Perform a new installation of Windows XP

If your computer does not have an operating system currently installed or you have decided to install Windows from scratch, you can perform what is known as a new installation (also known as a clean installation, or a full installation). This process is more complicated and takes longer than an upgrade (about 20 steps as opposed to 9 for an upgrade). To perform an upgrade, go to "Upgrade to Windows XP."

• Note: Before installing Windows XP, you should disable you virus protection (antivirus) software, and you might want to run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to test your computer's random access memory (RAM). To use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, follow the instructions on the Windows Memory Diagnostic (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp) Web site. Be sure to enable your virus protection software after installing Windows XP.



• CAUTION: You can choose to delete everything that currently exists on the hard drive during a new installation, so be sure to back up any data you want to keep before you begin (make sure that the backup data is not stored on the drive you are going to delete).

Here's how to perform a new installation of Windows XP:

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive.


• Note: Make sure the computer can boot from a CD. If it can't, then follow the procedures in the section titled "Configure a computer to boot from CD" or see the "How do I install Windows from the command prompt?" section under "Perform other Setup-related tasks."



2. Restart the computer.


3. When the message to Press any key to boot from CD… is displayed, quickly press any key (for example, the SPACEBAR). Setup begins.


• Note: Pay close attention here, because it's very easy to miss this message. If your current operating system starts, you'll know that you missed the opportunity to boot from CD. Restart your computer and try again.



4. After Setup starts, several messages will flash across the bottom of the screen. These messages are only important under special circumstances, such as installing a particular hardware access layer (HAL), or loading a small computer system interface (SCSI) driver. Most people can ignore them. For more information about this subject, see Microsoft Knowledge Base articles 295116 and 220845.


5. Next, a screen appears that offers the following three options: Set up Windows XP, Repair a Windows XP installation, or Quit Setup. Press ENTER to select the first option.


6. The End User License Agreement appears next. Read the license agreement and follow the instructions to accept or reject the agreement. If your Windows CD is an upgrade CD, after accepting the agreement, you will be prompted to insert the CD of your previous operating system to verify that the previous version qualifies for upgrade to Windows XP.


• Important! If you use a recovery CD from an original equipment manufacturer (also called an OEM), it is possible that the CD will not be accepted. If you delete the partition information or format the drive and the OEM recovery CD is not accepted as valid media, you must use the OEM recovery CD to restore your previous version of Windows. For details about restoring your system using the OEM recovery media, please contact your computer manufacturer.



7. If a screen appears showing an existing installation of Windows XP, press ESC to continue installing a fresh copy of Windows XP.


8. At the next screen, you have the option of repartitioning your drive. It's a good idea to repartition if you want to merge several smaller partitions into one large one, or if you want to create several smaller partitions so that you can set up a multiboot configuration. If you want to repartition, follow the instructions to delete existing partitions, if needed, and then select unpartitioned space and press ENTER to proceed.


• CAUTION: Deleting a partition will remove all data stored on that partition. Before you continue, make sure you have backed up everything you want to keep.



9. Select the formatting method you would like to use, and then press ENTER. NTFS offers both enhanced formatting capabilities and security technologies. If you need to access drives or DOS files (such as from a DOS-based boot disk) using Windows Millennium Edition or earlier versions of Windows, you might need to select FAT32 instead. Select either format method (quick or slow).


10. Setup will format the drive, copy initial Setup files, and restart the computer.


• Note: After the computer restarts, you will again receive the message Press any key to boot from CD but you should ignore it so that you do not interrupt the current installation process.



11. After another restart, the next part of Setup will begin.


12. On the Regional and Language Options page, follow the instructions to add language support or change language settings, if desired.


13. On the Personalize Your Software page, type your name and the name of your company or organization (if applicable).


14. On the Your Product Key page, type the 25-character product key that came with your copy of Windows XP.


15. On the Computer Name and Administrator Password page, make up a computer name (if your network administrator gave you a name to use, type that). Then make up a password for the Administrator account on your computer. Type it once, and then confirm it by typing it again.


• Important: Be sure to remember the Administrator password. You'll need this password when you want to make changes to your system in the future.



16. On the Date and Time Settings page, make any changes that are necessary.


17. On the Networking Settings page, if it appears, select Typical settings (unless you plan to manually configure your networking components).


18. On the Workgroup or Computer Domain page, click Next. If you want to add your computer to a domain, select the second option and fill in the domain name. (If you do this, you will be prompted for a user name and password.)


• Note: Connecting to a domain is only possible in Windows XP Professional, not in Windows XP Home Edition.



19. Next, while Setup copies files to your computer and completes a few other tasks, you'll see a series of screens that tell you about new features in Windows XP.


20. Finally, your computer will restart. Again, ignore the message to press any key. After Setup completes, eject the CD from the CD-ROM drive.

Do not forget to enable your virus protection software after Setup is finished.