So, you bought a computer, and there is no favorite operating system on it - Windows XP. What to do in this case? Read the beginner's guide on how to install Windows XP on a laptop. The procedure, in principle, is not particularly complicated, the main thing is to repeat the installation steps step by step.
Introduction to Installing W indows
First of all, you should find out which interface your hard drive is connected to - IDE or SATA. Why is it important to read such documentation? Because the original Windows distribution lacks software for some Intel SATA chips. Such an interface will not be recognized, as well as the device connected to it. And then how to install Windows XP on a laptop?
Fortunately, most devices allow you to enable the so-called IDE-compatible mode. This is done through BIOS. And if this option is activated, Windows recognizes any SATA-hard drive as “your own.” However, if your chipset is not from Intel or AMD 7, the compatibility option is not needed.
Installation distribution record
Before installing Windows on a laptop with Serial Ata drivers, you need to find or create an installation distribution. This is a collection of necessary files in a packed form, which contains the operating system, drivers and application programs. There are several approaches to creating a set of SATA drivers:
- Burn to a floppy disk. At the time of installation, windows will flash a message that when you press the F6 key, you can install additional drivers from a diskette. But if there is no usb-drive, then there is no point in such an installation.
- After installing the system, install the necessary software there, and then turn off compatibility mode.
- Embed SATA drivers in the original distribution.
We will dwell in more detail on the ability to install Windows XP on a laptop with built-in SATA drivers. The steps of the installation process are shown below.
- Burn a packed copy of Windows XP (distribution) to a CD. It is assumed that the driver integration was successful.
- Set the first boot device in BIOS CD drive. In this case , the system installation program will start automatically.
- When the system is already installed on a PC or laptop, it remains to install the SATA driver from the CD.
How to install windows xp on a laptop. Driver Integration Step by Step
- Copy the distribution kit, as is, to any unoccupied partition, for example, D, in a specific folder. Download drivers from Internet resources dedicated specifically to this topic.
- Or unzip the image of the system CD in .iso format using a suitable archiver.
- Install the program for building windows - nLite.
- Run it for execution. Indicate the location of the distribution.
- Select “Drivers” and “Bootable ISO Image”.
- Click the "import" button and specify the location of the drivers (folder).
- Then we select the specific driver from intel or amd, depending on the manufacturer of the chipset.
- In the dialog box “apply changes” we agree and click “yes”.
- Burn the final version of the distribution package to a CD with the Direct Burn option.
- Again, we consent, now to the recording process. After its completion, a system distribution with SATA drivers is formed.
How to start the installation of W indows
Before turning on, enter the BIOS, holding down the ins, del, F8 or other key. When loading, the bottom of the screen will display what to press.
Find the Bootable or Boot tab, go to the list of identifiable devices.
Use the +/- keys or, possibly, F5 / F6 to change the boot order of the system from devices. The first one on the list should be the CD drive.
We save the changes and reboot the laptop.
Next, the installation wizard will take on the task of how to install Windows XP on a laptop. You may need to enter a product key and answer a few questions about regional settings. Also, in the process of the wizard, there will be questions about installing the network, that is, installing the standard version of the TCP / IP protocol or with the selection of individual subcomponents. The whole workflow takes an average of about 30-40 minutes.