motherboard chipset and all other devices, as well as additional software.

During the OS installation process, some drivers are installed automatically. But for stable operation of the system, you should install the package of "native" drivers that come with the device.

First of all, we will install all the necessary drivers on the motherboard, namely the chipset. To do this, insert the disk with the set of drivers from the motherboard (included with the computer) into the CD drive and follow the instructions. We also install the drivers for the video adapter, sound adapter, network card and other devices in the same way. During installation, the computer may require a reboot, follow the recommendations and continue the installation further.

If you do not have a driver disk at hand and you have downloaded all the drivers from the Internet, then their installation should be carried out in the same order as described above.

Having installed all the necessary drivers, you can start installing the programs. You shouldn't install all programs in a row. Install only those that you need. The fewer programs are installed on the PC, the more stable the system will be.

Programs can be taken anywhere: buy in a store; take from a friend; if you have high-speed internet, you can download them from the net.

Attention! After installing Windows, drivers and all necessary programs, it is recommended to optimize the OS, and then create a restore point (backup). This will protect yourself from unnecessary work in the event of a system crash.

In this article, you will learn how to reinstall Windows XP yourself. The material is designed for users who will install Windows on a computer or laptop for the first time. As scary as it sounds, reinstalling Windows is easy. In the days of Windows 95 and 98, to an inexperienced person, the procedure for reinstalling an operating system could seem like a mystical rite. The person who was invited to do this was definitely called a programmer, and was considered a guru in the computer field.

For their part, such gurus, inflating their worth, in every possible way intimidated their clients with terrible computer terms and stories about viruses and burned out computers. In this guide, you will make sure that this is not the case at all and that installing or reinstalling Windows on your laptop or computer is very simple and accessible to almost anyone who knows how to use a computer mouse.

I will make a small reservation. This article will show you how to install Windows XP yourself using a DVD or CD. If your computer or laptop does not have a DVD drive, then you will need to install Windows from a USB flash drive or from a memory card, I will talk about this in another lesson.

Before you start reinstalling Windows XP, read the entire article to the end, and if you have a printer, then print it.

Reinstalling Windows XP consists of several steps:

1. Preparing your computer for installing Windows XP;
2. Preparing an installation disk with Windows XP;
3. Configuring computer BIOS to boot from DVD;

Now let's go through all the stages in detail.

1. Preparing to install Windows XP

Before reinstalling Windows, you need to do a little preparation.

First you need to copy all the valuable information from the disk " FROM:". Of course you know better, but still I will tell you where to look. Places, where on the disk." C:"your useful information may not be so much, usually it is" Desktop"and" My documents". It is also worth looking into the root of the disk." FROM:"sometimes people are in a hurry or simply out of knowledge, save files there. Copy all the files you need to another disk (for example,“ D:”), DVD disc or USB stick.

For the future, keep in mind that it is best to store information not on the same partition of the disk where the system is installed, and, of course, create backups.

If you have just purchased a computer or are sure that there is no valuable information in it, then naturally you can not bother

Another point that should be considered before installing Windows is the drivers for the network card. If after installation it turns out that your Windows distribution did not have drivers for your network card, or they were not installed correctly for some reason, then you will find yourself without drivers and without the Internet. Therefore, download the latest drivers in advance, at least for the network card.

2. Preparing an installation disk with Windows XP

For those who already have a Windows XP installation disc, you can skip this step. If you do not have such a disc, then you need to record it or purchase it. Those who want to download Windows online, look for clean MSDN builds.

This will protect yourself from possible errors in the installed system.

Installation discs with Windows XP on the Internet are usually distributed in the form of disc images in the " .iso". I will not say where to download because it is not entirely legal to contribute to their distribution. I can advise, before downloading the image, read the release comments, problem disks are usually quickly identified in the form of a bunch of angry reviews.

After the image is downloaded, you need to burn it to a DVD, and you can start installing.

3. Configuring the computer BIOS to boot from disk

To install Windows, it's not enough just to insert the disc into the drive, you also need to make sure that the computer starts to boot from this disc when turned on. This is done in the BIOS. There is a BIOS in almost any computer or laptop, it stores all sorts of important settings, one of these settings is the boot order of devices. This setting is of interest to us at the moment.

In order to get into the BIOS, you need to press a certain key on the keyboard right after turning on the computer. Usually, when booting, it says on the screen what exactly you need to press to get into the BIOS menu. Most often it is the Delete, Esc, or F2 key. You will find out what you have entered by seeing the BIOS menu in front of you.

The most common options are:

If the attempt is unsuccessful, then restart your computer and try again. Below are tables with possible options for entering BIOS.

A table with key combinations for entering BIOS from various BIOS manufacturers.

