Straight forward instructions for the user with the Windows XP CD. These work for both Windows XP HOME and Windows XP Professonal.
Occassionally it is good for the consumer to have someone reinstall the Windows operating system for them to help remove all those nasty bugs that tend to crop up. The windows user should follow the instructions below...
Instructions
* STEP 1: This section explains how to reformat a drive from the Windows XP installation CD. This can be used when installing a fresh copy of Windows onto a computer. Here it is especially important to backup all of your important information because upon formatting you will lose EVERYTHING that used to be on the drive. This includes all applications and device drivers, so you must backup everything you can.
* STEP 2: Insert your Windows XP installation disc into your CD drive (Home or Pro it does not matter).
* STEP 3: Restart your computer. On the first screen that comes up as your computer starts it should say at the bottom a key that you can press to change the Boot Sequence (may also be called Boot Device or Boot Order), press whatever key is specified. If your computer does not give you the option to change the boot sequence directly from the startup screen you will need to enter your BIOS Setup by pressing whichever key your computer specifies for Setup, and then from the BIOS setup you need to change your boot order so that the CD drive is before Hard Disks. If all you see right when your computer starts up is a splash screen with the computer manufactuer's name press the 'Esc' key to display which keys to press for boot sequence or BIOS setup.
* STEP 4: Now as you computer boots a little more it will say “Press any key to boot from CD..” press a key to do so.
* STEP 5: The CD will load up a blue screen and then spend a while loading files it needs. When it is finished it will list a few options mainly “Press ENTER to set up Windows XP,” press Enter or Return.
* STEP 6: Now you will be at a screen to select where to install Windows to, this is where you can delete old partitions and format drives. The box in the bottom half of the screen shows all your drives and the partitions that exist on them. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to highlight your “C:” partition and press the 'D' key (if all that shows up is “Unpartitioned space” and you have no C: or D: partitions skip this step). On the next screen press the 'L' key to finalize deleting the partition.
* STEP 7: Now you are back on the screen to choose where to install Windows. The box on the lower half of the screen should no longer show a partition but simply have an entry “Unpartitioned space xxxxxMB.” Select this with the arrow keys and press the 'C' key to create a partition on the drive. The next screen tells you the minimum and maximum sizes the partition can be and lets you pick the size. The default size is the maximum, but double check that the number entered is the maximum and hit enter.
* STEP 8: Now you will again be back at the choose where to install Windows screen only this time you will have a partition that looks something like this “C: Partition1 [New (Raw)] xxxxxxMB.” Highlight this entry and press enter.
* STEP 9: The next screen lets you choose which filesystem to format the drive with. If your computer will be sharing files over a network with a Windows ME, 98, or 95 computer select “FAT32” otherwise choose NTFS as it is faster and more secure. If the drive is brand new and has never been used before then use one of the options that ends in “(Quick)” otherwise choose one of the lower down options. Use the arrow keys to select the proper one and press Enter or Return.
* STEP 10: From here you are all set and the installation of Windows will proceed starting with a format of your drive. This will take a while (over half an hour) so you can go take a little break.
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Showing posts with label build your own. Show all posts
Showing posts with label build your own. Show all posts
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Future Proof your Computer
Technology is constantly changing. You can go down to your local computer store and purchase a brand new computer. Within a week to three months your brand new computer will be worth at least half of what you paid for it. Not to mention, it will be old and outdated. So stop buying computers and start building! Building your own computer will give you the ‘know-how’ on how to future proof your computer. Most of the best future proofing hardware and software is not sold to retailers.
Keeping your computer up to date can be an uphill battle; especially if you purchase one from a local retailer. It is these retailers that are the culprits in why your computer is outdated shortly after you bring it home. They sacrifice flexibility and customization for a trade off of cheap parts and cheap prices. While it may seem like great savings, the only thing you’re saving on is the trouble of purchasing and putting one together yourself. Building your own computer is actually rather easy.
There are many places over the net that go into great detail on how to do it. All the documentation you get from each piece of hardware will give you plenty of documentation to assemble it successfully.
In order to future proof your computer, you have to get familiar with the new and upcoming technologies. As of now there are several things that are changing the way computers operate. The first and foremost is the new version of Microsoft Windows is about to be release, sometime in December. The new operating system offers two different types of ‘run modes’. The first is for people that do not have a suitable computer but still wish to use the new version. You will not see the additions or benefits from it if you computer isn’t equipped to run it the way it is meant to be run. One of the major things it will require is a graphics card that is capable of rendering DirectX 9 or higher.
Most store bought computers come with on-board graphics, which is barely good enough to play WinMine. The new operating system is going to be so graphics intense that you will undoubtedly have to update your graphics card. If you open up your computer case you may or may not see a slot to add a graphics card. If you do, good luck finding one good enough for the new operating system that will fit in it. Since many retailers skimp on almost all parts of the system, you may not have the room or capability to upgrade.
