Correct installation of Windows XP. Installing Windows XP from a hard drive or flash drive Installing Windows XP from a hard drive

Windows XP is a good option for installing on a netbook, a weak desktop computer, or a laptop that was released many years ago.
operating room Windows system XP, despite being released in 2001, is still well suited for running on low-power, outdated computers.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.

During times creating Windows XP, to install the operating system, CDs were used that were inserted into the CD/DVD drives of the computer. Era of portable USB flash drives has not yet arrived, so Microsoft has not provided a tool for installing the system from a bootable USB flash drive.

Windows installation XP via a 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 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 BIOS settings to select 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, go to the Advanced BIOS Features menu, where you need to select as the first boot USB devices disk, moving it to 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 "Installation 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 necessary files The Windows XP Professional Setup window opens. 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 window will display the sections hard drive. 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 prompt you to format in file system FAT, don't 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 Russified Windows versions XP, Russian language 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 manufacturers motherboards and video adapters.

In contact with

Having purchased an SSD disk, each user will find it necessary to save the installed operating system and configuration files using Reserve copy and data transfer. 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 are considering steps to create a clone of an already installed one on a hard drive. Windows disk XP and migrating 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 partitions SSD drive.

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. Backups It is recommended to save on any external storage media, in cloud storage or transfer 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, carry out the transfer system files and boot area can be done 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 required 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 offers to select only folders containing the information necessary for Windows operation 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. On one (drive C:) there is operating system Windows XP, 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.

This installation requires Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) and an unpacked Windows XP distribution on your hard drive (or on a flash drive).
Boot from a WinPE flash drive, format the active partition C and then from the command line we launch the installation of Windows XP.
We use the preinstallation environment; the original Windows XP distribution can be downloaded for free.
And so, - loading from a flash drive SonyaPE sysadmin disk open My computer.

Picture 1.

Here you see:
Hard disks
RAMDISK - located in RAM.
Local disk (C) is the active first partition of the previous OS on which we will install the operating system.
Local disk (E) - you must place the unpacked distribution on it in advance.
Boot(X) is a mounted compressed system image, which is also located in RAM.
Devices with removable media
SonyaPE (D) - the flash drive from which you loaded the “SonyaPE System Administrator Disk”, if space allows - you can also place the unpacked distribution on the flash drive.
CD drive (F)

Please note that the Local Disk (E) is the drive that in the loaded Windows operating system you go under the letter D, - to eliminate errors, check the size and contents of the disc!
Format Local Disk (C):
Hover the mouse cursor, right-click → select Format from the drop-down menu...
In the Local Format window that opens, select the NTFS File System - you can select the Quick option (cleaning the table of contents). Once you think about whether you have chosen the right disk, press the button Begin!
The process is similar, see.
When formatting is complete, close the formatting window, My Computer.
Next by clicking Start → Execute, - open the window Starting the program.

Figure 2.

If the unpacked distribution is on disk E in the WINXP folder, then in command line we write: “ E:\ WINXP\ I386\ winnt32. exe / syspart: C / tempdrive: C».
If the unpacked distribution is on a flash drive (disk D) in the WINXP folder, then on the command line we write: “ D:\ WINXP\ I386\ winnt32. exe / syspart: C / tempdrive: C».
To avoid confusion, you can copy the command line into notepad in advance and place it next to the distribution folder for subsequent copying to the program launch window.
Press the button OK.

Figure 3.

The Windows XP Pre-installation program starts. Don’t be scared by the message: “The installation will take 60 to 90 minutes to complete,” even on a weak computer it will happen much faster. Except here new installation You won’t be able to choose anything - press the button Further.

Figure 4.

We accept the License Agreement - click the button Further.

Figure 5.

To continue the installation, you must enter the registration code for your copy of Windows in the window. The code can be printed on the CD itself, on its packaging, or in a file stored on the disk (the source from which you copied the distribution to your hard drive). If there is an error when entering the code after pressing the button Further a message will appear: “Invalid entry entered. serial number product." Enter the code and click Further …

Figure 6.

If you do not intend to change the default settings for copying and installing files, use accessibility features for users with low vision during installation, change the primary language and location, and install support for East Asian languages, click the button Further.

Figure 7.

If you have it on your hard drive C file system NTFS, then it doesn’t matter which option is enabled, press the button Further.

Figure 8.

