While there is much to say about troubleshooting an ailing Windows installation and eradicating the litany of problems that can afflict a Win32 box, there is no fix more simple nor more effective than a reformat and reinstallation of Windows. This guide assumes you are using a single partition for all of your files, and as such, we would like to warn you that all files and folders on the drive that contains Windows will be destroyed if you do not take the time to archive these files safely to an external hard drive or other portable medium. Provided you have undertaken these steps and are seeking to get Windows fixed in a hurry, please proceed.
Step 1: Begin Setup
At this step, simply press enter to continue with the installation. If you’re attempting to perform a repair install, please skip to the bottom of the article where there are instructions for this task.
Step 2: End User License Agreement (EULA)
Particularly for users reinstalling an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) edition of Windows XP, the EULA is an important read. It’s well-known that people regularly skip these contracts, but Microsoft’s EULAs are amongst the most oft-overlooked in all of computing. In the past, Microsoft has tried to forbid anyone from ever reinstalling Vista on another PC, even if the PC it was purchased for was no longer in existence. Microsoft has since backed down on this notion, but if nobody had ever read the EULA, this startling change to past licensing would never have been discovered.
Step 3: Create a New Partition
And this point, you can press [ENTER] with your existing XP installation selected, or you can create a new partition. If you select the former course of action, you will be taken to step five in our guide. If you choose to create a new partition, you will be taken to step four. Users looking to reinstall Windows should press [ENTER] on their partition which holds Windows XP. In this example, however, this user has a brand new hard drive in their machine and is proceeding as such.
Step 4: Set the Partition Size
If you’re here from step three, indicating you have a fresh hard drive, it’s important to set the size of your Windows partition. We typically suggest you alot five to ten gigabytes of space for a Windows XP install, depending on how confident you are in your ability to manage space. The goal is to create a partition for Windows and Windows only, and then create a second one with the Windows installer which is where all your information will go. When your hard drive is configured in this fashion, reformatting your PC will require you only to back up your “Documents and Settings” directory in order to preserve information. When a fresh copy of XP is installed, you may only need to reinstall some applications to get up and running.
Step 5: Format the Partition
If you’ve come here from step three, indicating you have a preexisting Windows XP installation, select “NTFS file system (Quick)” to make the most of your XP install. If you’ve followed the steps in sequence to this point, you may select the same option to continue.
Here we can see that Windows XP is formatting the partition we have defined in steps three, four and five.
Step 6: Installing Windows
The actual Windows XP installer has begun its process.
Step 7: Select Regional Options
At this step, if you require any special keyboard or language configurations you may select them, however most users need only hit “Next.”
Step 8: Enter the Owner and Organization
The “Name” and “Organization” fields are what is presented to a user when one right clicks on My Computer and selects “Properties.” Enter your name, and the organization to which you are affiliated.
Step 9: Enter License Number
Enter your product key from the genuine license placard or sticker provided with your install.
Step 10: Name and Admin Password
The computer name will be the name by which your PC can be identified on a local network. When users browse the workgroup, your computer will advertise the name you have provided in this step. The administrator password will be the password used to access the “Administrator” account which has complete access to all operating system functions. It is imperative that you make this password unique to you, and not easily broken. These passwords are often made simple, or outrightly left blank, which presents a significant security risk to your PC.
Step 11: Select Timezone Information
Of course you’ll want to confirm that the system clock is running on the right date, time, and timezone. These settings can be adjusted later from Windows.
Step 12: Enable Automatic Updates
For most users, it’s a good idea to enable automatic updates to facilitate patching the operating system. Windows XP will silently work in the background to keep itself up to date, relieving you of the burden. It will notify when patches have been applied or are available, and give you the option to install or reboot.
Step 13: Select the Account Name
These names are what will be presented at the Windows XP welcome screen. These will be your users on the machine, so make sure it’s the login name you want to be using.
Step 14: Finished!
Congratulations! Microsoft Windows XP is now installed. At this time, it’s a good idea to run Windows Update from the “All programs” menu rather than waiting for Windows XP to do this. Also, you may proceed with driver installations and the reinstallation of software essential to you.
A note about repair installs: A repair install for Windows XP allows a user to rebuild a fresh Windows installation around existing files and settings. This procedure is a double-edged sword, however, in that it can sustain OS bloat and clutter, even though it might fix issues that warranted the repair install. To perform one of these repair installs, step three above would list an existing partition with Windows installed. Your screen will look similar to this.
If you wish to proceed with a repair install, simply hit “R” to continue, and then follow the guide as outlined. If you do not wish to perform the repair install, and instead wish to install Windows XP cleanly (Which we suggest), hit escape and continue with the guide as outlined.
If you have any further questions about installing Microsoft Windows XP, just leave a comment.....tnx
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