Having purchased an SSD drive, each user will find it necessary to save the installed operating system and configuration files using backup and data transfer tools. After all, carefully setting up a new OS is certainly not comparable to the labor costs of creating a disk image and its further transfer. How to install Windows XP from a hard drive, or more precisely, how to transfer it to an SSD drive will be discussed today.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that here we consider the steps to create a clone of Windows XP already installed on a hard drive and migrate it to an SSD drive, since this is the easiest way and the installation will end in success.
Attention: do not rush to delete data from your HDD until you are sure that the system on the SSD drive is stable! It is necessary to backup important information!
Required Software
- A free utility such as CCleaner to clean the system (including the registry) of unnecessary data.
- A unique program, Migrate OS to SSD, from Paragon for transferring software environments and data to an SSD drive.
- AS SSD Benchmark utility for checking the correct alignment of SSD disk partitions.
Preparing the OS for migration
The process will be greatly simplified if a special partition was created for the system disk when installing Windows XP. Users, in most cases, do just that: they create a system partition C:, allocating no more than 20-30 Gb to it, which in the future, when reinstalling the system over the old one, prevents the loss of data located in other volumes. In the event that the disk is one partition and the system files are located on it together with user data, system migration will become somewhat more complicated when you want to delete system files from this disk in order to completely free it up for storing information. In this case, a backup followed by full formatting will help.
Initially, we will need to create a backup of all important files. Please note, not for the reason that the operation of migrating a partition is dangerous due to data loss, but for reasons of “insurance just in case.” You can make an archive copy of only user data, or you can backup the entire system partition. It is recommended to save backup copies on any external storage media, in cloud storage, or transfer them to another computer using any program. All this is done in order to be able, after successfully migrating the system to an SSD disk, to format the old piece of hardware, deleting all system files from it and distributing free space for the most convenient use. Then you will only have to move your personal data in place to return a structure similar to the original one: for example, the former partition (C:) used by the system will be physically located on an SSD drive, and the hard drive will be used entirely to place work data on it ( possibly labeled D:). As a result, everything will be in its place.
Let's look at a case in which Windows XP was installed on a computer without creating a separate partition and user data was located on the same volume. Then instead of one disk you will have two and, obviously, you will have to manually edit the paths for some programs, or it is better to re-install them on top of previously installed versions.
The next stage of preparation for the transfer is not necessary, but it is advisable to do it, since cleaning Windows XP and the system disk of unnecessary information will reduce the process time. Some things can be removed manually:
- delete files from the recycle bin;
- delete your own temporary files;
- uninstall unnecessary programs and their components.
Using a special utility such as CCleaner, we perform final cleaning:
- clear Windows XP of temporary files;
- clear the registry of unused keys;
- remove unnecessary programs from startup.
I also recommend performing an anti-virus inspection for the presence of Trojan horses and spyware to be sure that there are no vulnerabilities on your computer. Of course, after a thorough cleaning, you need to test the performance of the operating system and programs, and if something goes wrong, roll back to the previous state, restoring the data on top of the non-working ones (for this you need to make a backup copy).
Creating a system image
There are many different ways to do this, but the vast majority of them require special knowledge, skills and consideration of certain nuances. In general, you can transfer system files and the boot area using any program that is created for such tasks (such as True Image from Acrinis), but this, again, requires the user to have certain knowledge and does not in all cases give the necessary result , especially on the first try.
The problem of transferring the Windows XP operating system to an SSD drive is easily solved if you use the Migrate OS to SSD utility specially developed for this purpose from the well-known company Paragon. It is not free, but if you take into account the fact that you were allowed to spend at least 3,500 rubles on purchasing a solid-state drive, then another 390 rubles is already pennies. It is also possible to find a broken version on the Internet, but this is on your conscience. If it turns out that this program of a different version is already installed on your computer, it is advisable to install the new one not on top of it, but by completely uninstalling the previous one.
