1: Installing a Client Operating System

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Installation Methods
   2. Installation SAQs
2. Attended Installation
3. Setup Program (Text Mode)
4. Setup Wizard (Graphical Mode)
5. Install Windows Networking
6. Post Installation
7. Installing over a network
8. Unattended Installation
9. Upgrades
10. Post-Installation Updates
11. Troubleshooting Failed Installations
12. Troubleshooting SAQs

Introduction

Before installing Windows XP Professional, you should ensure that the proposed hardware platform meets the requirements of the Windows Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) by checking the latest version on the Microsoft web site.

The following table shows the minimum and recommended hardware requirements for the installation of Microsoft Windows XP.

All hardware should appear on the Windows Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). Windows XP Professional supports symmetric Multi-processing with a maximum of two processors and up to 4 GB of RAM.

Three different types of installation can be carried out for Windows XP Professional. The type of installation chosen can affect various stages of the installation process. The three types are as follows:

• Clean installation: used where there isn't already an operating system on the computer or when you don't want to preserve the existing installation. The biggest advantage of a clean installation is knowing that nothing remains from a previous installation. However, you must reinstall all of your applications and reconfigure your Windows settings.

• Upgrade installation: one in which Windows XP is installed over a previous version of Windows. The biggest advantage of an upgrade is that you can retain application installations and user settings. However, this can also be a disadvantage if you would be better off without these applications and settings.

• Multiple boot installation: one in which several operating systems are installed on the same computer and the user can choose which operating system to boot during system startup. If Windows XP is installed as an additional operating system, you will need to reinstall any applications you want to run under XP. A multiple boot lets you keep the previous operating system and installed applications, which can be useful if you want to test Windows XP or if you have critical applications that will not run on Windows XP.

Next: Installation Methods