Quick overview:
Imagine this: You have Windows 98/Me/2000 and would also like to use Windows XP, but are reluctant to give up your old Windows, which has worked well up to now. So what could be better than setting up both operating systems on one computer? Nothing, because Windows XP supports starting two operating systems and creates a so-called dual boot menu, which prompts you to select the operating systems every time you start your PC.
However, it is highly recommended that you have two drives. Windows 98/Me/2000 will be installed on the first drive and Windows XP should be installed on the second. If your hard disk is not divided into several drives, I recommend the Partition Magic 7.0 program, which you can access here Information on find. This makes it very easy to split your hard disk into several drives.
The requirements for your computer
Windows XP places particular demands on the Working memory high demands. You should have at least 256 megabytes to enjoy your work. Computers with only 128 Megabyte or less have to cut back and make compromises. It is therefore advisable to switch off the new functions so that Windows runs without complications and sufficiently fast.
Microsoft personally specifies a minimum of 64MB, which I think is an understatement.
The Processor should be able to do a lot. The official minimum requirements in this area are 300 Mhz, although I can only guarantee optimum operation from 550 Mhz.
The Windows XP manual states that at least 1 gigabyte must be available on the Hard disk should be free. After the installation, you are surprised that approx. 1.5 gigabytes are occupied - including the Swap file. If programs and data are added later, you should set up at least 3-4 GB of space for XP itself and everything beyond that for the programs.
If your computer meets these requirements, you can continue reading with peace of mind.
Blue screen during installation - The ACPI scapegoat
If you see a blue screen right at the start of the installation or during hardware detection, which tells you in English that there has been an ACPI error, you must react immediately.
ACPI is the power management system of Windows XP and intervenes quite deeply in the system. It also takes over the management of the various devices. Problems can occur with some motherboards because Windows does not recognize their ACPI support.
To solve the problem, you must switch off the ACPI screen during installation. Right at the beginning (Step 5) you will be prompted to press the F6 key to install a SCSI adapter. At exactly this point, press F5 and you will immediately find yourself in a menu in which you specify Standard PC. Confirm this with Enter and continue with the installation.
Installing Windows XP - Dualboot made easy!
To ensure that you also have fun with two operating systems running in parallel, I recommend that you carefully read the following instructions and the information provided beforehand.
1. Start Windows 98/Me/2000 and insert the Windows XP Setup CD into your drive. If the installation program does not start automatically, you must click on Workplace and click on your drive. Now open the I386 folder and scroll down the list of almost infinite files to the entry winnt32 and double-click on it.
2. The welcome screen appears, which also presents you with a very important decision. You can either update your existing Windows 98/Me/2000 to Windows XP or set up an additional Windows XP and leave your existing one untouched. In this case, choose the lower option and confirm your selection.
3. You will now be asked to enter the Windows XP serial number and have the opportunity to change some options in the next window. In general, the default settings are the best, so proceed to the next step. Copying the files starts immediately!
4. Windows requires the first restart after which you will see the Start menu for the first time, even if only for a short time. The entry Windows XP Professional Setup leads you to the further installation procedures, while the line Microsoft Windows resp. Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional takes you back to your good old Windows 98/Me/2000. Of course, you stick with the default decision and start the installation wizard.
5. The setup program will respond and a blue screen will appear, which has a status bar with information at the bottom. This shows the drivers that are currently being loaded to ensure that your system works properly.
6. The welcome screen is immediately skipped by pressing the ENTER key, so that you find yourself in the hard disk selection menu. Here you decide on which drive Windows XP should be installed. In most cases this will be C:\. Now select the desired hard disk and press Enter.
Note: Are you the proud owner of several partitions? Would you like to create one? Or do you want to delete one? Press the L button to perform the latter action - the data will be lost immediately. Use E to create a partition, the size of which you can adjust as required.
7. The next window gives you the choice between FAT and NTFS. Due to the security features and the improved speed, I recommend using the hard disk in the New Technology File System. format. In addition to the information in the Windows Tweaks dictionary about NTFS can also be found in the Windows 2000 introductory article a lot about the file system.
8. The hard disk is formatted and then checked. In the event that Windows XP detects errors, these are corrected and the setup is restarted.
9. The files will now be copied, which may take some time. Windows XP then requests a restart, after which you will find yourself in a colorful, mouse-controlled installation environment. An attempt will now be made to recognize the hardware - as soon as this is complete, the so-called installation wizard will greet you once again, which you can confirm by clicking on Next take note. In addition to the installation, XP praises itself by introducing some functions.
10. Now enter your name and the name of your company in the fields and confirm with Enter. The next window will ask you to choose a computer password and name your computer. Follow these prompts dutifully.
11. One click on Next and the wizard now searches for network cards and components, which takes a long time and is the longest part of the installation.
12. A message will now inform you about the success of the installation. Click with relief on Finish and watch Windows XP boot up for the first time. As soon as the operating system has loaded, a blue welcome installation screen appears in which you can first set up your Internet connection and then enter your user name. We can safely postpone the former until later!
13. As soon as you click on Finish you will see the colorful interface for the first time.
Congratulations! The Windows XP installation was successful.
You should now view the first basic steps in speed and stability optimization turn to.
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