As the name makes clear, it will do exactly what is required, and will solve a number of problems without asking unnecessary questions. You won’t even notice how when using it, SSD disk partitions are automatically aligned along the boundaries of four-kilobyte blocks for optimal operation and extending its service life. When using other applications, you must do this operation yourself.
Before you start migrating, the program itself prompts you to select only folders that contain the information necessary for the operation of Windows XP and installed applications. Users' personal data (music files, videos, photos, unused programs and text documents) will remain on the donor disk. This allows you to create a compact system, which will later be transferred to an SSD. In addition, the program itself performs sector alignment and SSD layout in such a way as to use all free memory. The uniqueness of the sector-by-sector copying technology from Paragon Software guarantees subsequent loading of the transferred Windows XP on a new disk, and it is also possible to install it on top of a system previously existing on it
So, let's begin. Open the Disk Management window. We have a 250 Gb hard drive installed, divided into a couple of partitions. One (drive C:) contains the Windows XP operating system, which we will transfer to our SSD solid-state drive with 120 GB on board. Now it is an unmarked area.
Open the Migrate OS to SSD utility. Click Next.
The program automatically finds the SSD drive and is ready to migrate the operating system. Here you need to pay attention to the point “Use all available space for the partition with OS”. Be sure to check the box here. In this case, all unoccupied space on the solid-state drive will be allocated for creating one new partition (C:) with the transferred Windows XP. This is explained by the fact that solid-state drives are used, for the most part, only for installing the operating system.
If you click on “Select what folders should be copied”, you will be able to supplement your selection with the folders needed for copying. If you need the entire Windows XP, leave everything as default.
Click the Copy button.
If we compare the process of creating an image with Acronis, then in the case of the latter, it takes much longer.
So, the Migrate OS to SSD program has already completed the migration of Windows XP to an SSD drive. The final step will be a window in which you will be asked to boot directly from the solid-state drive. We agree and reboot.
All that remains is to go into the BIOS (F8 or Del) when booting and set the boot order from the SSD drive. This is done in the Boot tab.
If your actions were carried out in strict accordance with those discussed above, then you have already booted from the SSD disk into the migrated system. Let's check. Disk Management shows that the system was successfully migrated.
That's probably all!
After the successful start of the migrated system, do not forget to tidy up the old drive: format it and transfer your personal data.
Many users believe that installing operating systems on a computer is the prerogative of specialists. But is this really so? We learn to install and reinstall Windows XP on our own.
It's no secret that communication between a person and a computer is carried out using the operating system installed on your PC. This is a primary and fundamental software component, without which it is impossible to imagine a modern computer. Unfortunately, like any other program, the operating system is imperfect, and over time, almost any user encounters a violation of its normal functionality. This can be expressed in a significant increase in the time it takes to boot the computer and open applications, freezes during operation, the occurrence of various types of errors when performing certain actions, or even a complete failure of the system. Such consequences can be caused by both incorrect actions of the user himself and the influence of various malicious programs that are available in abundance on the global Internet.
According to statistics, even if you operated your OS carefully enough and reliably protected it from virus infections, after 3-4 years 80% of users have significant reasons to reinstall the system. And if you still decide to do it yourself, without contacting all sorts of paid technical services, this article is for you. In it we will look at not just the complete installation of the WindowsXPSP3 operating system, but we will try to analyze all the main nuances that arise during the installation process. This approach will not only allow you to more flexibly configure the new OS at the reinstallation stage, but also avoid possible loss of important data.
Naturally, before starting the installation you need to have an installation disk with the system. Moreover, this disk must be bootable, i.e. the computer must be able to boot from it. As a rule, all original system disks or their images are bootable by default. In general, the installation of WindowsXP can be started in two ways - directly from an already installed system or by booting from disk. The second method is preferable, but if your old system does not boot or you are installing on a new computer, then it is the only possible one.
In order for the computer to start booting from the installation disk, you may need to make simple settings in the BIOS. The thing is that your optical drive should be first in the list of boot devices, which is not always configured that way. To check this, you need to insert the Windows CD into the drive and restart the computer. If during the boot process you see the message: “Press any key to boot,” then everything is in order and you can proceed with the installation. Otherwise, you need to go to the BIOS settings.
