Format Your Hard Drive
Disclaimer: This guide is provided as-is without guarantee. Aaron Hall is NOT responsible for the condition of your system, although he does make reasonable assurance that anyone who can follow instructions presented here and in the program setups can successfully accomplish this task.
This document outlines the method I use to quickly format and rebuild your system regardless of what version of Windows youre running. If you can follow instructions well, I can nearly guarantee that it will keep your system running fast and stable…well, unless you have hardware failure or cause your own problems (dont feel bad, I cant tell you how many times a rebuild of my machine has been MY fault!). At the end, I also outline some ways to tune up your system for optimal performance.
Backup Your System
1. Be sure to backup any critical files and settings that you will want to save for your new machine. If you have a CD-R or Zip drive, thats where I recommend storing your stuff. Also note that these folders locations can vary from system to system…if you cant find them, use Start > Find/Search > Files and Folders to determine where they are. For example, under Windows 2K/XP they are stored under C:\Documents and Settings\ .
- C:\Documents and Settings\Username – This is your Windows User profile directory for 2K and XP, not all of it can be restored, but all preferences for Office, Outlook Express, and other programs are stored here.
2. If you have AIM or MSN Messenger, use the software to Export your list to a file and copy to backup, although your settings are stored on the server, and you dont need to back them up manually.
3. Also, go to the web site for all of your hardware providers – video, sound, modem, etc. etc. and download the latest drivers! Save them to whatever media you prefer so you wont lose them! This is critical, because without the drivers for your version of Windows, you can not rebuild your system. If youre not sure what drivers to get…go to Control Panel and check System control panels Device Manager to find out. Alternatively, you can visit http://www.driveragent.com/ and search for the drivers you need.
Formatting Your Hard Drive
1. Windows XP and Windows Vista will boot from CD/DVD, so insert the CD and “Press any key to boot from CD…”
2. The initial parts of setup are a series of prompts that are pretty obvious, such as the license agreements and language settings.
3. When you are prompted about Hard Disk partitions (where to install Windows)…
If you will be installing only 1 Operating System and that OS is Windows XP or Vista…skip to step 3a.
If you will be installing more than 1 Operating System…skip to step 3b.
3a. Boot your system from the Windows XP or Vista CD/DVD to enter the setup program. Select to install a NEW Windows installation…follow the prompts until you come to the Choose Partition screen. For any existing partitions use the following commands to remove those partitions…D, then Enter, then L This answers the prompts – D – Delete, Enter – Confirm Once, L – Confirm Twice. Then, use command C to recreate a partition. After creating necessary partitions, press Enter to select it and select to format it with NTFS (QUICK) format. (Vista’s install has changed this process so pay attention to the instructions that it gives.)
Proceed to “Installing Windows” below.
3b. Mutli-OSs…This can be very difficult, but it doesnt have to be…The most important note is that older versions of Windows should be installed before any other OS, and the newest OS should be loaded last. Also, ideally you will have 2 hard drives instead of using partitions. The older version should be installed on C:, newer on D:, etc. During the setup process you will be prompted for partition information. Delete all existing partitions, and create new ones. If you are using multiple drives, use the full drive size for each partition. If you only have one hard drive, divide and conquer by using half the drive size for one partition and half for a second.
Proceed to “Installing Windows” below.
Installing Windows
For Windows XP/Vista: Continue on answering the setup prompts, since youre there.
Answer all the setup prompts with the answers you feel are best for you. If you prefer “Basic” options, accept the defaults, otherwise perform a Custom install and choose your stuff on your own. If you need help with an option, feel free to contact me!
There are no secrets to getting through setup…unless you require a complex network setup, you can usually accept the default choices. Of course, if you do require complex settings or configurations, chances are you know what you need to do to set them up already.
If you are installing Windows XP, click this link to visit my Guide to Installing Windows XP.
If you are setting up a network and need assistance, please visit my Guide to Installing a Network.
Post-Windows Install – System Drivers
Use Device Manager to ensure that Windows detected all of your hardware. If it did not, install the drivers as necessary. If you followed the instructions for the backup procedure and downloaded the newest versions earlier, now is the time to use them!
