OEM WINXP Install

[linuxwannabe]

I have a backup machine (P4/2.66/512 ram) that runs WIN98. Tonight I plan to install a recently purchased OEM WINXP. Question is: do I need to FDISK that HD before I install? Or will XP reformat and install over top of everything there? I have saved all my data and such. Ready to go, but how's the best way?

Thanks as always.

 

[bruceb]

You could either preformat the drive yourself or let XP do ti for you.
It will give you a choice of full or quick format.
I think, it will also allow you to make a partition when you do the XP install as well.

Just be sure you download all your motherboard chipset and lan drivers before
you start ... and since you machine had an old os, I would check for & update to
the latest BIOS

 

[Alex]

just boot off the xp CD and it will format for you!

if you have the time do a full format since its a used HD but there's nothing inherently wrong with doing a quick format either but fdisk is a thing of the past no need to worry about that anymore!

 

[linuxwannabe]

Originally posted by: franguinho
fdisk is a thing of the past

Yeah, I wondered. The first OS I installed was MSDOS 3.0. I've been around for a while.

(still don't know much)

 

[jameswhite1979]

If you have a good backup then a full format would always be a nice way to start a system install. Just let XP do all the work for you ints a simple wizard as part to the PC prep stage.

 

[linuxwannabe]

I'm good for the full format. I'm glad XP will handle it from the CD. Makes everything much easier.