How Do I Install Windows XP?

Windows XP is one of the best operating systems from Microsoft. Realizing the popularity of it, Microsoft has permitted the use of XP mode even in the latest Windows 7. Installation procedure of Windows can differ as per the requirement. Someone may need to perform a clean install, or some may try to upgrade it. While some others may practice for a multiple boot operating.

Clean Installation

Before installing Windows ensure that your computer has the minimum hardware requirement for supporting Windows XP.

"As per recommendation you must have a computer equipped with a processor of minimum 233 MHz to 300 MHz or higher, minimum memory around 64 MB RAM2 to 128 MB RAM or higher, video adapter and monitor -Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution and Hard drive disk free space -1.5 GB or higher."

Note: Additional 1.8 GB in Service Pack 2 and additional 900 MB in Service Pack 3.

Follow the given steps to install Windows XP:

Step 1 - Load Windows XP CD in your DVD-ROM drive and restart the computer. Press any key when prompted as "Press any key to boot from CD".

Step 2 - Wait for the Windows Setup screen. You will get options as: New Windows install, Repair previous install, or quit. Press Enter key to start new Windows install.

Step 3 - Follow the on screen prompts to complete the installation process with the setup wizard.

Step 4 - Now, to create partition press "C." You are flexible to decide number of partition and size of each. Press Enter, once you have decided the size. You can decide the partition, where you want to locate operating system XP's file. Choose the file system as "NTFS", as permitted for Windows XP and complete the installation procedure with the help of on-screen prompts.

Upgrade to Windows XP

You can easily upgrade your present XP edition with the desired one. You have to follow the steps given above, except when asked for installation type select Upgrade (the default setting), and then click Next. Now, go on following the on-screen prompts and your Windows XP installation will be completed.

In case you are interested for multiple booting you should install each operating system on a different partition of your hard disk, otherwise you may suffer from software confliction issue.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3865823

Windows XP Setup Repeatedly Crashes

To install or upgrade to Windows XP, you need to have Windows XP installation CD or boot disk and product key. Windows XP setup runs through several steps for successful installation. But if it finds hard disk in corrupted state, it prompts errors and won't allow you to continue further. If hard disk is damaged, you might need to either reformat it or replace it. In such situations, it is required that you have an updated copy of significant data. However, if no backup is available or it exists in invalid state, you should use hard drive recovery software to recover it.

While trying to install or upgrade to Windows XP, you might observe following symptoms with its setup:

1. You encounter the similar error message while setup: "Setup is unable to perform the requested operation on the selected partition. This partition contains temporary Setup files that are required to complete the installation."

2. You try to format the HDD but it returns an error that the setup has performed some maintenance task on your drive and hence cannot continue

3. Your computer system freezes with CRC errors on screen.

Cause

Your drive is suffering from major physical or logical corruption issues. Windows XP setup shows aforementioned symptoms when it attempts to repair these errors.

Solution

You need to apply these methods in order to solve the existing issue:

1. You can continue running the Setup program and allow it to repair the HDD itself. You can try out running it several times.

2. If Setup cannot fix hard drive corruption, you should use Recovery Console to run chkdsk /r command logical disk corruptions, if any. Reformat the HDD if it could detect but cannot repair the drive and restore lost data from backup. Use hard drive recovery applications if you fail to restore from backup.

3. If chkdsk cannot detect the HDD, the drive is physically damaged. Replace the hard disk and restore lost data using backup. Contact hard drive recovery service professional for assistance in case of backup concerns to extract the data from physically crashed drive.

Stellar Information Systems Limited is the world-leading provider of advanced H drive recovery solutions and services. It provides Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery, which is a powerful data recovery tool for Windows 7 RC1, Vista, XP, 2003 and 2000-based systems. Stellar offers safe and confidential disk recovery service backed up with Class 100 Clean Rooms and ever-developing set of inventories and technology.

Source: EzineArticles

Windows XP to Windows 8

A majority of enterprises have migrated to Windows 7 or are planning to do so. But for Windows XP holdouts ready to side-step Windows 7 for the upcoming Windows 8 OS, you are risking a gap in support, stresses research firm Gartner in a new "first take" analysis of Windows 8 migration in the enterprise.

Gartner analysts Michael A. Silver, David W. Cearley, and Stephen Kleynhans acknowledge that for organizations running late with Windows 7 it is tempting to forego the OS altogether, but with support for Windows XP ending in April 2014, organizations would be cutting it close.

