Installing Windows

Installing Windows After You Format Your new Hard Drive


Whether you have Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 or XP, installing Windows on a newly formatted hard drive is a pretty straightforward process. If you follow a few basic steps, you should have no problems.


Before installing Windows, be sure that you have everything necessary to complete the installation. Once it is started, you cannot change your mind and go back. Among the items you will need are:

1. To install Windows 95, 98 or ME you will need a boot floppy with CD support.
2. To install Windows NT, 2000 and XP as well as for the alternate method of installing Windows 98 and ME you will need to be sure that your CD Rom is set as the first boot device in your systems BIOS.
3. Your Windows installation CD.
4. Your Windows installation key.
5. Drivers (on floppy or CD) for all your devices such as modem, sound and video card, etc.
6. Installation software for any programs or games you are going to install.
7. A list of programs you had installed before the format with registration numbers where needed.
8. Your Internet provider’s settings and installation CD (if required).
9. Any data backups you may have saved.

If your computer came with a recovery CD all you will need to do is to follow the instructions included with it and install your software and backups after you finish.

If your computer did not come with a recovery CD, insert your Windows CD into your CD Rom


Installing Windows 98 or ME

The Windows 98 and ME installation procedure can be very similar to that of Windows 95 or you can follow the steps used in NT, 2000 or XP. The choice is yours. In other words, you will need to choose one of these three installation methods.

1. Boot your computer to a floppy, choose boot with CD Rom support, and, at the a: prompt, type “d:\win98\setup.exe” or “d:\winme\setup.exe” (where “d” is the letter of your CD Rom drive and minus the quotes) to start the setup program.
2. Boot your computer to the floppy, choose the “begin Windows setup” option and off you go.
3. Actually boot the computer to the Windows 98 or ME CD and the setup program will start, directly from the CD, without using a floppy. NOTE: This is the same method used that is used for Windows NT, 2000 and XP.



1. Answer the questions asked by the setup program and enter your Windows key where prompted.
2. Install the drivers for your hardware.
3. Install any additional software, especially antivirus software.
4. Install your data backups.
5. Program your internet connection, go online and update Windows and your antivirus software.
6. Have fun!



Installing Windows NT, 2000 or XP

The installation of Windows NT, 2000 and XP differs from Windows 95, 98 and ME in that you do not have the need to boot to a floppy. You must boot to the Windows CD. They also differ in that you will be given the option to repair your Windows installation, reinstall or install a fresh copy. You will also be given the option of deleting and/or creating the partition(s) on your hard drive as well as formatting them using either NTFS (NT, 2000, XP) or FAT32 (2000, XP). I recommend NTFS for security, stability, speed and smoothness of operation.

Should you choose to install a fresh copy of Windows, but not reformat your hard drive, the installation program will delete your Windows folder and recreate it in order to provide you with a clean installation. Also, the individual account folders in your Documants and Settings folder will be duplicated. This is done without deleting the old ones.

The advantage to this method is that you get a nice clean installation of Windows without losing data. You will still need to reinstall programs but the data should remain. (Even though your data should be ok, be sure you have backed it up “just in case.”)

All you will need to do is import your favorites and email from the old account folders to the new ones in your documents and settings folder.

The disadvantage to this method is that if there is corrupt data or a virus in other areas of the hard drive, such as the Boot Sector, File Allocation Tables (FAT) or in individual program folders, this method may not correct your problem.

Here are the steps for installing Windows NT, 2000 or XP as well as the alternate method of installing 98 and ME.

1. Boot the computer to the Windows CD and the setup program will start. This is directly from the CD, without using a floppy.

NOTE: You will need to insure that your CD Rom is set as the first boot device in the system BIOS. This is the default setting for most newer computers.


2. Choose whether you want to delete or create hard drive partition(s).


3. Choose the type of Windows installation;
* Repair your Windows installation using the recovery console
* Repair your Windows installation using automatic settings
* Reinstall Windows without format
* Install or reinstall Windows fresh with hard drive formatting.

NOTE: This is the choice you will use for a new installation.


4. Enter your personal information and Windows key where prompted.
5. Install the drivers for your hardware.
6. Install any additional software.
7. Install your data backups
8. Program your internet connection, go online and update Windows and your antivirus software.