Installing Windows XP on a fresh format/new hard drive?

aolforbroadband · July 3rd, 2005, 01:24

I'm not exactly sure how to go about installing Windows XP directly from the CD onto a fresh format. I normally just installed Windows 98SE and upgraded from there. The reason for that is, because everytime I tried to run "setup" from DOS from the Windows XP Pro CD, it said "cannot be run in DOS mode."

Anyone know how to install Windows XP Pro directly onto a fresh format/new hard drive? I'd rather not have to go through with installing Windows 98SE again and again. Plus, since the computer I'm going to build my friend is so new, I'd rather just install Windows XP onto the new 250GB hard drive.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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N1ghtw0lf · July 3rd, 2005, 01:29

put the disk in before you start up, make sure your bios have your cd drive loading before your harddrive. Setup should be pretty self-explanatory from there. Or go through windows98 and hit "fresh install" not upgrade and it will take you to the same setup i believe.

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aolforbroadband · July 3rd, 2005, 01:46

Did you...err..."pay" for your copy of Windows XP?(Just wondering, I'm not implying anything!)...

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N1ghtw0lf · July 3rd, 2005, 02:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by SzL

Did you...err..."pay" for your copy of Windows XP?(Just wondering, I'm not implying anything!)...

yea, bought it on newegg with the rest of my computer. And i've done it 200 times in networking class with windows 2000 server, most Windows OS's install the same way. Did you?

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CD · July 3rd, 2005, 02:38

I didn't.

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Player-X · July 3rd, 2005, 03:12

bought 2 coppies for 2 computers

Vanit · July 3rd, 2005, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by N1ghtw0lf

put the disk in before you start up, make sure your bios have your cd drive loading before your harddrive. Setup should be pretty self-explanatory from there. Or go through windows98 and hit "fresh install" not upgrade and it will take you to the same setup i believe.

They said without going through Win98.

To do that, as someone said before, simply insert the disc as the computers starting so it loads the installation menu. You then make the petition and instal it.

Also, some nifty advise, make 2 petitions. A 10gb one for WinXP and the rest of your drive for your files. This way if you have to reinstall windows again you don't have to touch your files! Clever ey?

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**Snake785** · July 3rd, 2005, 15:29

Your Windows XP CD SHOULD be bootable. If not (ie. if you can't boot off the CD for whatever reason), you can still run setup from DOS. You don't run the Setup.exe in the root dir of the CD (which I'm assuming you did). Instead, you run winnt.exe from the I386 dir on the CD. Then it'll just start the installation.

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Aided Onslaught · July 3rd, 2005, 15:38

bam snake got it right, but I only ever encountered one disk that never booted for me. Anyhow when it setups windows XP it will ask for a previous disk if it's an upgrade (onless it could tell you had one installed before) if it's a full copy then this won't matter at all. System should run much nicer from just doing the clean install like this.

RZetlin · July 3rd, 2005, 15:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by SzL

I'm not exactly sure how to go about installing Windows XP directly from the CD onto a fresh format. I normally just installed Windows 98SE and upgraded from there. The reason for that is, because everytime I tried to run "setup" from DOS from the Windows XP Pro CD, it said "cannot be run in DOS mode."

That setup program is meant to run in Windows 9x for upgrades.

If your CD drive works just pop in the Windows XP CD before your PC boots up.

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July 3rd, 2005, 01:24	#1
aolforbroadband Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Washington D.C. Area Posts: 1,839	Installing Windows XP on a fresh format/new hard drive? I'm not exactly sure how to go about installing Windows XP directly from the CD onto a fresh format. I normally just installed Windows 98SE and upgraded from there. The reason for that is, because everytime I tried to run "setup" from DOS from the Windows XP Pro CD, it said "cannot be run in DOS mode." Anyone know how to install Windows XP Pro directly onto a fresh format/new hard drive? I'd rather not have to go through with installing Windows 98SE again and again. Plus, since the computer I'm going to build my friend is so new, I'd rather just install Windows XP onto the new 250GB hard drive. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! __________________ Core 2 Duo E6600 \| 2GB Corsair XMS2 \| eVGA 8800GT AKIMBO 500GB Seagate 7200.11 \| Antec Sonata II \| OCZ Modxstream Pro 500w Acer 23" Widescreen LCD \| Logitech G5 Mouse

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July 3rd, 2005, 01:29	#2
N1ghtw0lf Crasher of Castles Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Missouri Posts: 7,010	put the disk in before you start up, make sure your bios have your cd drive loading before your harddrive. Setup should be pretty self-explanatory from there. Or go through windows98 and hit "fresh install" not upgrade and it will take you to the same setup i believe. __________________

July 3rd, 2005, 01:46	#3
aolforbroadband Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Washington D.C. Area Posts: 1,839	Did you...err..."pay" for your copy of Windows XP?(Just wondering, I'm not implying anything!)... __________________ Core 2 Duo E6600 \| 2GB Corsair XMS2 \| eVGA 8800GT AKIMBO 500GB Seagate 7200.11 \| Antec Sonata II \| OCZ Modxstream Pro 500w Acer 23" Widescreen LCD \| Logitech G5 Mouse

July 3rd, 2005, 02:38	#5
CD Gunslinger Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Mid-World Posts: 965	I didn't. __________________ The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed...

July 3rd, 2005, 03:12	#6
Player-X Banned Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: From Kuching in Malaysia now stuck in Houston Texas Posts: 9,111	bought 2 coppies for 2 computers

July 3rd, 2005, 15:29	#8
Snake785 Prepare for Descent... Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 2,619	Your Windows XP CD SHOULD be bootable. If not (ie. if you can't boot off the CD for whatever reason), you can still run setup from DOS. You don't run the Setup.exe in the root dir of the CD (which I'm assuming you did). Instead, you run winnt.exe from the I386 dir on the CD. Then it'll just start the installation. __________________ My Computer specs: Pentium 4 2.6Ghz 512 MB of RAM Geforce FX 5700 128 MB Windows XP SP1 Click here for Flaretech.Biz Web Hosting

July 3rd, 2005, 15:38	#9
Aided Onslaught Ocean Soul Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Charleston, S.C. Posts: 1,420	bam snake got it right, but I only ever encountered one disk that never booted for me. Anyhow when it setups windows XP it will ask for a previous disk if it's an upgrade (onless it could tell you had one installed before) if it's a full copy then this won't matter at all. System should run much nicer from just doing the clean install like this.