[ See InfoWorld's Windows 8 preview visual tour. | Galen Gruman outlines how Microsoft may finally be making Windows winners. | Get all the details you need on deploying and using Windows 7 in the InfoWorld editors' 21-page Windows 7 Deep Dive PDF special report. | Stay abreast of key Microsoft technologies in our Technology: Microsoft newsletter. ]

Microsoft has not announced a general release date for Windows 8, but Gartner believes the company may target back-to-school buyers in 2012 -- in which case, the RTM (release to manufacturing) of Windows 8 would likely start around April 2012, a date that would allow general availability by midyear 2012.

"Even if Microsoft meets that very aggressive timeline, independent software vendors and enterprises will likely need nine to 18 months to obtain and test supported applications and plan deployments," the Gartner report states. "That means that most organizations would not be able to start deploying Windows 8 until the end of 2013."

And five or six months after that, Windows XP goes off life support.

At its Build developer conference this month, Microsoft unveiled the Developer Preview version of Windows 8, revealing details about the Metro "tile-based" UI, the compatibility with Windows 7 applications, the ease of building Windows 8 apps, and the different devices and form factors that Windows 8 will run on.

Microsoft has focused more on what Windows 8 means for developers and consumers than it has for IT departments. But in an interview, Rich Reynolds, GM for Windows Commercial Marketing, emphasized Windows 8 enterprise security and networking improvements over the well-received Windows 7. And then there is the tablet factor. Windows 8 will run on all the hardware that Windows 7 runs on, plus it will utilize ARM-based chips to run on lower-powered devices like tablet PCs, a market now dominated by the iPad and one that will become more important to enterprises as employees increasingly depend on personal devices for work purposes.

Some examples of new or enhanced enterprise features in Windows 8, according to Microsoft's Reynolds: More efficient use of Direct Access, a networking feature in Windows 7 that lets mobile workers connect to corporate networks without the use of a VPN; BitLocker encryption is streamlined in Windows 8 so that only sectors of the hard drive that contain data will be encrypted and will do the task while you are working; in addition, Windows 8 will introduce a feature called Secure Boot, which prevents malware from booting up before the OS boots up.

How to Reset Windows XP

Windows XP is an operating system designed and released by Microsoft. Windows XP was the default operating system on PCs manufactured between 2001 and 2007 (the year Windows Vista was launched). Many individuals still operate their computers using Windows XP. Occasionally, these individuals may wish to reset Windows XP to its original factory settings as a way to clear out the hard drive and restore all default software, utilities and settings. Learn how to reset Windows XP to clean and restore your installation of the operating system.

Instructions:

1. Backup any computer data that you wish to save. Resetting Windows XP will completely wipe your hard drive and delete all files on your computer. You may backup your computer using blank CDs/DVDs, an external hard drive or an online backup service such as Mozy.com.

2. Insert the original Windows XP installation disk into the CD-ROM drive of your computer.

3. Click the Start menu button in the lower left-hand corner of Windows XP and select Restart to reboot your computer.

4. Press any key on your keyboard during the booting process to launch the Windows XP installation setup screen.

5. Choose Enter Setup on the setup screen. Do not click Repair. After selecting Enter Setup, press the Enter key on your keyboard.

6. Review the licensing terms provided by Microsoft to all users of the Windows XP operating system. Press the F8 key on your keyboard to confirm that you have read these terms and agree to them.

7. Wait for the Windows XP installation disk to scan your hard drive and locate your current Windows XP installation. Select the target hard drive partition in which you wish to reset and restore the Windows XP operating system. Typically, the default drive is the C:\\ partition.

8. Select the type of Windows file system that you wish to revert to from the setup screen. Click Enter after making your selection.

9. Press Enter on the next screen to prompt the setup software to begin the Windows XP reset process. Wait for the entire reinstall process to complete before closing the dialog box. Depending on the size of your hard drive and the speed of your computer processor, this process may take several hours.

10.Type your entire Windows XP registration code at the end of the installation process.

11.Enter the settings for the Windows XP reset, such as your time zone and name. This will erase any current settings in your old Windows XP installation.

12.Press any key to complete the installation and restart your PC.

Source: ehow

How to Fix Windows XP Errors

Windows XP has quickly become one of the most popular computer operating systems on the planet! But since there are many errors and problems that may occur in Windows XP, as there are stars in heaven...

So we will show how effectively redress under Windows XP!

