Posted:
03.Dec.2003

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This Windows XP Installation Guide will take you from blank hard drive to Ghost image: from soup to nuts.

Along the way, you'll be introduced to Doc's FDISK guide, where you'll find some Partitioning Strategies.

The goal is to leave you with a system that is stable and can adapt to your developing needs for years to come. The installation should work the same on refurbished laptops as it does on other computers.

I tried to focus on the philosophy behind the sequence, so that the guide will apply to as many people as possible.

I tried to avoid getting bogged down in trivial details, such as "Click on the Next button".

Realize though, that everyone's system will be different, and it's difficult to craft a guide where one-size-fits-all. For example, my PC does not use RAID. Therefore you will need to do your own homework if your system contains a striped array.

This step-by-step guide is tailored to install Microsoft Windows XP Professional, which I currently use. If you have a different version or operating system, such as Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, simply adjust as necessary. Some readers have even written to say they used this guide as an outline to install a copy of Windows Vista.

For your <hypertext> convenience, this guide can be found at any of these fine Radified URLs:

[http://windows.radified.com/]
[http://windows.radified.com/windows.htm]
[http://radified.com/windows/windows.htm]

This Windows Installation guide contains four pages that are organized like so:

Page 1/4 - Introduction. You are here.
Page 2/4 - Preparation. Download files & drivers, initial hardware configuration, motherboard BIOS configuration, and hard drive partitioning.
Page 3/4 - Install Windows + initial configuration.
Page 4/4 - Install drivers and security-oriented software, such as firewall and anti-virus, also defragger of choice. Basic O/S configuration. Create initial Ghost image.

I encourage you to compare notes with other Windows Install guides, such as Paul Thurrott's supersite. Rob sent this link. Or you might like Winstall (pop-up). Microsoft's own guides are posted here.

None of these other guides however, will "Radify" your system. Here is a Google search pre-configured for the terms: windows+xp+installation.

During the install, keep a pen and pad of paper handy. Write down any questions you might encounter, and also any errors. If you don't write them down, you will forget. It's easier to find a solution if you know (exactly) what the problem is.

But you should not be getting errors. And if you have a question, it's likely someone else will have the same one. This means the guide may need to be clarified in certain parts.

There is a method to my madness. There are exceptions, but, in general, you want to install newer files after older ones. The goal is a stable PC. There's nothing so digitally frustrating as a computer that locks or crashes at the wrong time.

Before we begin, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who wrote in to share their insights on the best way to install Windows (especially Joshua, who sent several pages of insightful comments).

My experience is limited. Comments from readers the world over are what make these guides so helpful. So, if I missed something, let me know.

Instead of carrying on with a lengthy intro, about how the author of this guide, and its collaborators, combined, have installed Windows over 300 times, on a variety of platforms, making every mistake known to man in the process, and thereby learning what *not* to do, let's jump right in and get started.

On the next page, we'll download and burn all the essential files we need to install Windows XP. We'll also discuss initial hardware configuration, and how to configure our motherboard BIOS. We'll also take a look how to partition our hard drive. Ready? Let's do it.