SETTING UP YOUR COMPUTER TO BOOT FROM CD
When you turn on the computer, as a rule, a short message appears indicating the key with which you can enter the BIOS settings menu. Be careful, as this inscription disappears from the screen quite quickly, especially on laptops. If you couldn’t see it the first time, immediately restart your computer using the Reset button and try again. When loading begins, a large graphic image may appear on the screen, obscuring the service inscriptions on the screen. To remove it, press the Esc key.
List of most commonly used keys:
- Desktops - Del (almost always), F1
- Laptops - F1, F2, F3, Del, Ctrl + Alt + Esc. In the case of laptops, keyboard shortcuts can be very varied, depending on its model. You can find this information either online or by calling technical support.
Having found out the key responsible for calling up the BIOS settings menu, restart the computer again and at the very beginning of boot, press it several times (once is enough, but to accurately catch the right moment, pressing it multiple times won’t hurt). If everything is done correctly, the settings window should open.
As a rule, the most common two types of BIOS are:
If your window looks like this, then you need to select a section here Advanced BIOS Features, and in it the paragraph First Boot Device assign the value CDROM. Then press the F10 key and select Yes in the dialog box that appears.
American Megatrends BIOS
Or if your window has a gray background, like in this screenshot, then select the section at the top Boot and in the subsection BootDevicePriority in point 1stBootDevice Set the name of your optical drive. Then press the F10 key and select Yes in the dialog box that appears.
For mobile devices (laptops), BIOS programs can vary greatly, and it is not possible to list all possible options within the framework of this article. In any case, you should find an item in the settings window whose name is associated with boot (Boot) and in it set the optical drive (CDROM) as the first device.
STARTING INSTALLATION
After turning on/restarting the computer, if any Windows operating system is already installed on your computer at this moment, then after some time you will see the message “Press any key to boot from CD” on the screen. CD) which is what you should do.
Be careful as you will only have 5 seconds to enter the system installation. If the current operating system starts loading, it means that the opportunity to start the installation was missed and you should restart the computer again for the next attempt.
The Windows XP basic software installation screen will then appear, requiring your intervention only if you plan to install the system on a hard disk array (RAID) or high-end SCSI drive.
This is where you should press the key to install additional drivers for these devices, following the messages on the bottom line of the screen. In most cases, such intervention is not required and you should simply wait for the welcome screen.
On the welcome screen you will be asked to:
- Install Windows XP. Should be selected by pressing ENTER if you are installing new or restoring a previous copy of Windows using the GUI.
- Recovering Windows using the Recovery Console. Should be chosen by experienced users to restore the system using DOS commands run from the command line. Allows you to eliminate minor system errors without going through the full installation procedure. Most commonly used to repair a file system's boot sector and master boot record (MBR); spot copying, renaming or deleting operating system folders and files; creating and formatting partitions on disks. The Recovery Console is called up with the R key.
- Exit. If you refuse to install, press the F3 key.
Select the first item “Proceed with installing Windows XP” (even if you are going to reinstall the system) by pressing ENTER, after which a window with a license agreement will appear, which you must accept in order to continue the installation by pressing F8.
If any are found, you will see a screen with a list of these systems and a menu that will offer:
- Restore the found copy of Windows by pressing the R key. By selecting this item, you will have to go through the full system installation procedure, during which all system files of the old copy will be replaced with new ones from the CD. All your data, settings and installed programs will be saved. Recovery helps in case of damage, deletion or replacement of infected files or Windows system files.
- Install a new copy of Windows by pressing the ESC key.
You will not see a window with a list of installed systems if you are installing the system on a new computer/hard drive, or if the previous copy of Windows has a different edition or service pack.
The next step in the installation is to allocate disk space for the operating system. This is a very important point and should be treated carefully, and all actions should be performed very carefully.
