How to install Win XP on a brand-new HD ?

[Guest_imported]

I just replaced a defective HD (which had Win 98 SE on it ) and wish now to install Win XP as the only OS on the new disk. Please advise on the following points :

1) Can I use Win 98 SE start-up disk to partition and format the new HD ?
2) How can I then install Win XP from scratch ( i.e. without any other OS previously installed ) ?

 

[mikecx]

1) I wouldn't. Windows 98se uses the FAT Filesystem. Windows Xp can use either FAT or NTFS. I suggest using NTFS. By just inserting the cd and telling your bios to boot from cd, pressing the "any key" when it asks, and following instructions it will do the partitioning for you.

@) Like I stated above, just pop in the cd and set your bios to boot from cd. Wait till the screen says press any key to boot from cd.

 

[Guest_imported]

Thanks , Mikecx, for your kind advice.

If the boot CD option is not available, can I still format the HD in FAT 32 then install Win XP from DOS ( i.e. load the Win XP CD then run setup.exe ) ?

 

[mikecx]

Unfortunatly not. WindowsXP will not allow the setup.exe to be run from DOS. Although if you cannot boot from cd there are a set of XP bootdisks on Microsoft.com that can boot into XP for ya. Kinda stinks that they take 4 floppy disks but if your computer wont let you boot from cd it's the only way. As for formatting in fat32 before you run the setup it's really only a waste of time. Windows XP will ask you the partiton where you want xp. Then it will asp if you want 1) Ntfs (quick) 2) Ntfs 3) Fat32 (quick) 4) Fat32 . Unless you have some reason not to, i suggest NTFS.

 

[FatFingerTony]

I just installed Windows XP Pro last night using a standard Win98 boot disk and it worked great. I booted from the floppy with CD-Rom support, partitioned the hard drive (reboot after) and formatted it (FAT32) then I accessed the WinXP CD and under the I386 directory run WINNT.EXE and that will begin the installation. Make sure that you are running SMARTDRV from the boot floppy the install will take forever.
As far as FAT vs. NTFS, it's my opinion that unless you need the extra security or are running a Win2000 domain, FAT is better. Its faster, has a smaller cluster footprint and had less overhead than NTFS. Yes, there's less security with FAT, but security is a myth with any Microsoft OS. I have tools that can crack a Admin password or just give me full access to a NTFS partition for coping/deleting files in NT/2000/XP.
P.S. If you really want NTFS, during the WinXP install, it will ask to if you want to convert FAT to NTFS, no reformatting necessary.

 

[mikecx]

FatFingerTony,
Thanks for the info on using a standard 98 boot disk. I'll have to add it to the list of things i've been wrong on . No, but really thanks, it will help me out. I usually suggest NTFS but then again I work at a place where security is an issue and any small thing done helps. As for formatting with the bootdisk, i'm still wondering why you'd want to use the bootdisk to format. It's just as easy to let the XP do the formatting for you.

 

[FatFingerTony]

mikecx,
You're not wrong. You're very correct that it won't let you run setup.exe under DOS. The way I install XP is a little sneaky, going right to winnt.exe.
As far as formatting from the floppy, old habits I guess. XP will let you partition and format right from the install, in either NTFS or FAT, but I'm an old DOS idiot that feels more confortable doing it with my floppies. The less WinXP has to worry about when installing, the happier I am.

 

[mikecx]

Thanks FatFingerTony I guess i just get really sick of running fdisk and format as it's basically my job description. Less I have to see it the better Im guessing the same trick for winnt.exe works for 2k then also?

 

[FatFingerTony]

Yes, it works for win2000 and with WinNT 4, but with WinNT you need a /b switch (winnt.exe /b) to suppress it's urge to create a boot disk set.

Here's a cute little trick I do with Ghost to quickly setup hard drives. The only time I to a full format is when I suspect HD corruption (like last night)
1)Partition a hard drive with the smallest partition you can make (I told fdisk 1MB, but it defaulted to 7MB) and format it.
2) Create a Ghost image of that small partition (my ghost file was 211k, both the image and ghost.exe can fit on a floppy).
3) Now create a batch file with the following switches (these are for ghost 7.5)
ghost.exe -clone,mode=load,src=nameofghostfilehere.gho,dst=1,szeF -f32 -fis -auto -sure -rb

This will drop the ghost file down, then expand the hard drive to it's full capacity using FAT32, all in about 10-20 seconds. The -rb at the end reboots when done. It does make life easier if you have to setup a lot of pcs.

 

[mikecx]

Could you make a zip of the files needed for a floppy to do that! I would really appreciate it. If you could, please send it to careym@timken.com. Would it be possible to make the disk do everything automatic? Aka pop the disk in, turn the computer on, 10-20secs later it prompts for removal of disk and reboot?

 

[XPisfree]

XP formats the disk perfectly for you, coz its their own slightly different type of proprietary NTFS. and I let them after 2-3 system crashes from pre-formatting myself. XP NTFS is (intentionally) not the same as, say, PQMagic's NTFS and the install be rejected or can degrade/ fail with no remedy months later without warning! There is a hidden 8MB partition made by MS-XP in front of the boot partition. If the partition is at the back of the disk, the 8MB is often placed behind the partition! This makes any install horribly unstable.. This is where the SCLUID codes and data/hardw. tracking reg's are laid. Its purely for their own proprietary benefit. If you independently format the partition leaving only 0-6MB of pre-disk space the install initially will be requested for re-format, or worse! it can be successful only to lose the system/data later with an error something like "bootsector is corrupt or NTFS bootsector is compressed". Let XP format the partition and then look at it in PQMagic to see the 8MB partition. Its in RAW format but really NTFS. Easy Recovery Pro is 100% perfect for reading the contents of the sector if you want the SCUID's and codes...

 

[FatFingerTony]

Yes, if you are going to use NTFS, make sure XP does the formatting/converting for you, if not, XP won't like it one bit. Great info, thanks XPisfree.

Mikecx, check your email ;-)

 

[Guest_imported]

Thanks, mikecx,FatFingerTony and XPisfree for the wealth of valuable infos on WinXP installation problems. It's most appreciated for newbies like myself !

Best regards,