You have good advice from Philo and Malke. Install the drive, put the CD
in the drive, boot from it, and follow the onscreen instructions.
Install SP2, check to be sure everything is still working well, and
install SP3. Install AV and spyware, Let the updates happen now, and go
enjoy it.
Or you might find it easier to "clone" the drives if the old one still
works:
Assuming the old drive works: Your WD drive should come with, or have
availalbe on their web site, a "cloning" program that will let you clone
everything on the old drive to the new drive. That's often easier and
faster than doing everything automatically. The program exists for the
very use you may have for it; replacing a dying drive. Once cloned,
you're ready to go with an exact copy of the old disk.
Important rules you may already know but:
-- Do NOT connect to the internet until you have AT LEAST anti-virus
software installed and the XP firewall turned on. It's possible to
become infected with malware in only a few minutes without the firewall
and AV working. Seems like the firewall was part of SP2.
-- It's best to not go on the 'net until SP3 is installed; that way you
have the most updates installed.
-- FIRST thing to do when connecting to the 'net IMO is to let the
automatic updates finish updating XP. Once that process h as started,
then go about your other installations etc..
Inline:
"Terry" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)
> I hope this is the appropriate NG. I need to replace my present HD
> with a new one and do a clean install of XP Pro. I have the original
> WinXP CD, the product key, the SP2 CD and the SP3 CD, although I’ve
> never installed SP3. It’s been about 4 or 5 years since I installed
> XP and I’m a little hazy on the procedure.
>
> Two questions: First -- after installing the new HD, do I just put
> the original XP CD in the CD drive and let nature take its course?
Yes. You boot from the XP CD.
On starting the computer, or during a REstart, you should get a
message on the screen something like "To boot from the CD, press any key
.... ".
If you don't get that message, then you have to go into your BIOS and
set it so the optical drive is the first one in the Boot Order list.
Once you do that, you'll get the message abtou pressing any key, and the
computer will boot from the XP CD. Put the optical drive first, and the
hard drive second.
> And second, when I complete the installation of basic XP, do I go
> directly to the SP3 CD or do I have to download all 6 or 7 years
> worth of updates from the Internet?
No, you don't have to download 6 or 7 years worth of updates. After you
have XP installed, then install SP2, which you said you already have.
Restart the machine a couple times and make sure everything works after
installing SP2.
Then you can install SP3. SP3 will have updates to download after it's
installed; I don't know how many but all the ones that came out after
SP2, so still quite a few.
BEFORE installing SP3, there are a couple links you should read first in
order to get a smooth installation:
Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
also:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389
and
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
may be useful.
>
> The HD I plan to install is a brand new, never-used Western Digital
> Caviar SE 80g hard drive still in the original wrapper, but which is
> at least 4 years old. The "old" one is also a WD 80g, so I know I
> don’t need a bigger one. Besides, the computer is 8 years old and
> only has 1.2g of RAM. But everything about it seems to work well –
> except for the present hard drive – and I’d like to continue using it
> with a new HD and a new installation of XP.
Makes sense.
>
> Answers to my 2 questions would appreciated, along with any other
> comments/suggestions which may be appropriate. Thank you.
I think I've covered your answers and the most common gotchas. If not,
check back; someone will be able to help.
HTH,
Twayne`
>
> Terry
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