Install Windows XP

This is a step-to-step guide that explains how to install Windows XP.

Many people have computers that come with Windows XP so they may never have to install it. However, you may need to install Windows XP if:
 * You replaced your hard disk drive with a new hard disk drive that does not have Windows XP installed.
 * You are reinstalling Windows XP on a computer because you want to clean off your hard drive and remove any unwanted programs, such as spyware.
 * You purchased a computer without an operating system.

Pre-installation checklist
Before you begin the installation process, use this checklist to make sure that you are prepared:
 * You have the Windows XP CD.
 * You have the product key available. The product key is located on your Windows XP CD case and is required to install and activate Windows XP.
 * Your computer hardware is set up. At a minimum, you should connect your keyboard, mouse, monitor, and CD drive. If available, you should connect your computer to a wired network.
 * You have Windows XP drivers available. Drivers are software that Windows XP uses to communicate with your computer’s hardware. If you do not have drivers available, Windows XP may already include drivers for your hardware. If not, you should be able to download them from your hardware manufacturer’s website after you set up Windows XP.
 * If you are reinstalling Windows XP on an existing computer, you need a backup copy of your files and settings. The installation process will delete all of your files. You can use the File and Settings Transfer Wizard to store your files and settings on removable media and then restore them after installation is complete.

Installation process
Installing Windows XP can take up to two hours. To make the process more manageable, it has been broken up into several sections.

 To begin the installation To continue the installation To complete the installation
 * 1) Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer and restart your computer.
 * 2) If prompted to start from the CD, press Spacebar. If you miss the prompt (it only appears for a few seconds), restart your computer to try again.
 * 3) Windows XP Setup begins. During this portion of setup, your mouse will not work, so you must use the keyboard. On the Welcome to Setup  page, press Enter.
 * 4) On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement  page, read the licensing agreement. Press the Page Down key to scroll to the bottom of the agreement. Then press F8.
 * 5) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">This page enables you to select the hard disk drive on which Windows XP will be installed. Once you complete this step, all data on your hard disk drive will be removed and cannot be recovered. It is extremely important that you have a recent backup copy of your files before continuing. When you have a backup copy, press D, and then press L when prompted. This deletes your existing data.
 * 6) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Press Enter to select <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Unpartitioned space, which appears by default.
 * 7) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Press Enter again to select <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Format the partition using the NTFS file system, which appears by default.
 * 8) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Windows XP erases your hard disk drive using a process called formatting and then copies the setup files. You can leave your computer and return in 20 to 30 minutes.
 * 1) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Windows XP restarts and then continues with the installation process. From this point forward, you can use your mouse. Eventually, the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Regional and Language Options  page appears. Click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next  to accept the default settings. If you are multilingual or prefer a language other than English, you can change language settings after setup is complete.
 * 2) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Personalize Your Software  page, type your name and your organization name. Some programs use this information to automatically fill in your name when required. Then, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 3) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Your Product Key  page, type your product key as it appears on your Windows XP CD case. The product key is unique for every Windows XP installation. Then, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 4) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Computer Name and Administrator Password  page, in the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Computer name  box, type a name that uniquely identifies your computer in your house, such as FAMILYROOM or TOMS. You cannot use spaces or punctuation. If you connect your computer to a network, you will use this computer name to find shared files and printers. Type a strong password that you can remember in the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Administrator password  box, and then retype it in the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Confirm password box. Write the password down and store it in a secure place. Click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 5) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Date and Time Settings  page, set your computer’s clock. Then, click the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Time Zone  down arrow, and select your time zone. Click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 6) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Windows XP will spend about a minute configuring your computer. On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Networking Settings  page, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 7) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Workgroup or Computer Domain  page, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 1) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Windows XP will spend 20 or 30 minutes configuring your computer and will automatically restart when finished. When the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Display Settings  dialog appears, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">OK.
 * 2) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">When the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Monitor Settings  dialog box appears, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">OK.
 * 3) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">The final stage of setup begins. On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Welcome to Microsoft Windows  page, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 4) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Help protect your PC  page, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Help protect my PC by turning on Automatic Updates now . Then, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 5) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Windows XP will then check if you are connected to the Internet:


 * 1) *<p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:7px;line-height:20px;">If you are connected to the Internet, select the choice that describes your network connection on the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Will this computer connect to the Internet directly, or through a network?  page. If you’re not sure, accept the default selection, and click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 2) *<p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:7px;line-height:20px;">If you use dial-up Internet access, or if Windows XP cannot connect to the Internet, you can connect to the Internet after setup is complete. On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">How will this computer connect to the Internet?  page, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Skip.
 * 3) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Windows XP Setup displays the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Ready to activate Windows?  page. If you are connected to the Internet, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Yes, and then click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next . If you are not yet connected to the Internet, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">No , click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next , and then skip to step 24. After setup is complete, Windows XP will automatically remind you to activate and register your copy of Windows XP.
 * 4) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Ready to register with Microsoft?  page, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Yes, and then click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 5) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Collecting Registration Information  page, complete the form. Then, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 6) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Who will use this computer?  page, type the name of each person who will use the computer. You can use first names only, nicknames, or full names. Then click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Next.
 * 7) <p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">On the <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Thank you!  page, click <span class="ui" style="font-family:WOL_Bold,'SegoeUIBold','SegoeUI',Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;">Finish.

<p class="para" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:15px;line-height:20px;">Windows XP setup is complete. You can log on by clicking your name on the logon screen. If you’ve installed Windows XP on a new computer or new hard disk drive, you can now use the File and Settings Transfer Wizard to copy your important data to your computer or hard disk drive.