Re-installing Windows XP Home help please

[FatesWarning]

I bought a new Raptor 150 gb drive and I'm installing Windows XP Home for the first time in over two years. Here are some questions before I start:

1. What is the best order of installation? A wild guess....Windows, service pack 2, Catalyst driver, nforce 2 mobo driver, antivirus, windows updates, Office, etc.

2. Can I use the SATA hard drive cable that came with my 36 gig raptor 3 years ago? Has there been any change to the connecting cables (I bought OEM drive).

3. My mobo came with a Sata driver on a floppy 3 years ago. I need to use it so my new drive is recognized when installing Windows. Should I find and install a newer SATA driver afterwards?

4. I have a 2nd drive for storage. How do I get my PC to recognize and list my storage drive?

5. If you have a game installed on a different partition from Windows, will it take a performance hit? I've never used partitions in the past. Are they necessary on a 150 gb Raptor?

Thanks!

 

[killermiller]

I bought a new Raptor 150 gb drive and I'm installing Windows XP Home for the first time in over two years. Here are some questions before I start:

1. What is the best order of installation? A wild guess....Windows, service pack 2, Catalyst driver, nforce 2 mobo driver, antivirus, windows updates, Office, etc.

I don't think that it really matters, once you defrag it will squeeze everything together

2. Can I use the SATA hard drive cable that came with my 36 gig raptor 3 years ago? Has there been any change to the connecting cables (I bought OEM drive).

Yes, you can use the same cable, the only change has been the sata1/sata2 standard. some older cables might not be able to attain the 300MB's xfer speed. The 150 Raptor is still a sata1 drive

3. My mobo came with a Sata driver on a floppy 3 years ago. I need to use it so my new drive is recognized when installing Windows. Should I find and install a newer SATA driver afterwards?

Some motherboards will recognize a single sata drive with out the drivers some wont. You would probably want to download all of the latest drivers for your mobo anyway, sata drivers included

4. I have a 2nd drive for storage. How do I get my PC to recognize and list my storage drive?

unplug the storage drive when you install windows. That will ensure that your new raptor will be the primary drive. If your storage drive is already formated windows should recognize it

5. If you have a game installed on a different partition from Windows, will it take a performance hit? I've never used partitions in the past. Are they necessary on a 150 gb Raptor?

The first partition on the disk is going to be the fastest. Partitions are not neccessary unless you are going to dual boot or for organizational purposes. would you like to defrag a 15gig partition or a 150gig partition?

Thanks!

 

[RollingThunder]

I bought a new Raptor 150 gb drive and I'm installing Windows XP Home for the first time in over two years. Here are some questions before I start:

1. What is the best order of installation? A wild guess....Windows, service pack 2, Catalyst driver, nforce 2 mobo driver, antivirus, windows updates, Office, etc.

2. Can I use the SATA hard drive cable that came with my 36 gig raptor 3 years ago? Has there been any change to the connecting cables (I bought OEM drive).

3. My mobo came with a Sata driver on a floppy 3 years ago. I need to use it so my new drive is recognized when installing Windows. Should I find and install a newer SATA driver afterwards?

4. I have a 2nd drive for storage. How do I get my PC to recognize and list my storage drive?

5. If you have a game installed on a different partition from Windows, will it take a performance hit? I've never used partitions in the past. Are they necessary on a 150 gb Raptor?

Thanks!

Fates,

1. Install Windows, all service packs and all updates first. Do that before you add any updated drivers or install any programs. Get Windows up and running completely.

2. The SATA cables should be the same.

3. I'll skip #3. Usually updated drivers are best. Three years is old but they may be the same, I don't know.

4. Windows should pick up your other hard drive drive and assign a drive letter without any input from you.

5. No difference in performance on another partition on your Raptor.


Most partition larger drives (and smaller ones) for various reasons. I won't argue or debate this. But I would use your new drive for Windows and all your programs and your other drive to store data and anything that is not a registered and executable program (data, any kind, photos, backups, downloaded programs that you want to install on C:\ etc.)

I have these two small drives that are not partitioned. Works for me fine. Some like to use various operating systems and partition their drives for them. If you are an average user, then partitioning is voluntary.

If you partition then Windows will still find your other physical hard drive and assign it.

Heh, heh, one small tip...unplug your other drive. When I reinstalled, I formatted the wrong drive they were so close in size........


Killer made some valid points too on the smaller partition. Some of them mirror mine and I wrote this while he was writing his. You'll be fine

 

[RollingThunder]

Killer,

There may be less chance of a program conflict later if he installs Windows completely and all SPs and updates. I have seen a few programs that are already installed have problems with a Windows update. I don't think it's risky for most, it just may be more prudent.

 

[FatesWarning]

Thanks for the tips guys this will be a huge help. Re-installing everything is such a pain that any advanced advice helps with the frustration factor

 

[orion25]

If you want to get really anal with the install, run a defrag after you install each item. For example install XP and SP2 along with all updates - Defrag. Install MOBO Drivers - Defrag. Install Video Card Drivers - Defrag. Install antivirus and firewall - Defrag. Install primary applications (such as MS Office, Nero, etc) - Defrag. And then use Ghost to create a backup of your primary install. Or use nlite. I have never used nlite so I cannot say how good it is but I have heard great things about it.

Finally, Install other core programs (firefox, flash plugin, itunes etc) and defrag. Then install games and defrag after each one.

Like I said this would be an anal install but you might get better results. Then again you may not.............

 

[AngelfireUk83]

It would be best to create a slipstream disc of your XP Home you can add Service Pack 2 and any updated drivers to the install if you have any security update set-up files you can add them as well. It will then install both SP2 and drivers during the final installation screen which will cut off loads of time then once at the desktop you can install the latest DX9 and all the security Updates.

Then restart and install any left over updates and install a virus and firewall software. And the rest of your programs here's the links if your intrested also .Net Framework 2.0 is also needed to use Nlite once your disc is done (burn at a lower speed if you have Nero) and you've formatted you won't have .Net FW installed unless you have an ATi card.

DirectX 9.0c (October 2006)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...38-DB71-4C1B-BC6A-9B6652CD92A3&displaylang=en

Full Installer Of Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...be-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a&DisplayLang=en

.Net Framework 2.0
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...cb-4362-4b0d-8edd-aab15c5e04f5&displaylang=en

nLite 1.2.1 Final (Home links seems to be down all the time)
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4324.html