Installing Windows XP from a hard disk or flash drive. How to install Windows XP on a new hard drive Booting from a windows xp hard drive

Answers:

Yuri Alexandrovich Peisakhovich:
Of course, you can, if you download the entire distribution kit.

Shurovik:
Of course. If you have access to it (i.e. you can read the contents), go to the i386 folder of the installer and run winnt32.exe (from under Windows) or winnt.exe (under DOS).

Y. Lebedew:
Correction about DOS: for example, in the Volkov commander, open the I386 folder in the XP distribution kit written on the screw and type Winnt in the command line (adding an extension is absolutely not necessary - there is only one such file) and press Enter. Why in a team? Under DOS there is a restriction on viewing a certain number of files in one folder. For example, in the I386 folder under DOS, only 2698 files are visible, and for Windows 5479 (XP with SP1), but these are only files with the letter M. So, you cannot find Winnt.exe under DOS and run it with Enter. And also take into account what file system the hard drive is formatted under - FAT or NTFS. With the latter, you will have to use a program like NTFSdos to view it.

Sanchez:
The fact is that in XP sp2 Winnt is not observed at all. There are other file names, I tried everything - nothing came of it. What to do?

Lebedew:
Sanchez: At least SP2, at least SP1, at least without them at all - from DOS in the installation of XP, 2000, 2003, etc., the winnt.exe file will never be visible. "Not observed at all" :-))) - I wrote above why. First you need to read, and then ask the question to which the answer is given.

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Windows XP remains one of the most popular operating systems today. Users appreciate its reliability and ability to run on weak old hardware. The step-by-step installation of Windows XP is quick and easy. Below is a detailed description of it.

Preparing the computer for installing a new OS

The easiest way to install Windows XP is from the installation disc. If, instead of reading data from it, the system started loading the old OS or a black screen appeared that did not respond to button presses, then you just need to go into the BIOS and make the appropriate settings:

1. Open the section Advansed BIOS Features or BIOS / Boot Device Priority;
2. Select the First Boot Devise item;
3. In the list that opens, select the CDROM value or the name of your drive;
4. Save the result by pressing the F10 key and restart your PC.

Note that there are a lot of BIOS versions for laptops today, so the described steps in the case of installing the OS on a laptop may be somewhat different.

We go directly to the installation

The first window is a blue screen. It is at this stage that a step-by-step installation of the software for installing Windows XP on a SCSI (high-speed disk) or RAID array is performed. To do this, you need to press F6, after which the installation of the corresponding drivers will begin. But in most cases, users install the system on a regular hard disk, for which no intervention in the installation process is required at this stage, you just need to wait for the next welcome screen.

1. Install Windows XP. The standard choice in most cases is to install the system "from scratch" or restore the old one. A convenient graphical interface is used.
2. System recovery using the console. This is the choice of professional users and wizards - recovery is performed from the command line using DOS commands. In this case, a complete reinstallation of the system is not performed.

Then the system proceeds to search for previously installed OS versions. If any were found, the list will be displayed on this screen below, the menu will offer options for subsequent actions:

• restore old Windows XP;
• install a fresh copy of the OS.

In the first case, you will be able to use previously installed applications. Only system files will be replaced, and the installation will be complete. The second option involves a complete rearrangement of the system.

No list will appear not only if Windows XP is installed on an "empty" computer, but also if the previously installed system has a different edition or service pack.

The most crucial moment of installation

The next installation point is perhaps the most important, and it should be done thoughtfully and carefully. You will need to define the system partition and allocate disk space in such a way that the virtual disk allocated for the system has enough space for it to function.

Of course, both the system and your personal data can use the same partition equal to the entire hard disk space, but such an organization is guaranteed to create many problems in the future.

Divide the disk into partitions

If you are installing Windows XP on a completely new disk, then you will have to distribute the partitions yourself, since this step-by-step procedure has never been done before. The window that appears will indicate the size of the unallocated area - it will match the size of the entire hard disk.

Here you need to create a so-called. the system partition is the one where the OS will be installed. To do this, you need to specify its size in megabytes (1 GB is equal to 1024 MB) and press "Enter" on the keyboard. After that, you will again return to the window in which the partition of the hard disk is carried out. The created section will already be displayed on a separate line with the assignment of a Latin letter (usually C) to it.