One of the best features of Windows XP is built on the repair feature!

In previous versions of Windows, repairing an operating system error usually means reformat and reinstall the operating system, resulting in the loss of all your valuable data. The Windows XP repair feature will not delete your data, already installed programs, personal information or the configuration of Windows. It only repairs the operating system ...

Note: The system repair function of removing the updates you have previously installed that are not included on the CD. Any Windows drivers will also be returned to their original XP versions, as well as some settings (network configuration and performance can sometimes be restored to their default values). It may be necessary to reactivate your Windows XP as well. When finished, you'll have to download all updates from Microsoft Windows Update, because they are all replaced during the repair.

Why do you never want to reinstall Windows XP?

1. Cannot Start Windows XP in Safe Mode.

2. You have problems caused by a recent upgrade of the system installed (Windows Update, patch, Windows XP service pack or Microsoft Internet Explorer update).

3. Their problems are not dealt with the restoration of the system, or can not access system restore.

4. You have installed a new motherboard, or other major hardware changes and the need to reinstall Windows.

Of course, if you're trying to resolve errors and problems in Windows XP, and want to save yourself time and effort some MAJOR ...

Repair installation of Windows XP: Step by Step

1: Make sure there are no hardware problems known. Repair of Windows just to fix software problems. Hardware problems can also cause boot problems (ie bad hard disk, memory, CPU, or power supply).

2: Make sure you and your backup data. It is always a good idea to back up your important data before making changes to Windows XP. Do not worry, if you follow these instructions your data will be safe, so that when the windows xp repair has been completed.

3: Boot from the Windows XP CD. Insert your Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, and then restart the computer. When the "Press any key to boot from the CD" message appears on the screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

4: A blue screen appears and start loading the Windows XP installation from the CD.

Note: RAID / SCSI / It does not support UDMA users:

You are prompted to "press F6 to install any third party SCSI or RAID drivers." Most users will not have to press F6, but if you are running RAID, SCSI controllers UDMA or not, then you have to have your controller drivers on a floppy disk. If you're unsure if you have RAID / SCSI, then simply let the CDs load, without pressing F6.

When completed loading files, you'll be presented with the following "Windows Setup", and his first option. Select "To set up Windows XP now, press ENTER." DO NOT select the Recovery Console.

When presented with the end user license agreement screen. press the F8 key to continue.

Then, the installation of Windows are the installations of Windows XP. You will be asked to repair an existing XP installation, or install a fresh copy of Windows XP.

If they are not the facilities, then it is not given the option to repair. This can happen if the data or partition on your hard disk is too damaged.

Note: If you install a new copy, all data on the partition will be lost!

You are almost through! Windows XP will be seen as is the installation of himself for the first time, but it will keep and remember all data and settings. Just follow the instructions, and that your CD-KEY ready if needed.

WARNING: Due to the proliferation of Welchia, and other Blaster Worm / virus that are in line ... prevlanet be aware that a repair facility leave your system vulnerable. You can get infected in seconds.

Do not go on line until you have enabled the XP firewall first, and be sure and download and run the free and effective XoftSpySE Spyware Remover and blocker on your PC .. It is one of the best we've tested!

Source: EzineArticles

Amazing Features Of Windows XP Operating System

Windows XP was developed from its predecessor Windows 2000. It was the first commercial operating system from Microsoft which was designed to run on Windows Kernel and NT architecture. Since its release it has been hugely popular. Till 2006, 400 millions of copies were sold out. Though its avatar, Windows Vista was launched in 2006,Microsoft continued to deal in XP through system builders till 2009. Windows XP could be available through downgrading Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Pro, Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Business.

Editions Of Windows XP

Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional are the most popular editions of Windows XP. Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional were designed for home users and power users respectively. Windows XP Media Center Edition was launched with additional multimedia features improving the ability to record and watch TV shows, view DVD movies, and listen to music. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition was developed to run stylus applications built on the Tablet PC platform.

Architecture Of XP

The advanced features of Windows XP, i.e reliability, scalabilty, security and portability are attributed to its architecture. Windows' earlier avatars did not feature this type of architecture. The key design features of XP architecture are layered design, object oriented design,abstraction and client/server communication. Windows XP operate in two modes, namely- User mode and Kernel mode. User mode is the closest layer to the user which supports all application programs run by the user. Kernel mode, more closely related to the hardware, comprises hardware device drivers. Windows XP device drivers can run on all types of hardware. Kernel mode is also known as Hardware Abstraction Layer(HAL in short form).