Let’s face it, technology changes so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up with. In fact, it would be ridiculous to even attempt to do so with your computer.
But simply because we can’t all afford to have the most up to date equipment, doesn’t mean we have to be stuck with an outdated piece of machinery. The key to all upgrading flexibility is the motherboard. If you motherboard is capable of supporting the current newest technology then you should be fine, even if you decide
not to buy into the newer technology at this time. All motherboards are made with an ideal CPU in mind. They CPU’s are placed in sockets on the motherboard.
Thankfully, CPU technology has slowed way down over the past few years. CPU manufacturers are utilizing the same socket for a longer period of time. In today’s current state, when a new CPU is released that requires a new socket type, you are usually good for at least 3 months. New CPU will come out but 9 times out of 10, for at least 3 months they will stick to using the new socket type before changing it. Keep this in mind while shopping for motherboards.
The socket type is not the only thing to take into consideration when choosing a motherboard. You also have to be concerned about what type of PCI lanes it has.
To father future proof your computer you will want a motherboard that supports PCI or PCI-Express graphics cards. AGP graphics cards used to be the going norm but are quickly being phased out. But I wouldn’t doubt it if the $400 computer you can buy at Wal-Mart sells computers that still support only the AGP graphics cards. So before you buy, ask!
The last and most important thing you need to look at is the type of RAM the motherboard will support. RAM has gone though some recent changes. The common type, known as DDR, is going to be replaced by better RAM; DDR2. It’s faster and operates smoother. Once again, before you buy, ask!
Keeping ahead of technology is a loosing battle. But by following the above guidelines and staying in touch with technology changes, your computer can last you a lot longer. You can extend the life of your computer by at least 3-6 months before ever having to worry about getting upgrades. So keep these things in mind before you buy!
Keeping your computer up to date can be an uphill battle; especially if you purchase one from a local retailer. It is these retailers that are the culprits in why your computer is outdated shortly after you bring it home. They sacrifice flexibility and customization for a trade off of cheap parts and cheap prices. While it may seem like great savings, the only thing you’re saving on is the trouble of purchasing and putting one together yourself. Building your own computer is actually rather easy.
There are many places over the net that go into great detail on how to do it. All the documentation you get from each piece of hardware will give you plenty of documentation to assemble it successfully.
In order to future proof your computer, you have to get familiar with the new and upcoming technologies. As of now there are several things that are changing the way computers operate. The first and foremost is the new version of Microsoft Windows is about to be release, sometime in December. The new operating system offers two different types of ‘run modes’. The first is for people that do not have a suitable computer but still wish to use the new version. You will not see the additions or benefits from it if you computer isn’t equipped to run it the way it is meant to be run. One of the major things it will require is a graphics card that is capable of rendering DirectX 9 or higher.
Most store bought computers come with on-board graphics, which is barely good enough to play WinMine. The new operating system is going to be so graphics intense that you will undoubtedly have to update your graphics card. If you open up your computer case you may or may not see a slot to add a graphics card. If you do, good luck finding one good enough for the new operating system that will fit in it. Since many retailers skimp on almost all parts of the system, you may not have the room or capability to upgrade.
Let’s face it, technology changes so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up with. In fact, it would be ridiculous to even attempt to do so with your computer.
But simply because we can’t all afford to have the most up to date equipment, doesn’t mean we have to be stuck with an outdated piece of machinery. The key to all upgrading flexibility is the motherboard. If you motherboard is capable of supporting the current newest technology then you should be fine, even if you decide
not to buy into the newer technology at this time. All motherboards are made with an ideal CPU in mind. They CPU’s are placed in sockets on the motherboard.
Thankfully, CPU technology has slowed way down over the past few years. CPU manufacturers are utilizing the same socket for a longer period of time. In today’s current state, when a new CPU is released that requires a new socket type, you are usually good for at least 3 months. New CPU will come out but 9 times out of 10, for at least 3 months they will stick to using the new socket type before changing it. Keep this in mind while shopping for motherboards.
The socket type is not the only thing to take into consideration when choosing a motherboard. You also have to be concerned about what type of PCI lanes it has.
To father future proof your computer you will want a motherboard that supports PCI or PCI-Express graphics cards. AGP graphics cards used to be the going norm but are quickly being phased out. But I wouldn’t doubt it if the $400 computer you can buy at Wal-Mart sells computers that still support only the AGP graphics cards. So before you buy, ask!
The last and most important thing you need to look at is the type of RAM the motherboard will support. RAM has gone though some recent changes. The common type, known as DDR, is going to be replaced by better RAM; DDR2. It’s faster and operates smoother. Once again, before you buy, ask!
Keeping ahead of technology is a loosing battle. But by following the above guidelines and staying in touch with technology changes, your computer can last you a lot longer. You can extend the life of your computer by at least 3-6 months before ever having to worry about getting upgrades. So keep these things in mind before you buy!
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