You should not save on the size of the system partition - the stability of the system will depend on it. The minimum space for installing Windows XP is 20 GB, but it is better to allocate it not 20, but 40, or even all of 60 GB.

In a similar way, we create other sections for personal data from the remaining unallocated area, however, you should not get carried away with the quantity - in this case, large files and folders will be distributed less efficiently, and navigation through the sections will become more confusing.

Formatting the system partition

Next, you will need to select a partition for installing the system (in our case, drive C) and press the "Enter" key. A window will open prompting you to format the partition.
Choose fast formatting in NFTS system (FAT is obsolete). After completing the formatting, the process of installing the system files will start.
The most difficult stage of the installation has been completed.

By the way, if the disk that you partitioned is not formatted, then you can carry out this procedure with each of the created partitions for personal data even after the installation of Windows XP is completed using standard means.

If you are rearranging the system and the disk is already partitioned, then you just need to select the partition with the system to be reinstalled, format it and start the installation process. If you decide to format the rest of the sections, then all information on them will be lost.

Finishing installation

After the system files have been copied, the computer will restart and the installation will continue.

Determine the initial parameters:

Many users believe that installing operating systems on a computer is the prerogative of specialists. But is it really so? Learn to install and reinstall Windows XP yourself.

It is no secret that human-computer communication is carried out using the operating system installed on your PC. This is the primary and fundamental software component, without which it is impossible to imagine a modern computer. Unfortunately, like any other program, the operating system is imperfect, and over time, almost any user is faced with a violation of its normal functionality. This can be expressed in a significant increase in the computer boot time and opening applications, freezes during operation, the occurrence of various kinds of errors when performing certain actions, or even in a complete failure of the system. Such consequences can be caused by both incorrect actions of the user himself and the impact of various malicious programs that are abundant in the global Internet.

According to statistics, even if you carefully enough exploited your OS and reliably protected it from virus infections, after 3-4 years, 80% of users have significant reasons to reinstall the system. And if you still decide to do it yourself, without resorting to all kinds of paid technical services, this article is for you. In it, we will consider not just a complete installation of the WindowsXPSP3 operating system, but will try to disassemble all the main nuances that arise during the installation process. This approach will allow you not only to more flexibly configure the new OS already at the reinstallation stage, but also to avoid possible loss of important data.

Naturally, before starting the installation, you need to have an installation disc with the system. Moreover, this disk must be bootable, that is, the computer must be able to boot from it. As a rule, all original system disks or their images are bootable by default. In general, the installation of WindowsXP can be launched in two ways - directly from an already installed system or through booting from disk. The second method is preferable, but if your old system does not boot or you are installing on a new computer, then the only possible one.

In order for the computer to start booting from the installation disk, you may need to make simple settings in the BIOS. The point is that your optical drive should be the first in the list of boot devices, which is not always configured this way. To check this, you need to insert the Windows CD into the drive and restart the computer. If during the boot process you see the inscription: "Press any key to boot", then everything is in order and you can proceed with the installation. Otherwise, you need to go to the BIOS setup.

SETTING UP YOUR COMPUTER FOR DOWNLOADING FROM CD

When you turn on the computer, as a rule, a short message appears indicating the key with which you can enter the BIOS settings menu. Be careful, as this inscription disappears from the screen rather quickly, especially on laptops. If you cannot see it the first time, immediately reboot your computer using the Reset button and try again. At the start of the download, a large graphic image may appear on the screen, covering the service inscriptions on the screen. To remove it, press the Esc key.

A list of the most commonly used keys:

• Desktop computers - Del (almost always), F1
• Laptops - F1, F2, F3, Del, Ctrl + Alt + Esc. In the case of laptops, the keyboard shortcuts can be very different, depending on the model. You can find this information either via the Internet or by calling the technical support service.

Having found out the key responsible for calling the BIOS settings menu, restart the computer again and at the very beginning of the boot press it several times (just once is enough, but to precisely catch the right moment, repeated pressing will not hurt). If everything is done correctly, then the settings window should open.

