Posted on 12/23/2005 1:58:08 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
So you 've got yourself some new hardware and you're ready to roll huh? Or maybe years of surfing the net and adding odd software have finally taken their toll and you need to reinstall to get some stability and performance back? This guide covers how to install or reinstall Windows, with complete step by step advice covering pre-installation, BIOS, partitioning, formatting, installing and post-installation chores.
*********************************
Getting ready to install or reinstall Windows
These instructions are applicable for all VIA chipset motherboards. All the screenshots are taken from an install of Windows XP but if you were installing an older version or Windows XP x64, the information would still be relevant and almost certainly detailed enough to assist with those operating systems also. Not much has changed with installing Windows over the years.
Please read the instructions first BEFORE you begin.
Before you do the installation or reinstall, visit the web site of your peripheral manufacturers and make sure you have the latest drivers as well as any VIA drivers you need. VIA drivers can be found here. If you are not sure what drivers you need, read over this article.
Back up anything you want on your hard drive. (You might back up by transferring files to a secondary hard drive, another PC or burning files to CD or DVD or copying files to a USB hard drive).
I would also recommend that you visit your motherboard manufacturer's web site to make sure you have the most up to date BIOS or the BIOS most appropriate for your system set up. If you are not sure what motherboard make and model you have, read over this article.
Take out all devices except the video card, processor, memory, CD-rom and primary hard drive. (That is remove or unplug any audio cards, SSCI drives, secondary hard drives, secondary ROM drives, printers/scanners etc).
***************************************************
See link for the rest of the article....
I want the Southern Version of Windows. It starts off with dueling banjos. :) Merry Christmas!
ROFL!
OK!
He said that the major trouble he is aware of with Adobe Reader is having old pieces of earlier versions still on the computer and that they need to be removed.
And a fresh new copy with all related driver code to be reinstalled....and the best way to do that is to totally clean off the HDD and reinstall Windows and all the software....
Thanks, Ernest!
Merry Christmas!
Good article ... thanks!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your's....especially Brad!!
LOL!
After a lot of very painful experince as an engineer type, old age and a modicum of wisdom have lead to the rule: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This is contrasted to a lot of earlier experience which was "keep fixing and tweaking it until it breaks". :-)
On all of my machines (6 laptops and 3 desktops) I partition the hard drive into what will be a small, bootable partition and a large drive D:
Then I load all my install software on the D: drive.
I have my mail folder and relevant saved items on the D: drive
Then I install onto the C: drive
As time goes on, if I suspect C: is somehow corrupted, I can format C: and reinstall virtually everything I had in about an hour.
But I admit I'n using ME, not WIN2K or XP. Both of those are far too NT like for my taste. And ME is a very reliable, lean and mean OS if you have the right drivers and don't do anything real goofy.
I haven't seen BSOD since I was running 98.
I used to sell & install a lot of windows.. Then I wore out my blue suede shoes and the business went belly up.
Then add another partiton and after installing Windows, install Xandros (Linux) and use that for Websurfing...
Merry Christmas from Brad, to you! Yes, he remembered you!
Fine!
I'm gettin' smacked on the shoulder....here.
Merry Cupcake and a Happy New Cheese from Brad. (don't ask)
(just don't ask) :)
If you really want your Windows to open with "Dueling Banjos," or any other song, ask me and I will tell you how it is done. Typing the instructions will only be worth it if you really want your PC to open with your favorite song. Mine opens with a 30 second clip of "In the Mood."
Just install the darn XP and if there is trouble put your old Windows 2000 or 3.1 back on.
Always remember to brush your teeth and to F-Disk!
BTDT.
One of my machines, I installed ME. Then I installed WIN2K on top, and when it booted, it asked me which one I wanted. Then I installed RH9, and when it boots, it asks me what to start. So I can run any of the three on the same machine depending on the boot sequence.
Linux seems reliable and stable, but is difficult to work with due to the command structure. Just typing in a simple command, and you need an encyclopedia to figure out all the options. I wish it was more DOS-like.
Also, the device driver support in Linux is lacking. You have to give Gates credit, they have done a pretty good job of making the OS support a wide variety of devices and configurations.
I tried the small system partition, large data partition theory, but gave it up. User profiles get really large especially with multiple users with digital cameras, the offile file cache can't be relocated (at least I can't figure out how) and the default location for nearly any software install is c:\program files\. I love the theory (especially being able to reimage just the system partition), but found it too hard to maintain.
offile=offline spellcheck is my friend.
Saving for the struggle ahead...
But I'm the only user, so it works for me! Plus I have all file sharing turned off, so if I network, I don't need to worry about that.
Best wishes for the holidays ahead.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.