BIOS manufacturer	Keys
ALR Advanced Logic Research, Inc.	F2, Ctrl + Alt + Esc
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.) BIOS	F1
AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.) BIOS	Del
Award BIOS	Ctrl + Alt + Esc, Del
DTK (Datatech Enterprises Co.) BIOS	Esc
Phoenix BIOS	Ctrl + Alt + Esc, Ctrl + Alt + S, Ctrl + Alt + Ins

A table with key combinations for entering BIOS from various manufacturers of computers and laptops.

PC manufacturer	Keys
Acer	F1, F2, Ctrl + Alt + Esc
AST	Ctrl + Alt + Esc, Ctrl + Alt + Del
Compaq	F10
CompUSA	Del
Cybermax	Esc
Dell 400	F3, F1
Dell Dimension	F2, Del
Dell Inspiron	F2
Dell Latitude	Fn + F1
Dell Latitude	F2
Dell optiplex	Del, F2
Dell Precision	F2
eMachine	Del
Gateway	F1, F2
HP	F1, F2
IBM	F1
IBM E-pro Laptop	F2
IBM PS / 2	Ctrl + Alt + Ins then Ctrl + Alt + Del
IBM Thinkpad	from Windows: Programs\u003e Thinkpad CFG
Intel Tangent	Del
Micron	F1, F2, or Del
Packard bell	F1, F2, Del
Sony VAIO	F2, F3
Tiger	Del
Toshiba	Esc, F1

After you have entered BIOS you need to find the option responsible for the boot order of devices. As a rule, you need to look for these settings in the menu, the name of which contains the word BOOT, of course, there are other options, but as they say - "He who seeks, he will always find."

To make it easier to find, I will give a few examples of how it looks live:

The choice of the device to be loaded first usually occurs using the arrow keys on the keyboard, but there are other ways to navigate the menu. BIOS, so if you can't figure it out, then you can see the help, which is usually in BIOS in sight.

Select your CD / DVD drive as the first boot device and exit BIOS with saving all changes. To do this, use the item " Save and Exit Setup". The computer will restart and we, thus, got to the next stage, for which, in fact, everything was started.

If the disc is recorded correctly and in BIOS the settings are set, right, we will see such an inscription in front of us "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD"which means Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.

It looks like this:

Press any key

If you do not have such an inscription, then perhaps you did something from the above written wrong. In this case, check again BIOSwhether the boot from disk setting is preserved if BIOS everything is installed correctly, then most likely your disk is not bootable and you will have to look for another installation disk or download another Windows XP image.

At this point I will make a small reservation. You may come across a Windows XP installation disk, on which, in addition to Windows itself, additional utilities are recorded, in which case, to start the installation, you will need to select the desired item in the menu of your disk. It is also worth noting that on some discs, most of the operations described below will be performed automatically, without your participation. Do not worry about this, all these settings can be changed, if desired, after the installation of Windows is complete.

The installation of Windows XP will begin, we are waiting for the initial download of the files

Since we are planning to install Windows, we press the button " Enter" on keyboard

We read " Windows XP License Agreement". To scroll down, use the" Page Down". To agree and continue the installation, click" F8"

Consider the option of installing on a clean hard drive.

Press the key " FROM"

Now you need to specify the size of the created partition in megabytes, for example, if you need a partition ~ 20 gigabytes, then you need to drive 20000

If the size of the first partition specified by you in the previous paragraph will be less than the volume of the disk, then you will have " Unaligned area", which can also be turned into a partition. Thus, the system will have two disks" FROM:"and" D:"

We set the size of the second disk, if you are not going to create the third partition, then indicate the maximum possible size.

Now, after creating partitions, you need to select the partition on which Windows will be installed, if you do not have special preferences, I highly recommend choosing a disk " FROM:"

Before starting the installation, the selected partition needs to be formatted, you just need to decide how. Choose item " Format partition in NTFS system"why exactly him, the answer to this question is a whole topic for a separate article.

Now the process will proceed without our participation, after the first reboot you can set it to BIOS the first boot device is your hard disk ( HDD), how to do it is described above in paragraph

language and regional standards... Here again we will need our participation, make the necessary settings and press " Further"...

Here we will be asked to introduce ourselves

We drive in a 25-character product key, which can be taken on a license sticker, or in documents, depending on which version of Windows you bought. As I said above, the Windows XP installation may not have all the dialogs discussed here, it depends on your installation disk.

We indicate the name of the computer, basically this name is needed for identification on the network. We either do not specify the administrator password at all, or we remember it well.

As everyone knows, to work with a computer, we need an operating system, which eventually becomes unusable due to viruses, "garbage" and other factors. Many people think that it is better to ask a professional for reinstallation, but I offer you step-by-step instructions for installing Windows XP. After studying which you will have no doubt that you can install Windows XP yourself.