RULES FOR HARD DISK DISTRIBUTION
At this point I would like to make a small digression and provide some useful recommendations for partitioning a hard drive:
- Don't allocate all of your hard drive space to one single partition. This is considered bad manners and can cause you a lot of trouble in the future.
- Modern hard drives have quite large capacities for storing data and therefore it is advisable to divide them into several thematic sections.
- It is recommended to set aside a separate section for installing the operating system and necessary software and not fill it with your personal data.
- You should choose the size of the system partition with a margin, taking into account that for Windows to work correctly, 15% of the space of this partition must remain free.
- Don't create too many sections. This will make navigation difficult and reduce the efficiency of distributing large files and folders.
DEFINITION OF SYSTEM PARTITION
Now, let's get back to the installation. From this point on, the installation can proceed in two ways:
Option 1: You have a new computer and the hard drive has never been allocated. In this case, the following window will appear in front of you:
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The size of the unallocated area is the volume of your hard drive and, of course, it absolutely should not coincide with that indicated in the screenshot. To continue the installation, you must create a partition on the disk (system partition) into which the OS will be installed in the future, and specify its size. As a rule, for Windows XP and related software, 40 - 60 GB is enough, but not less than 20 GB. By pressing the C key in the window that appears, enter the required size of the partition to be created.
The size must be specified in megabytes. Calculate it based on the fact that 1 GB = 1024 MB. Thus, if you want to allocate 60 GB for the system partition, you must enter the number 61440 in the size field.
By pressing the ENTER key you will return to the hard disk partition window, where the created partition will be highlighted in a separate line indicating the assigned letter from the Latin alphabet (usually “C”), the file system - in our case “new (unformatted)” and its size. Below there will be a line with the remaining unallocated area, which you can divide in exactly the same way into the number of sections you need. True, it is not at all necessary to do this here, since after installation it can be done using Windows tools.
Once you have created the system partition, select it using the arrow keys on your keyboard and press ENTER, after which you will see a final dialog box asking you to format it.
Feel free to select the quick formatting option by pressing ENTER, since in the second case the physical surface of the disk is checked, which takes quite a long time, especially if the partition is large.
After selecting the file system, the installation of Windows will begin.
Option 2 - If the system was installed on your computer. Then your hard drive has already been distributed into logical areas, and you will see a window listing all found partitions.
Attention! All further manipulations with the found partitions may lead to the loss of your data, so be very careful in your actions. If you are not satisfied with the current partitioning of your hard drive, you can delete existing partitions in whole or in part by pressing the D key. Select the desired section using the up and down arrow keys. After deleting a partition, the area it occupied becomes unallocated, and all data located on this logical disk is deleted. When you delete several sections, they turn into a single unallocated area, which you can later distribute as you wish. The principle of distributing an unallocated area of a hard disk is described above.
After all the redistributions or if the existing hard drive structure suits you, all you have to do is select the desired partition in which you plan to install the system and press ENTER.
If you chose a pre-existing hard drive partition with data existing on it to install the OS, you will be given several options to choose from on what to do next. Be careful, formatting a partition in any file system will lead to the loss of the data contained in it! The FAT system is outdated and it makes sense to format only in NTFS (fast is preferable). Once you have made your selection, press ENTER to begin formatting and copying system files.
If for some reason you still want to save the information located in the partition you have chosen, then you should select the “Leave the current file system without changes” option. In this case, all the data located on it will not be touched. Moreover, if it was in this partition that the previous copy of Windows was installed (the most likely option), then the installer will warn you that the “Windows” folder already exists, suggesting that you either erase the existing copy by clicking, or select a new folder for installations. Here, definitely click, since anyway the old folder with the system will be renamed automatically and saved.
It should be noted that after such an installation, it is strongly recommended to manually clean your system partition, namely, remove a large number of duplicate files. The fact is that the Windows installer will not only save the old copy of the system, but also all the files of the accounts that existed in it. Of all this goodness, the “My Documents”, “Favorites” and “Desktop” folders may be useful for you. Everything else will turn out to be useless garbage, taking up gigabytes of hard drive space. That is why it is preferable to take care of saving your data in advance, and install the new system in a clean partition, pre-formatted.