As a rule, two types of BIOS are most common:

If your window looks like this, then here you need to select the section Advanced BIOS Features, and in it the paragraph First Boot Device assign the CDROM value. Then press the F10 key and select Yes in the dialog box that appears.

American Megatrends BIOS

Or if your window has a gray background, as in this screenshot, then select the section above Boot and in subsection BootDevicePriority in point 1stBootDevice set the name of your optical drive. Then press the F10 key and select Yes in the dialog box that appears.

For mobile devices (laptops), BIOS programs can be very different, and it is not possible to cite all their possible options within the framework of this article. In any case, you should find the item in the settings window, the name of which is associated with boot (Boot) and in it set the optical drive (CDROM) as the first device.

STARTING INSTALLATION

After turning on / restarting the computer, if any Windows operating system is already installed on your computer at that moment, then after some time on the screen you will see the inscription "Press any key to boot from CD" (Press any key to boot from CD) which you should do.

Be careful as you will only have 5 seconds to enter the system setup. If the loading of the current operating system has started, it means that the opportunity to start the installation was missed and the computer should be rebooted again for the next attempt.

The Windows XP Basic Software Installation screen will then appear, requiring your attention only if you plan to install on an array of hard drives (RAID) or a high-grade SCSI drive.

It is here that you should press the key to install additional drivers for these devices, guided by the messages on the bottom line of the screen. In most cases, no such intervention is required and you just need to wait for the welcome screen.

The welcome screen will prompt you:

• Install Windows XP. Select by pressing ENTER for a new installation or restoring a previous copy of Windows using a graphical interface.
• Recovering Windows using the Recovery Console. Should be chosen by advanced users for system recovery using DOS commands run from the command line. Allows you to fix minor system errors without going through the full installation procedure. Most often used to repair the file system boot sector and master boot record (MBR); spot copying, renaming or deleting folders and files of the operating system; creating and formatting partitions on disks. The Recovery Console is invoked with the R key.
• Exit. In case of refusal to install, press the F3 key.

We select the first item "Start installing Windows XP" (even if you are going to reinstall the system) by pressing ENTER, after which a window with a license agreement will appear, which must be accepted in order to continue the installation by pressing F8.

If any are found, then you will see a screen with a list of these systems and a menu in which it will be offered:

• Restore the found copy of Windows by pressing the R key. By selecting this item, you will have to go through the complete system installation procedure, during which all system files of the old copy will be replaced with new ones from the CD. All your data, settings and installed programs will be saved. Recovery helps in case of damage, deletion or replacement of infected files, Windows system files.
• Install a fresh copy of Windows by pressing the Esc key.

You will not see a window with a list of installed systems if you are installing the system on a new computer / hard drive, as well as if the previous copy of Windows has a different edition or service pack.

The next step in the installation is to allocate disk space for the operating system. This is a very important point and you should treat it carefully, and perform all actions very carefully.

HARD DISK DISTRIBUTION RULES

At this point, I would like to make a small digression and give some useful recommendations for partitioning a hard drive:

• Do not allocate all of your hard drive space to one single partition. This is considered bad form and can cause you a lot of trouble in the future.
• Modern hard drives have large enough storage capacities and therefore it is advisable to divide them into several thematic sections.
• It is recommended to set aside a separate section for the installation of the operating system and the necessary software and not to clog it with your personal data.
• You should choose the size of the system partition with a margin, given that for the correct operation of Windows, 15% of the space of this partition must remain free.
• Don't create too many sections. This will complicate navigation and reduce the efficiency of distributing large files and folders.

DEFINITION OF A SYSTEM SECTION

Now, let's get back to the installation. From this moment on, the installation can proceed in two ways:

Option 1: You have a new computer and the hard drive has never been allocated... In this case, you will see a window of the following plan:

The size of the unallocated area is the size of your hard disk and of course should not coincide with the one indicated in the screenshot. To proceed with the installation, you need to create a partition on the disk (system partition), into which the OS will be installed in the future, and specify its size. As a rule, for Windows XP and accompanying software, 40 - 60 GB is sufficient, but not less than 20 GB. Pressing the C key in the window that appears, enter the required size of the created partition.

The size must be specified in megabytes. Calculate it assuming 1 GB = 1024 MB. Thus, if you want to allocate 60 GB for the system partition, you must enter the number 61440 in the size field.

