How To Install Windows XP From Scratch?

Nearly every computer uses Windows these days. If you own a PC, it is a must for you to be aware of the process of installing Windows on a computer. Since Windows XP is the most popular version of the Windows operating system this article provides you details about how to install Windows XP on the computer from scratch. You may also refer to the process as performing a clean install of Windows XP on the computer.

Before you start, it is must that you have the Windows XP boot and installation media and your Windows XP product key at hand. Keep in mind that when you perform a clean install of Windows, all the data on the disk drive is wiped because of repartitioning and reformatting that takes place. All your programs are also to be installed on the computer again. Performing a clean install might seem intimidating at first but if you are able to get the hang on things, you would be able to do it easily and as and when needed.

It is a must that before you start performing a clean install of Windows XP, you backup all the important information to an external storage device. This may be a CD ROM/DVD ROM, external or portable hard drive or a USB based pen drive. In some cases, network backups are also possible.

To begin the installation, you have to boot your computer from the Windows XP CD. In order to do this, you have to set the computer to boot from the CD ROM. Generally, this is possible if the CD drive and motherboard BIOS are compatible with El Torito CD-ROM Boot specification. Don't worry, unless you have a really old computer, this would not be an issue. You will be prompted to "Press any key to boot from CD". Just press the 'Enter' button on your keyboard. You will be presented the 'Welcome to Setup' screen which would again require you to press 'Enter' to continue.

You will be presented with the Windows XP End User License Agreement. Read it and press F8 if you agree. If you don't agree, press Esc and the computer will restart without installing. After you have agreed to the EULA, you will be asked to format the hard disk and choose the partition to install Windows and its file system. Choose C: and format it as NTFS or FAT 32. NTFS is recommended on most drives though FAT 32 is better if you have an old hard drive.

From here onwards, it is just a matter of reading what message is displayed on the screen and clicking the appropriate button. Once Windows is installed, your computer will ask to activate Windows. Do it and also update Windows to install all the latest security and stability patches.