This is where the installer branches end, and further installation proceeds linearly. After selecting a hard drive partition to install a new operating system, the copying of the main Windows system files begins.
Upon completion of the copying, the computer will restart, where you do not need to do anything, but just wait for the installer screen to appear with a graphical shell.
DETERMINING INITIAL WINDOWS PARAMETERS
In this window you can change regional settings and input language. By default, the location is already set to Russia and the Russian language. So you don’t need to change anything unnecessarily, click “Next”.
In the next window, you must enter your username (your name) and organization (optional). Click “Next”.
To continue the installation in the key entry window, you must enter the Windows serial number and license sticker.
In the window for setting the time and date, most likely you won’t have to change anything either, since the correct data will be entered automatically, and all you have to do is click on the “Next” button.
You will see the next two windows only if the WindowsXP distribution contains a driver for your network card.
You should not change anything here, leaving the “Normal settings” option selected, however, just like in the next one, where it is more advisable to select the name of the workgroup/domain after installation.
After clicking the “Next” button, the final installation phase will begin, and all you have to do is wait for it to finish. After a few minutes, the computer will automatically reboot, after which the first launch of the new operating system will begin.
COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION
When you initially start Windows, you will see several more dialog boxes. The first one will be “Display Options”, where you just need to click “OK”.
After automatically adjusting the screen resolution, Windows will ask you to confirm them, which you should do by clicking “OK”:
There is nothing to configure on the welcome screen, so just click “Next”:
The next step will be the ability to select parameters for automatic Windows updates, designed to regularly check via the Internet for the availability of all kinds of system security patches, critical updates and service packs on the official technical support website. Enabling automatic updates is desirable, but not required at this stage, since you can configure this setting more flexibly after installation from the control panel.
If network card drivers were installed during installation, then you will see two more windows: the first is checking and setting up your Internet connection, which should be skipped, and the second is registering the system, which is also better left for later.
The last parameter you will have to enter to finally boot Windows will be the name of the user account under which you will work on the system.
Finally, you will see a window informing you that the installation of the operating system is complete.
A complete installation of Windows XP can take from 15 to 35 minutes and depends on the power of your computer. Immediately after its completion, you should install all the necessary drivers for the installed devices, after which you can begin installing the software.
Answers:
Yuri Alexandrovich Peysakhovich:
Of course, it is possible if you download the entire distribution.
Shurovik:
Of course. If you have access to it (i.e. you can read the contents), go to the i386 folder of the installer and run winnt32.exe (from Windows) or winnt.exe (from DOS).
Y. Lebedew:
Correction regarding DOS: for example, in Volkov Commander, open the I386 folder in the XP distribution package recorded on the screw and type Winnt on the command line (adding an extension is absolutely not necessary - there is only one such file) and press Enter. Why in the team room? Under DOS there is a restriction on viewing a certain number of files in one folder. For example, in the I386 folder under DOS you can see only 2698 files, and under Windows 5479 (XP with SP1), and these are only files starting with the letter M. So, it’s impossible to find Winnt.exe under DOS and launch it with Enter. And also take into account what file system the hard drive is formatted under - FAT or NTFS. With the latter, you will have to use a program like NTFSdos to view it.
Sanchez:
The fact is that in XP sp2 Winnt is not observed at all. There are different file names, I tried everything - nothing worked. What to do?
Lebedew:
To Sanchez: Even SP2, even SP1, even without them at all - from DOS in an XP, 2000, 2003, etc. install, the winnt.exe file will never be visible. “Not observed at all” :-))) - I wrote above why. First you need to read, and then ask the question that is answered.
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Windows XP is a good option for installing on a netbook, a weak desktop computer, or a laptop that was released many years ago.
The Windows XP operating system, despite the fact that it was released in 2001, is still well suited for working on low-power, outdated computers. More modern operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 place more severe demands on computer hardware.