Pressing the ENTER key will return you to the hard disk partition window, where the created partition will be highlighted in a separate line indicating the assigned letter from the Latin alphabet (usually "C"), the file system - in our case, "new (unformatted)" and its size. Below there will be a line with the remaining unallocated area, which you can divide in exactly the same way into the number of sections you need. True, it is not at all necessary to do this here, since after installation it can be done using Windows tools.

After creating the system partition, select it using the arrows on your keyboard and press Enter, after which you will see the last dialog box in which you will be prompted to format it.

Feel free to choose the quick format option by pressing ENTER, since in the second case the physical surface of the disk is checked, which takes quite a long time, especially if the partition is large.

After selecting the file system, the installation of Windows will begin.

Option 2 - If the system was installed on your computer. Then your hard disk has already been allocated to logical areas, and you will see a window listing all the partitions found.

Attention! All further manipulations with the found partitions can lead to the loss of your data, so be very careful in your actions. If the current partition of the hard disk does not suit you, then you can delete the existing partitions in whole or in part by pressing the D key. Select the desired section using the up and down arrow keys. After deleting a partition, the area it occupied becomes unallocated, and all data on this logical disk is deleted. When you delete several sections, they turn into a single unallocated area, which you can later distribute as you wish. The principle of allocating an unallocated area of ​​a hard disk is described above.

After all the redistributions or if the existing structure of the hard disk suits you, you just have to select the desired partition in which you plan to install the system and press the ENTER key.

If to install the OS you have selected a pre-existing hard disk partition with existing data on it, you will be offered several options to choose from, how to proceed. Be careful, formatting a partition in any file system will result in the loss of the data in it! The FAT system is obsolete and it makes sense to format it only in NTFS (fast is preferable). Once you've made your selection, press Enter to begin formatting and copying system files.

If for some reason you still want to save the information in the section you have chosen, then you should select the item "Leave the current file system unchanged." In this case, all data on it will not be affected. Moreover, if it was in this section that the previous copy of Windows was installed (the most likely option), then the installer will warn you that the Windows folder already exists, offering to either overwrite the existing copy by clicking, or select a new folder for installation. Here, unambiguously click, since all the same, the old folder with the system will be renamed automatically and saved.

It should be noted that after such an installation, it is strongly recommended that you manually clean your system partition, namely, delete a large number of duplicate files. The fact is that the Windows installer will not only save the old copy of the system, but also all the files of the accounts that existed in it. Of this all the goodness for you, the folders "My Documents", "Favorites" and "Desktop" may be useful. Everything else will turn out to be useless garbage, taking up gigabytes of hard disk space. That is why it is preferable to take care of saving your data in advance, and install the new system in a clean, pre-formatted partition.

This is where the branches of the installer end, and the further installation proceeds linearly. After selecting a hard disk partition to install a new operating system, copying of the main Windows system files begins.

Upon completion of copying, the computer will restart, where you do not need to do anything, but only wait for the installer screen to appear with a graphical shell.

DETERMINING WINDOWS STARTING PARAMETERS

In this window, you can change the regional settings and the input language. By default, Russia and Russian are already set as the location. So there is no need to change anything unnecessarily, click "Next".

In the next window, you must enter your username (your name) and organization (optional). Click "Next".

To continue the installation in the key entry window, you must enter the serial number of the Windows license sticker.

In the window for setting the time and date, most likely, you will not have to change anything either, since the correct data will be entered automatically, and you just have to click on the "Next" button.

You will see the next two windows only if the WindowsXP distribution contains a driver for your network card.

You should not change anything here, leaving the "Common settings" option selected, however, the same as in the next one, where it is more expedient to choose the name of the workgroup / domain after installation.

After clicking the "Next" button, the final phase of the installation will begin, and you just have to wait for it to finish. After a few minutes, the computer will automatically restart, after which the first start of the new operating system will begin.

COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION

When Windows starts up, you will see a few more dialog boxes. The first of these will be "Screen Options", where you just need to click "OK".