If you are able to connect your system to the Internet (i.e. it installed your modem or network adapter), search Windows Update for the drivers you need.
If you are not able to connect, and you did not follow step 3 in the Backup Files stage at the beginning, just use the disks that came with your system to find the drivers. Later, once you can connect to the Internet, you should visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and http://www.driveragent.com/ to download the latest drivers for your hardware.
Now is also the time to install the latest Service Pack to Windows. Right Click on My Computer and choose Properties. If your computer doesn’t report “Windows XP … Service Pack 2″ then you should install it immediately.
Installing System Utilities
Next, install any system utilities you have…I usually install them based on this order – CD-R software (and other hardware based software such as scanners and printers), Utilities/Anti-virus/Firewall software. Also, install any programs like WinZip, Adobe Acrobat Reader, etc. that you want to use if you have access to them already. Other shareware, etc. should be installed at this point, too.
Installing Internet and Multimedia Applications
AT THIS POINT, INSTALL THE NEWEST VERSION OF INTERNET EXPLORER. Doing this guarantees that programs like AOL and other ISPs will not re-install their older, customized version of Internet Explorer.
ALSO, INSTALL THE NEWEST VERSION OF ALTERNATIVE BROWSERS SUCH AS FIREFOX.
Doing this allows ot
her Internet and Multimedia applications to install appropriate plug-ins for all browsers.
Install any Internet and Multimedia applications you have…AOL or AIM, Windows Media Player, MSN and MSN Messenger, etc. Doing this after your browsers are installed ensures that all media plugins are registered properly.
Installing Your Applications
Install any NON-GAME applications on your system at this time…these include Microsoft Works, Office, Encarta, Adobe products, Macromedia products, etc.
Preferably, install non-Microsoft applications first, then install the Microsoft applications in order of release…ie. Install a 2003 version product before a 2004 version product, etc. Always install Microsoft Works and Office LAST regardless of version, and if installing both, install Office after Works! Like Internet Explorer, this guarantees that you have the latest system files, which will prevent crashes and system corruption.
During this process, reboot your system as needed.
When finished, if you installed Microsoft Office, download and install any updates from Microsoft Update.
Installing Your Games
Install your games at this point.
The order you install your games is not important, but be sure to visit the producers web site (Eidos, Blizzard, etc.) in order to obtain the latest patches. Also, test each game for functionality after installing it. If you have issues, try to work them out or uninstall the game BEFORE continuing to the next game.
Updating Your System
Verify that your Internet connection is working properly. Note that these updates may take quite some time to download. Download the following updates IN THIS ORDER:
Windows XP
1. Install Service Pack 2.
2. Install ALL Critical and Recommended Updates from Windows Update. Better yet, download AutoPatcher and let it do the patching for you.
Optimizing Your System
1. Run Scandisk (CHKDSK for 2000/XP users) and correct all errors (2000/XP users will have to reboot to do this). You can do this in My Computer by right clicking on the C: drive and choose properties, then click on the Tools tab.
2. Remove unwanted applications from your startup…use MSCONFIG on XP. On 2000, download MSCONFIG here. You can use Regedit.exe if you prefer, but be warned that editing the registry can be dangerous if you make a mistake. I highly recommend you use MSCONFIG if youre unfamiliar with the use of Regedit.
3. Customize all your settings as desired.
4. Click Start, Run, and type %TEMP% and click OK. Select everything and delete them.
5. Defragment your hard drive.
6. Restore your backups as needed.
7. Configure Internet Explorer.
Advanced Setup and Configuration:
For some advanced tips on setting up your system – especially Control Panel Options – check out these web sites for some advanced settings and tweaks…
Tweak UI for Windows XP and 2003 Server Systems
-TweakUI is a Microsoft Utility that allows you to customize the way Windows and IE work. While it is very useful, it can also be very dangerous, so be cautious using it!!
-RegEdit.com is a great site for tuning up and making customizations to your system, however I do not recommend it unless you are an advanced system user and know what youre doing! Registry editing, when done carelessly or without knowledge of what youre doing, can be VERY dangerous and cause your system to fail. Dont say I didnt warn you!!