At the time of the creation of Windows XP, CDs were used to install the operating system, which were inserted into the CD/DVD drives of the computer. The era of portable USB flash drives has not yet arrived, so Microsoft has not provided a tool for installing the system from a bootable flash drive.
Installing Windows XP via a USB flash drive takes place in three stages:
- Creating a bootable USB flash drive.
- Selecting to boot from a USB flash drive in the computer BIOS.
- Installing Windows XP on a computer from an installation flash drive.
Creating a bootable USB flash drive with Windows XP
To create a bootable USB flash drive, we use the free program WinSetupFromUSB. We also need a blank USB drive for recording on the system’s flash drive.
There is a detailed article on my website. Read the article, write the operating system onto a flash drive according to the instructions.
Selecting boot priority in BIOS
Insert the USB flash drive with Windows XP into the USB connector, and then turn on the computer. Immediately after starting the PC, you need to press a specific keyboard key to enter the BIOS settings to select the boot priority from a bootable USB flash drive or DVD drive.
Different devices use different keys or key combinations.
After starting the computer, testing the equipment begins, at this time you need to quickly press the key to enter the BIOS. The most commonly used keys are "Del", "F2" and "F8" for fast loading.
Work in the BIOS is carried out using keyboard keys. The BIOS window provides explanations in English about which keys you need to use for configuration.
In the AMIBIOS settings, enter the Advanced BIOS Features menu, where you need to select the USB drive as the first boot device, moving it to the first place.
AMI BIOS ver.3.31a
In other BIOS versions, open the Boot tab, select USB flash drive, install it as the first boot device if you are installing from a USB flash drive. Select DVD drive, if you are installing from disk.
Save the settings and then exit the BIOS. Immediately after this, the computer will boot from the installation flash drive or from a CD/DVD disk if an optical disk is used to install Windows XP.
If you didn't manage to enter the BIOS in time, it's okay: restart your computer again, and then try again.
How to install Windows XP from a USB flash drive
In the first window with the inscription “Press any key to boot from CD” you need to press any key on the keyboard.
To create a flash drive, we used the WinSetupFromUSB program, so the MultiBoot USB window will open on the screen, in which you need to select “Installing Microsoft Windows XP SP3 x86 - Russian version”.
If you install from disk, the window located above does not appear.
The installation of Windows XP begins. After downloading the required files, the Windows XP Professional Setup window will open. Necessarily
Press any key, otherwise the installation will not start. 
Press the " Enter» to start installation of the operating system.
All offered options:
1. Proceed with installing windows xp (Enter key)
2. Restore Windows (R key)
3. Exit the installer (F3 key)
We accept the license agreement by clicking on the " F8».
If the system is already installed on the computer, the hard drive partitions will be displayed in the window. You can delete all partitions and install the system in an unallocated area, (be careful, after deleting a partition or formatting it, you will lose all data) or select an existing system partition for installation.
We will install Windows XP in an unallocated area. In the unallocated area, if necessary, you can create an additional non-system disk partition (partition D for data storage).
On our computer, an unallocated area is selected. To start Windows installation, click on “ Enter». 
- Format partition in NTFS system (Quick).
- Format the partition in the NTFS system.
This window may suggest formatting to the FAT file system, do not consider this option.
You can choose any of these formatting options in NTFS. In the first case, formatting the partition will be faster.
The system partition is being formatted.
The system copies the files to the Windows installation folders.
Upon completion, the computer will restart.
Next, a window will appear with the inscription “Press any key to boot from CD”, in This time we don't press anything! 
The installation program window displays information about the functions of the operating system. Windows XP will take some time to install, and the estimated time until installation is complete is displayed in the Windows Setup window.
On top of the System Installation Wizard window, windows open for configuring certain parameters.
In the window " language and regional standards» select the language, click on the « Further" In the Russified version of Windows XP, Russian is selected by default.
In the next window, be sure to enter “ Account name”, for example Alexander.
You can enter anything you want. This name will appear in the system as the computer username.
If you are a regular user, " Name of the organization» do not enter. 