User Interface Of Windows XP

Compared to its predecessor Windows 2000, Windows XP features more improved task based Graphical User Interface, which is described below.

1. The recently added programs are highlighted on the start menu.
2. The taskbar buttons of one Windows application are combined into one button.
3. Explorer window features task based side bars.
4. The taskbar and other tool bars could be locked to forestall accidental changes.
5. A blue triangle is featured in Explorer.
6. Desktop features drop shadows for icon labels.
7. Menus cast shadows.
8. DirectX 8.0 could be upgraded to DirectX 9.0c.
9. Start-up, logon, logoff, hibernation and application launch processes are much faster compared to Windows 2000.
10.User switching, which enables the user to save the current state and open applications of their desktop and allow another user to log on without losing that information, is faster.
11. If a driver upgrading does not work upto satisfaction, the new driver could be replaced by the older one.
12. Networking features like Windows Firewall, NAT traversal APIs, Internet Connection Sharing integration with UPnP, support for most DSL modems, peer to peer networking, network bridging, IPv6 and Teredo tunneling are implemented.
13. Component Object Model (COM in short form) is registration free.
14. Media features in Windows Media format are improved and Windows Media Center is introduced.
15. Kernel and power management is improved.
16. Security features like Credential Manager, Software Restriction Policies, Encrypting File System improvements and Data Execution Prevention are implemented.

Windows XP Troubleshooting

Like any other software Windows XP comes with many bug,undetected during the testing phase. In case the users face any problem while using it, online computer support should be sought. However Microsoft released many service packs to to fix the Windows XP bugs, reported from the field. The latest was Service Pack 3, which was released on 21st April,2008 and could be downloaded from Microsoft Download Center. In spite of that, many problems may still crop up, which could be resolved with the help of online PC support.

Source: EzineArticles

Gearing for XP's final days

With less than 1000 days before Microsoft stops supporting Windows XP, companies around the globe are accelerating their migration to Windows 7 progress.

With less than 1,000 days to go until Microsoft no longer supports Microsoft Windows XP, organisations across the globe are reporting they are accelerating their migration to modern desktops powered by Windows 7. In addition, the high level of awareness among these organisations of desktop virtualisation’s potential to simplify the move to a new operating system such as Windows 7 is driving their decision to invest.

These are some of the key findings of a commissioned study* conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dimension Data on the desktop virtualisation market. Of the 546 organisations that were surveyed, close to half (46%) said that they had begun ‘aggressive efforts’ to migrate to Windows 7, with a further 17% planning to deploy within the next year.

While 13% of companies said they had completed their enterprise-wide migrations, 51% of IT managers surveyed said they have linked their Windows 7 migrations to their organisation’s PC refresh cycle. Around 21% of enterprises are prioritising desktop and application virtualisation over their Windows 7 upgrade, and 29% are deliberately overlapping their investments in Windows 7 and desktop virtualisation.

Bradley Bunch, General Manager for Microsoft Solutions, Dimension Data Middle East and Africa, says organisations that haven’t initiated plans to migrate to Windows 7 are under increasing pressure to beat the Windows XP end-of-support deadline.

“Of somewhat greater concern is the fact that independent software vendors (ISVs) will soon discontinue developing applications for Windows XP, while hardware vendors support drivers other than those designed for XP,” he says.

Of those organisations surveyed, 22% said they do not have a Windows 7 deployment plan in place, and another 13% are uncertain how long their deployments will take. Most of the respondents confirmed that they still support a large population of Windows XP and Vista users (47.3% and 9.1% respectively) compared to 31% of users already on Windows 7.

With the use of desktop virtualisation predicted to grow significantly in the next two years, Bunch believes Windows 7 is an ideal opportunity for organisations to implement a next-generation desktop that is more secure and streamlined to deliver end-users with the functionality, interface and access they desire.

“With the proliferation of devices comes the increasing cost of running and supporting multiple devices, which drives the move to application virtualisation. Before defining their future desktop roadmaps, organisations must also understand their business drivers, workforce demands, and the state of their application ecosystem,” Bunch says.

While the research indicates that the major drivers behind desktop virtualisation are cost reduction and security, 47% of participants said they recognised that applications virtualisation will help them migrate to Windows 7.

“To reduce complexity, organisations would be advised to tie virtualisation investments into their Windows 7 migration plan,” he says.

source : gadget.co.za