Copying in progress. The Windows XP Pre-Setup utility copies Setup installation files to your hard drive C computer from the distribution package unpacked onto the hard drive.
After the copying is completed, the window shown below for the Windows XP Pre-Installation Program remains for a short time,

Figure 9.

then it closes and you are left on the desktop loaded from the flash drive SonyaPE system administrator disk(Windows PE).

Figure 10.

We reboot the computer - it is necessary that subsequent downloads be made from the hard drive (see).
In the figure below

Figure 11.

for reference, I show you which files were copied to the disk C. If you have a disk C FAT32 , then the hidden folder SystemVolumeInformation will be missing. It is from these Files that the computer will subsequently boot.
When you next reboot, the computer will boot from the hard drive. C.

Figure 12.

We are waiting for the bootloader to start - and then see everything as in the article: except for entering the registration code for a copy of Windows, as well as minor differences associated with file system conversion, if you have a disk C was formatted in the file system FAT32 , and you enabled the option “Yes, you should update the disk file system.”
Good luck.

A fairly convenient option when loading Windows XP onto a device is to use a special flash drive. Here the WinToFlash program will provide the necessary assistance. When it starts for the first time, you must agree to the user agreement and click OK. Next, the main application window appears, which looks like this.

Since the program is completely translated into Russian, the process of working with it is significantly simplified. To create a bootable USB flash drive, you must use the wizard. It involves support at all stages this process. There is another approach to accomplishing the task. To do this, open the “Advanced Mode” tab and click on “Transfer Windows XP Setup to a Drive.” You should select the appropriate drive if it is not specified. After this, click the “Create” button.

Now you need to set the location Windows files XP. There are various options - they can be located on a hard drive, a CD, or as an image. The last point deserves separate consideration. If you have an ISO image, you should open it with any archiver and then unpack it.

The next step is to specify which flash drive should become bootable. Be sure to take into account the fact that this will entail the deletion of all data without the possibility of restoring it in the future. It is recommended that you first save important information to your hard drive. The conversion process itself takes some time and you just need to wait.

As you can see from the written guide, creating a bootable Windows XP USB flash drive using WinToFlash is not a problem. The application provides two main modes for performing this task. The wizard guides the user and is a classic approach. Advanced mode allows you to set certain parameters. For example, this includes choosing the type of bootloader, specifying the correction of some errors, and more. If this doesn't mean anything to you, you don't need to use the advanced mode.

You can download the program on the official website of the developer //wintoflash.com/home/ru/

Creating a bootable USB flash drive using - WinSetupFromUSB

The WinSetupFromUSB program is quite popular when creating bootable flash drives. It is free software and offers a simple process to complete the task. This application provides the possibility of use for a wide range of purposes.

Let's take a closer look at the process:

1. The flash drive must be inserted into the USB port of the device and run the program.
2. You need to specify the path to the flash drive. If it is the only connected storage device, it will already be set by default. When the location is specified, Bootice is clicked.
3. A special Bootice window appears, where you need to click “Perform format”. There will be several options to choose from, among which you need to specify USB-HDD mode (Single Partition). A formatting message appears and must be confirmed. As in the previous case, it is recommended to save all important entries in advance.
4. When formatting is completed, you need to click “Process MBR”, where you select the “GRuB for DOS” item and click the “Install / Config” button. When the process is complete, Bootice can be closed.
5. Now you need to specify where the Windows XP operating system files will come from. As with the previous method, there are several approaches, but the principle of action remains the same. When the location is specified, the "Go" button is pressed and waits until the assigned task is completed.

The main advantage of WinSetupFromUSB is its in-depth approach, which allows you to use a lot of functionality. The program is great for advanced users.

Preparing the hard drive during Windows XP installation

Before you begin the process of installing Windows XP on your computer's hard drive, you need to prepare it. It should be understood that installing several operating systems on one logical drive is impossible, since in this case none of the systems will be able to work correctly. Therefore, before starting the installation, it is necessary to format the HDD partition on which we will install.

We launch from the previously created bootable flash drive,

After which the message “Installing Windows XP Professional” will appear on the monitor. At this time, the process of downloading drivers that are necessary for the OS installation program to work occurs.

After this, a window appears that offers you to choose one of several options for continuing work. We need to start installing Windows XP, so press the Enter key and agree with the first point.

We read the license agreement from Microsoft and agree to it by pressing the F8 key.