In the Product Key window, enter the key for your copy of Windows. (this window may not appear - depending on the build of Windows XP ). You can skip this step; the system can be activated later, after installation on your computer is complete.
If you did not enter the key in the previous window, in the " Error» click on the button « No».
In the next window, enter " Computer name", such as Dell, and administrator password. If you do not use a password, leave the corresponding fields blank, and then click on the " Further" If necessary, you can set the administrator password later. 
In the window " Setting the time and date» — select time, date and time zone.
The Windows XP Setup window will open again.
In the next window " Network settings» select « Regular Options».
In the window " Workgroup or domain» click on the button « Further", without changing anything. 
The Windows XP installation window will open again.
The installation of the operating system continues for some time. After installation is complete, the computer will restart.
A welcome window will open and then Windows XP will start. 
Windows XP installation complete.
Enter the BIOS, again select the computer's hard drive (HDD) as the first boot device. Next, install the necessary drivers on your PC. You may have the drivers on the disk that came with your computer, or you can go to the official website of the equipment manufacturer and download the necessary drivers from there. More details about this in the article: “. This article contains links to the official websites of motherboard and video adapter manufacturers.
In contact with
Despite its hopeless obsolescence, the Windows XP operating system still remains very popular among users, thanks to the ease of working with it and its fairly high stability. In some ratings, it is even ahead of the “seven”. Next up for consideration is the question of how to install Windows XP from a disk and perform the initial system setup. It is believed that the installation of this particular modification should not cause any particular difficulties, but in reality it is necessary to pay attention to some important nuances, without understanding of which the installation of the system may be unsuccessful.
Create a Windows XP installation disk
At the first stage, we will assume that the user does not have the original installation disk. Windows XP can be downloaded as an image from the official Microsoft website or from another (necessarily trusted) source.
In this case, you should immediately pay attention to the contents of the downloaded distribution. It is recommended to download only the one that initially contains the second and third service packs, so as not to have to install them manually later.
It is not difficult to record an image onto optical media. To do this, you can use many programs for working with images (for example, UltraISO or Nero Burning ROM). If you need to create a multiboot Windows XP disk, it is best to use a tiny utility called WindowsSetupFromUSB, but to write the distribution onto a flash drive.
BIOS Presets
So, we assume that the installation distribution is recorded. Now you need to make it so that you can boot from it. To do this, you must use the primary I/O system BIOS settings. Typically on desktop computers, login is accomplished by pressing the Del key, but different laptop models may use other keys (F1, F12) or combinations thereof.
To be recognized as bootable, you need to find a partition with a name like Boot, Boot Priority, Boot Sequence and install the optical drive (CD/DVD-ROM) first in the list of boot devices by pressing the PgUp/PgDown key.
Start installation
After completing all the preparatory steps, you can proceed to solving the problem of how to install Windows XP from a disk directly. After turning on the computer and starting from the removable device, a black screen will appear with a prompt asking you to press any key to boot from the disk. Keep in mind that you will only have five seconds to make a decision. Otherwise, it will boot from the next device (usually a hard drive), provided that it has a bootloader, an installed OS, or even a damaged OS.
Next, a screen will appear to preload the basic installation components and a line at the bottom prompting you to install additional SCSI and RAID drivers. In most cases, this is not necessary, however, if the computer has several hard drives combined into the same RAID array, the installation must be applied. But it will assume that the user has one hard drive.
Partition selection and formatting
At the next stage, a welcome screen will appear with options to choose from:
- immediate installation of the system;
- restoring a damaged system via the console;
- refusal to install.
Select the first item by pressing the enter key. Next, we agree to the license agreement and press F8 to continue the installation (hints will appear at each installation stage).
After this, previously installed copies will be scanned, after which you will need to make a choice in favor of installing a new system (Esc).
Now the most important thing begins with the question of how to install Windows XP from a disk. The first step is to decide on the system partition and its size. If installed on a new hard drive that did not have logical partitions, the unallocated area (full volume) will be shown.
