About Technology

Many people find themselves wanting to perform a clean reinstall of windows XP. However, most people immediately give up even before they start. This is because the reinstallation process could seem a bit complicated. But if you are presented with a quick and simple step-by-step guide, reinstalling windows XP is not difficult at all.

Before you start performing the clean reinstall, there are things you have to do first. First, list down all the hardware and software that you use. If your system is newly built, then you should already have a list of your hardware. If you don't know what hardware your system is using, you can go online to get a listing of your system specifications. Then, you can also visit the manufacturer's website to check if there are drivers for your hardware. Important drivers include scanners, printers, pen tables, and so on. Also check for software compatibility. Usually, driver disks are shipped along with the hardware for newly built systems. Another option is using Windows 2000 drivers. Once you made a list of these, it's time to create copies of any existing data and other important programs.

Now, you're ready to do a clean install for Windows XP. First, change your CMOS settings of the BIOS for the boot order to boot from the CD. Once done, you can then boot your PC using the Installation CD.

After you have changed the boot order in the CMOS settings of your BIOS, save the changes, and then reboot your PC. Your installation CD should already be placed inside the CD-ROM. You will then be prompted to press certain keys to directly boot from CD-ROM emulation, usually the space bar. Do what the prompt says.

The installation will then begin copying the preliminary setup files to your PC. This might take some time, so be patient. Once completed, you can then start directing the install process.

You will be asked whether you want to do a new installation, repair and existing installation or quit. Since you want to do a clean reinstall, press the key corresponding to "perform a new installation". Agree to the terms of agreement once you have read it.

Then, decide on which partition of your hard drive you want to install Windows XP on. Just remember to keep partitions within reasonable size. A tip is to use multiple partitions of 4 to 8GB, and if possible, on more than just one hard drive.

Once that is decided, it's time to format. You can format the partition either to NTFS, which is recommended for single OS install, or FAT32. Choose to do a full format. Once the partition is formatted, the setup program will automatically start copying files. Again, this could take some time so use it to take a break.

Afterwards, select your region and language, type in your name and organization and key in your product license key. Name the computer, type in an Admin password, and remember to take note of the password for future reference. Then, enter the accurate date and time. Select your network settings. If you are using a dhcp server to assign IP addresses, leave it automatic. But if you have static IP address for broadband Internet access, then use the settings provided by your ISP. Choose a domain name or workgroup, and register your copy of Windows XP (after installing all hardware on your system). Log in, update drivers, and you're done!