After this we see a window in which we are asked to restore previous version Windows. You will see this message only if you already have one of the versions of Windows XP installed on your computer. In any case, we recommend that you do not perform a system restore, but proceed with the installation new version, since only this option can solve all problems and ensure stable and reliable operation of the computer. To do this, press the Esc key.

Now the installer shows us a list of logical partitions on the hard drive. It is recommended to install the new version of Windows XP on the same partition in which the old version was previously installed, usually drive C. Select this partition and press the Enter key.

Now we have to select the type of file system that will be created on the logical drive after formatting. For modern computers, in most cases, the NTFS file system is best suited, so select “Format partition in NTFS” and press the Enter key.

After this, the installation program will display a window warning that all information from this partition of the hard drive will be deleted during formatting. If you have transferred all the important information to other sections in advance, feel free to press the F key.
The formatting process begins, which can take quite a long time, depending on the size of the logical drive.

Once the formatting process is complete, Setup will automatically begin copying Windows XP files to your computer.

After this it will be executed automatic reboot computer. The system will start booting from the computer's hard drive and the Windows XP installation process will begin in graphical mode.

The Windows XP installation process - the main stage

This section will directly answer the question “How to install Windows XP.” This information is absolutely identical both for the process of installing Windows XP from a CD, and for installing Windows XP from a flash drive on a laptop. The “Information Collection”, “Dynamic Update” and “Preparing for Installation” stages occur without our participation. After this, we are asked to configure the language, regional standards for displaying numbers and currency units. To do this, click on the “Configure” button in the “Location” section. Select your country from the drop-down menu and click OK. After that, click on the “Customize” button again, but this time in the “Language” section. In the first drop-down menu we can select the language that will be used by default when the computer boots. Below you can add input languages ​​by clicking on the “Add” button (by default, two languages ​​are available, Russian and English). If we click on the “Keyboard Options” button, we will be taken to a menu where we can set a key to disable Caps Lock mode, as well as change the keyboard shortcut to switch the keyboard layout. After completing the language settings, click “Next” and move on to the next window.

Here we are asked to enter our own name and the name of the organization. Enter absolutely any data and click “Next”.

Now you need to enter the 25-digit license key to your copy of Windows. This key is located on the box if you are using a licensed copy. In the case of pirated products, it must be in text file. Enter this key, check that the entry is correct and click the “Next” button.

After this, a window appears for setting the computer name and password for a user with administrator rights. In case of work on home computer, you independently choose the name that will be assigned to your PC in the future. home network. If you are working on a corporate computer, check with your network administrator. The administrator password that you set in this same window should be remembered or written down, since it will be needed every time you start Windows.

In the next window we are given the opportunity to set the date and time. Select the desired settings and click “Next”.

After this, go to the “Configure network settings” window. It's best to skip the setup at this point local network and run it later, after installation is complete. To do this, select “Regular settings” and click the “Next” button.

Leave the work group unchanged "WORKGROUP" and click next.

After this, system files are copied to your computer's hard drive. Wait until the installation process completes, after which the first Windows startup XP. If it starts at this time automatic setting monitor - wait for it to finish and click OK.

In this window, left-click on “OK”

After this we will see an animated window Windows greetings XP.

After this, a window appears asking you to enable the automatic Windows updates. Based on experience, it should be noted that it is better to leave automatic updates disabled. And update the system manually.

Next, we will be asked to set up an Internet connection and activate a copy of the OS. You can skip this step for now.

Are you ready to register with Microsoft? To this question we answer “No, some other time” and click next.

The next window prompts you to enter your account name, as well as the names of other users who will also work on this computer. notice, that Accounts with the names Administrator and Guest were created during the OS installation process.

At this point, the installation of Windows XP is complete, click the “Finish” button and enjoy the clean operating system.

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. Booting Windows XP can be implemented in the form of 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 in different models Notebooks 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 note that for the normal functioning of Windows XP in system partition About 10-15% of its size should always remain free 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’s disk structure is satisfactory, simply select required section, in which the system was installed earlier, 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 Windows folders XP 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 meet Windows errors XP, moreover, precisely during the installation of the system. The most common occurrence is BSoD ( blue screen). The installation is impossible due to an incorrectly set mode for the hard drive.

If a mismatch message appears BIOS firmware, ACPI mode must be disabled 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.