After automatically adjusting the screen resolution, Windows will ask you to confirm them, which should be done by clicking "OK":

There is nothing to configure on the welcome screen, so just click Next:

The next step will be the ability to select the parameters for automatic Windows update, designed to regularly check via the Internet for all kinds of system security fixes, critical updates and service packs on the official technical support website. Enabling automatic updates is desirable, but optional at this stage, since you can perform more flexible configuration of this parameter after installation from the control panel.

If during the installation the network card drivers were installed, then you will see two more windows: the first - checks and settings of the Internet connection, which should be skipped, and the second - system registration, which is also better to postpone for later.

The last parameter that you will have to enter for the final boot of Windows will be the name of the user account under which you will work on the system.

At the end, you will see a window informing you that the installation of the operating system is complete.

A complete installation of Windows XP can take 15 to 35 minutes and depends on the power of your computer. Immediately after its completion, you should install all the necessary drivers for the installed devices, after which you can start installing the software.

As we said in previous articles, all information is stored on special areas of the hard drive called sections(or in partitions - from english partition). In order to install any OS and be able to fully work with the hard drive, these partitions must be created using special programs, one of which is Partition Magic. However, what can you do if you don't have the drive you need at hand? It doesn't matter, you can create sections straight from Windows XP... In this article, ABC PC will tell novice users how to create partitions in Windows XP, as well as change letters and labels of sections.

How to create an active hard disk partition

First of all, we need create an active hard disk partition to install the Windows XP operating system. To create it, you can do with the installer of the OS itself, so insert the Windows XP installation disc into the drive tray and start from it.

The Windows XP Preparation Wizard will copy the necessary settings and configurations to RAM, after which it will give you a list of available hard disk partitions:

The list below lists the available partitions on the disk and the available free areas for creating new partitions.

To install Windows XP in the highlighted section, click Input

To create a partition of the unallocated disk area, click C

To delete the highlighted section press D

So, if your hard drive has no partitions, you will see only one position Unaligned area in this list. To create a section, press the key C... In the next window, set the size of the hard disk partition to be created in kilobytes (1024 KB = 1 MB). After the size is set and the key is pressed Input, the installation wizard will ask you for the desired file system format for the hard disk partition. We choose NTFS and click Input.

The list of available sections now contains NTFS partition the size you specified and the remainder Unaligned area... Install Windows XP in the first partition.

How to create hard disk partitions in Windows XP

So, after installing Windows XP using the above method, your hard drive has only one NTFS partition. Let's look at how to create the rest of the hard drive partitions in Windows XP.

To do this, go to the menu Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management or right click on the icon My computer and select the item Control from the drop-down menu.

On the left side of the window that opens, select Disk management... The working area of ​​the window will open information about all hard disks of your PC and the partitions present, as well as information about the CD / DVD-ROM installed on the PC.

The status of the hard disk partitions is displayed as a diagram, the legend of which is explained at the bottom of the window.

So, unallocated area marked on the diagram with a black stripe and indicated as Unaligned area... To create a partition in Windows XP, click on the selected Unaligned area right-click and select the menu item Create section.

The first dialog box is informative, so after reading it, click Further... Choose Main section in the next window and click Further.

Main section allows you to create up to four partitions on your hard disk in a free area.

Additional section is a portion of a basic MBR (Master Boot Record) disk that can contain multiple logical disks.

In the next window, select the required size of the hard disk partition in kilobytes (1024 KB = 1 MB) and click Further.

In the next window, you can independently assign the desired partition letter from the list of available ones. Further.

The next window allows you to select filesystem type, cluster size and partition label... Choose NTFS, denote label, For example WORK Leave the default cluster size if you are a novice PC user. If necessary, check the box Quick format, this will save time.

Confirm the set settings with the button. Ready and wait for the operation to complete. You have created a hard disk partition, you can get to work.

How to change the drive letter of a hard drive or CD / DVD-ROM

If you installed Windows XP and created partitions in the above sequence, the Main partition changed to C :, the CD / DVD-ROM became D :, and the one created through the panel Disk management Windows XP partition is now E :. This may cause some confusion for novice PC users, so it is recommended to change the partition letters.

To do this, we go to the menu already familiar to us. Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management or right-click on the icon My computer and select the item Control from the drop-down menu.

Pay attention to the diagram that we have already described. Click on the CD / DVD-ROM icon and select the menu item Change drive letter... In the window that opens, press the button again Change and select the required letter.

