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When setting up either edition of Windows XP, you need to first choose one of three installation strategies, each with its own set of pros and cons:
Choosing between a clean install and an upgrade is not a cut-and-dried decision. Even on systems that meet the requirements for upgrading, a clean install offers the assurance that you¡¯re wiping out all traces of any previous Windows problems caused by installing and uninstalling programs, downloading Web-based components, and over-tweaking the computer¡¯s settings. Starting with a clean registry and a solid base of Windows system files should give your computer an opportunity to deliver full performance, unburdened by the past.
On the other hand, an upgrade is sometimes the only way to guarantee that a specific program or driver will work properly. We¡¯ve seen software and hardware drivers that work well under Windows 2000 but refuse to install properly after a clean Windows XP setup; in many cases, these programs and drivers will continue to work if you upgrade to Windows XP. If you¡¯re experiencing this problem, the best choice may be a hybrid of the two approaches. Start with a clean install of Windows 2000 and add any required programs and drivers. After verifying that everything works properly, upgrade to Windows XP.
Most Windows Setup options are fairly straightforward. A clean setup consists of the following four distinct steps:
All the files used for this portion of Setup are included in the Oobe folder in the System32 folder. If you like the mood music that runs during this portion of Setup, for instance, you can add it to your list of favorite Media Clips. Open the %SystemRoot%\System32\Oobe\Images folder, right-click Title.wma, and choose Add To Playlist.
The simplest setup scenario of all is installing Windows XP in a newly created partition on a system that does not currently have any version of Windows installed (or, as an alternative, to wipe out a partition containing an existing version of Windows and completely replace it with a clean install of Windows XP). The safest way to embark on a clean install is to boot from the Windows XP CD. Insert the Windows CD and restart your computer. Watch for a boot prompt; typically, you need to press a key to boot from the CD; after the setup process begins, you can follow the instructions as outlined in this section.
For a bootable CD to work properly, you must set the boot order in the BIOS so that the CD drive is the first boot device, followed by the hard disk, floppy disk, and any other bootable devices, in whichever order you prefer. The boot options available for every computer are different, as is the technique for accessing the BIOS setup program. During boot, watch for a message that tells you which key to press for setup. If you¡¯re lucky, the BIOS setup program on your computer includes a Boot tab where you can specify the order of boot devices; if this option isn¡¯t immediately apparent, look for a page called Advanced CMOS Settings or something similar.
Most computers that meet the minimum requirements for Windows XP include the capability to boot from a CD-ROM drive. In some relatively uncommon configurations, however, this option isn¡¯t available. This problem is most likely to affect you if your CD-ROM is connected to a SCSI adapter that doesn¡¯t allow booting from a CD, or if you¡¯re trying to install Windows XP on a notebook computer that doesn¡¯t include an integrated CD drive. Try one of these alternatives to work around the problem:
If you have to copy files from a CD to your hard disk using MS-DOS, the SmartDrive utility is essential. Without this helper, copying the Setup files can take hours; with SmartDrive installed, the process practically flies by. Look for the Smartdrv.exe file on the MS-DOS startup disk. If it¡¯s not there, you can copy it to your boot floppy from the \Windows\Command folder of any version of Windows 95/98/Me.
Where does Setup install Windows XP system files? The exact name of the folder varies. On a clean install, Setup creates a top-level folder called Windows on the drive you designate and then copies system files there. On an upgrade, Setup uses the current path for %WinDir%¡ªfor Windows 98 or Windows Me, that¡¯s typically C:\Windows; for Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000, the drive letter may vary, but the name of the system folder is usually \Winnt. When performing a clean install, you can specify a different folder name, but your safest choice is to use the default name.
Whether you started from a previous Windows version or booted from a CD, your next stop (after Setup restarts, of course) will be a series of text-mode Setup screens. If your system currently contains a working version of Windows, you¡¯ll see a screen that offers to repair the installation for you. Press Esc to bypass this screen and reach a disk setup screen similar to the one shown in Figure 2-2.
From this screen, you can do any of the following tasks:
Select an existing partition on which to install Windows XP Use this option if you already created and formatted an empty partition in preparation for setting up Windows, or if you plan to install Windows XP on a preexisting partition that currently contains data or programs but no operating system. Do not choose this option if a previous version of Windows is already installed on the selected partition. The result in that case might be to leave behind unwanted system files and leftovers from previously installed programs, defeating the purpose of doing a clean install.
Create a new partition from unpartitioned space Use this option to set up one or more partitions on a new drive or on an existing drive after deleting partitions. By default, Setup offers to use all unpartitioned space on the current disk. You can specify a smaller partition size if you want to subdivide the disk into multiple drives.
Delete an existing partition Choose this option if you want to do a clean install on a drive that currently contains an earlier version of Windows. Because this operation deletes data irretrievably, you must respond to at least two "Are you sure?" confirmation requests. After deleting the partition, you can create a new one and select it as the destination for your Windows XP installation.
To upgrade to Windows XP, start your current version of Windows, insert the Windows XP CD, and choose Install Windows XP from the Welcome To Microsoft Windows XP menu. Do not boot from the CD and try to perform an upgrade; that won¡¯t work. (If you prefer working at a command prompt in Windows, skip the CD menu and type d:\i386\Winnt32.exe , substituting the correct letter of your CD-ROM drive for d.) On the first page of the Windows Setup Wizard, select Upgrade (Recommended) and click Next.
If you choose the upgrade, the Windows Setup program asks you to enter a few pieces of information, including the product key; the remainder of the process continues completely unattended. Setup replaces your existing Windows files, but it preserves user settings, such as desktop appearance, color schemes, network connections, and so on. It also retains the programs you have installed and all their settings. (As noted earlier in this chapter, the Upgrade Advisor report identifies any programs that are incompatible with Windows XP.) After several reboots that typically require no attention from you, the upgrade installation completes, and you¡¯re ready to pick up where you left off¡ªwith Windows XP as your new operating system.
After the upgrade is complete, run through the following checklist to confirm that the process went smoothly and to clean up any loose ends:
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