Why do I have to reinstall Windows?
According to statistics, even with good protection of your computer from viruses and careful handling, you still have to reinstall Windows xp every three years. "Garbage" that accumulates in the system is sometimes the remnants of uninstalling programs and games, which contain settings, configuration files and other system files of the old application. Many programs make entries in the registry, and after removal, the entry remains "live" in the system. It also happens that the computer hangs and it is not possible to "revive" it and the conclusion suggests itself: you need to install a new Windows xp.

Setting up your computer to boot from disc.
Usually, when the computer boots up, the motherboard splash screen appears for a moment, then the post check goes on and we see the "Windows XP" greeting. To install, we do not need to start Windows itself, but we need to start the disk with our windows xp image. To do this, go to Bios. To enter Bios, press the DEL or F1 key when turning on the computer. (On laptops, F1, F2, F3, DEL, Ctrl + Alt + Esc are used. If more than one combination did not fit, then you need to look at the office site how to enter bios).

Most often, there are only two types of bios:

1. Phoenix AwardBIOS.
If you have exactly this version, then you need to do the following: enter the Advanced BIOS Features section, select the First Boot Device item in it and assign the CD-ROM value. Then press the F10 key (to save the settings and exit) and in the dialog box that appears, select Yes.

2. American Megatrends BIOS.
In this version, the background will be gray and the sections will be written in the line at the top. First, you need to enter the Boot section, then the Boot Device Priority subsection and select your CD-ROM drive in the 1st Boot Device item. And just like in Phoenix AwardBIOS, press the F10 key and confirm Yes.
This completes the computer setup.

Launch windows installer.
The first step is to insert the Windows disk into the drive and restart the computer. On the dark screen we will see the inscription "Press any key to boot from CD", which means - press any key to boot the disc, which we do. This inscription is displayed for no more than five seconds, so you need to immediately press any key. If you do not have time, then you should restart the computer and press the key again.

On the monitor, we will see that the windows installation has gone. Don't get involved unless you want to install a special RAID or SCSI driver. In this case, press the F6 key.

Next, we will be asked:
1. Proceed with installing windows xp (Enter key)
2. Restore Windows (Key R)
3. Exit the installer (F3 key)

We press Enter and the license agreement appears, to agree and continue the installation press F8. Next, you need to select the hard disk partition on which the installation will be performed. If the disk is new and there is only an unallocated area on it, you need to create a partition (key C), specify the required size in it.

We will also be offered to format the hard drive fast and easy. Formatting is best done as normal with the ntfs filesystem. After all, the long-awaited installation of windows xp will finally go, upon completion the computer will reboot itself and a window will appear with the inscription "Press any key to boot from CD", this time we do not press anything!

A window will appear in which nothing needs to be changed, but in the next one we must enter the Name and Organization.

Windows XP is one of the most popular operating systems, and although it has been around for many years, many people still use it. If you have an old computer that you want to recover, or if you want to install XP on a new computer, then it shouldn't take long.

Note: Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP, which means that updates are no longer available for this system. So consider installing or.

Steps

Part 1

Customization

Your computer must meet (or exceed) the minimum system requirements to run Windows XP. You can find information about the components of your computer in its instruction manual or using DirectX diagnostics.

• To run DirectX Diagnostics, open the Run dialog (press WinKey + R), enter DXDIAG and click OK.
• Minimum system requirements
  • Processor: 300 MHz (Intel or AMD)
  • RAM: 128 MB
  • 1.5 GB of free disk space
  • Video card: Super VGA (800x600)
  • CD / DVD-ROM
  • Keyboard and Mouse
  • AC adapter (for network connection)
  • Sound card and speakers or headphones

1. Find your Windows XP key. It is printed on a sticker on the disc box or on the system unit. A key is a set of 25 characters, divided into 5 groups (5 characters per group). You will need a key to complete the Windows installation.

   Configure your computer to boot from a CD / DVD drive (not a hard drive). This will allow you to boot from the installation disc. You can change the boot order in the BOOT menu in the BIOS.

   Create users. After activating the system, a window will open in which you can create users. Enter your name and the names of people who will work on this computer. Click Next to continue.

• Remember to set the BIOS to boot priority from CD. Older computers have BIOS options to boot from floppy disk, HDD, and CD-ROM. You need to select the CD-ROM as the first boot device.
• If you encounter difficulties during the installation process, Windows Installer will provide detailed information about the error. Find the error on this site and read on how to fix it.
• Installation will take 15 to 40 minutes. It all depends on the speed of your computer. It is better not to leave your computer, since during the installation process you need to configure the network settings, time, and the like.