We do the same with the sections, setting the letters in the accepted order - C, D, E, F, G, H, etc., indicating the last CD / DVD-ROM on the list. That is, if your hard drive is divided into two sections, their letters will be C and D, and the drive, respectively, will be E.

For such an installation, you need the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) and the unpacked Windows XP distribution on your hard disk (or have it on a flash drive).
We load from the WinPE flash drive, format the active partition C and then, from the command line, launch the Windows XP installation.
We will use the preinstallation environment, the original Windows XP distribution can be downloaded for free.
And so - by downloading from a USB flash drive SonyaPE sysadmin disk we open My computer.

Picture 1.

Here you see:
Hard drives
RAMDISK - Located in RAM.
Local disk (C) - the active first partition of the previous OS on which we will install the operating system.
Local disk (E) - on it you must place the unpacked distribution kit in advance.
Boot (X) - A mounted compressed system image, which is also located in RAM.
Removable media devices
SonyaPE (D) - the USB flash drive from which you loaded the "SonyaPE sysadmin disk", if the volume allows, you can also place the unpacked distribution kit on the USB flash drive.
CD drive (F)

Please note that Local Disk (E) is the disk that you go under the letter in the loaded Windows operating system D, - to exclude an error, check the size and content of the disc!
We format the Local Disk (C):
Hover the mouse cursor, press the right button → select Format in the drop-down menu ...
In the Format Local ... window that opens, select the NTFS file system, - you can select the Quick option (clear the table of contents). Once again, thinking if you have selected the right disk, press the button To begin!
The process is similar.
At the end of formatting, close the formatting window, My Computer.
Next clicking Start → Execute, - open the window Launching the program.

Figure 2.

If the unpacked distribution is on disk E in the WINXP folder, then on the command line we write: “ E:\ WINXP\ I386\ winnt32. exe / syspart: C / tempdrive: C».
If the unpacked distribution is on a USB flash drive (disk D) in the WINXP folder, then on the command line we write: “ D:\ WINXP\ I386\ winnt32. exe / syspart: C / tempdrive: C».
So as not to get confused, you can copy the command line into notepad in advance and place it next to the distribution folder for subsequent copying to the program launch window.
Press the button OK.

Figure 3.

The preparation for the installation of Windows XP starts. Do not be intimidated by the message: "Installation takes 60 to 90 minutes", even on a weak computer it will be much faster. Here, except for a new installation, you cannot select anything, - press the button Further.

Figure 4.

We accept the License Agreement, press the button Further.

Figure 5.

To proceed with the installation, you must enter the registration code for the copy of Windows in the window. The code can be printed on the CD itself, on its packaging, or in a file stored on disk (the source from which you copied the distribution to your hard disk). In case of an error when entering the code after pressing the button Further a message will appear: "You have entered the wrong serial number for the product." Enter the code and click Further …

Figure 6.

If you're not going to change the default file copy and install options, use visually impaired accessibility during installation, change the primary language and location, and install support for East Asian languages, click the button. Further.

Figure 7.

If you have on your hard disk C file system NTFS, it doesn't matter which option is enabled - press the button Further.

Figure 8.

Copying is in progress. The Windows XP Preinstallation Program copies the Installer installation files to the hard drive C computer from the distribution kit unpacked to the hard disk.
At the end of copying, a short time remains below the shown window of the Preparatory program for the installation of Windows XP,

Figure 9.

then it closes and you remain on the desktop loaded from a USB flash drive Sysadmin disk SonyaPE(Windows PE).

Figure 10.

We reboot the computer - it is necessary that subsequent downloads are made from the hard disk (see).
In the picture below

Figure 11.

for reference i am showing you which files were copied to disk C... If you have a disk C FAT32 then hidden folder SystemVolumeInformation will be absent. From these Files, the next boot of the computer will take place.
At the next reboot, the computer will boot from the hard disk C.

Figure 12.

We are waiting for the bootloader to start - and then everything looks like in the article: except for entering the registration code for a copy of Windows, as well as small differences associated with converting the file system, in case you have a disk C was formatted on the filesystem FAT32 and you enabled the "Yes, you should update the file system of the disk" option.
Good luck.