It is undesirable to allocate all the space to the system partition (this can later play a cruel joke). It’s better to partition the disk right away by pressing the C key and specifying the required volume in MB (for the system you can allocate 40-60 GB, but not less than 20 GB). Please immediately pay attention to the fact that for the normal functioning of Windows XP, about 10-15% of its size must always remain free in the system partition both after installing the OS and after installing user programs. After returning to the partition creation screen, you can begin formatting (but more on that later).
If the hard drive has already been broken and has an old system, the user will be shown all available partitions. If necessary, all partitions can be deleted (press D when selecting a partition). If the user is satisfied with the disk structure, simply select the desired partition in which the system was installed previously and proceed to formatting.
In the case of new hard drives, you can immediately select quick formatting to NTFS. If the operation is applied to an existing partition, several options will be offered to choose from. It is best to perform a full format in NTFS. But to save data, you can leave the file system unchanged. Most likely, you will next receive a warning that the Windows system directory already exists, with a suggestion to overwrite the current copy or select a new folder. Here - optional (all the same, the Windows XP folders of the old version, if one was previously present, will be saved).
Now all that remains is to wait for the files to be copied, after which the reboot will occur and the installation of the system will begin in normal graphical mode.
Setting initial parameters
In the next steps in the question of how to install Windows XP from a disk, the user's actions are quite simple. When rebooting, be sure to remove the optical media from the drive, otherwise you will get the pre-start screen again.
After the installer starts, the language and region are selected (usually you don’t need to change anything if you have a Russian copy of the system), then, if required, enter the user name and organization name (optional), after which the product key is entered (without it, the installation will not continue ). Working keys, by and large, can be easily found on the Internet.
At the next stage, you need to enter the name of the computer and specify the administrator password (this can be done later). Next, the date and time are configured (usually nothing needs to be changed), and finally a screen may appear asking you to select network card settings. Feel free to select “Regular settings” and indicate that the computer is not participating in the network (it is better to select the group and domain after installation is complete).
Completing the installation
Only now will the device drivers begin. Upon completion, several additional windows may appear. For example, the system will ask for consent to set the optimal screen resolution. We must agree with this.
Then a welcome blue screen starts, in which most of the actions can be skipped (for example, deferring protection, checking the Internet connection and registering with Microsoft). Finally, all that remains is to enter the names of the accounts that will be registered in the system. You can enter only your data, after which a notification will appear informing you that the installation is complete.
Clicking the “Finish” button will cause the “Desktop” to appear with a familiar picture. At this point, the installation can be considered complete (if service packs were present in the distribution, they will be installed automatically, otherwise you need to install them yourself).
Typical errors when installing the system
Not often, of course, but you can also encounter Windows XP errors, moreover, precisely during the system installation process. The most common occurrence is BSoD (blue screen). The installation is impossible due to an incorrectly set mode for the hard drive.
If a message appears about a BIOS firmware mismatch, you must disable ACPI mode during installation.
It is possible that the disc itself is damaged or scratched. Just burn the distribution onto another medium and try installing the system again.
Initial setup of Windows XP
Initially, the system usually does not need any special settings. But to reduce the load on computer resources, it is advisable to disable some background services that are activated by default and start with the system.
In the Run console (Win + R), enter the msconfig system configuration access command, go to the startup tab and disable everything that is there, leaving only the ctfmon process, which is responsible for displaying the language in the tray and changing keyboard layouts.
Required additional software
Then be sure to install security software, since there is practically no protection in the “expert” itself. Antiviruses for Window XP are quite diverse and do not cause installation problems. However, based on the fact that this version of the system is usually used on relatively low-power machines, you should not install heavy packages like Kaspersky Lab software products. It is better to limit yourself to some lightweight versions (Avira, Panda Cloud, etc.).
However, if you look at antiviruses for Window XP from the point of view of providing maximum protection, you can use the NOD32 or Smart Security packages from ESET. True, they will have to be activated monthly using special keys that are freely distributed on the Internet.
Finally, all that remains is to install an archiver, a set of codecs, a flash player for the browser, an office suite and some other applications that the user may need while working.
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