How to copy XP to HDD, then install from HDD

[camera critter]

I am assemblying a new computer (a SCSI-IDE hybrid, as suggested at
http://www.radified.com) with three SCSI drives (36-GB each) for the
OS and programs/applications and pagefile, and with two serial-ATA
drives (120-GB each) for bulk storage. The primary use of this
computer will be as a Photoshop workstation, connected to my home
(peer-to-peer) network.

I desire to copy my retail WinXP Pro CD to a storage partition on SCSI
Drive 2, and then have that partition boot and fresh install itself to
the C:\ partition of Drive 0. I have questions about the consequences
of that copying procedure.

Question 1 -
Does software included on the XP CD allow the formatting and partition
of the five virgin HDDs on my computer?

Question 2 -
Does the XP CD software allow the copying of itself to a storage
partition?

Question 3 -
Will the copied XP at my storage partition still be bootable (like the
retail CD is bootable), or have any files/switches been lost/corrupted
during the copying process?

Question 4 -
Some websites have suggested that C:\ be left empty as a strategy to
thwart malevolent crackers who target the C:\ drive, and suggested
that WinXP instead be installed to the D:\ drive. Is there any
consensus about such a strategy?

Thanks in advance for pointing me in the right direction.

 

[DL]

If yr saying install o/s on a 36gb and apps and page file on other 36gb hd's
The o/s would be quite happy on 10gb, more than adequate.
Why do you wish to copy winxp to hd and install from there. Why not install
from cd?
In any case as this is a virgin sys how do you propose to copy the cd to a
hd the pc cannot see?

Q 1 - Yes
Q 4 - paranoia
Install a decent Firewall and AV app
Q 3 You usually need to boot up from the xp cd when there's a problem, how
therefore do you propose to access this hd/partion when the pc wont start?
Q 2 - you can copy the cd, however you may wish to consider building a
slipstream install that contains appropriate sp's etc.

 

[camera critter]

If yr saying install o/s on a 36gb and apps and page file on other 36gb hd's

The o/s would be quite happy on 10gb, more than adequate.

I do not intend to use the entire 36-GB drive for the OS, nor an
entire 36-GB for the programs/applications, nor an entire 36-GB for
the pagefile.

My intent is to install the OS to the first partition on its own SCSI
drive, install the programs/applications to the first partition of its
own SCSI drive, and to move the pagefile to the first partition of its
own SCSI drive. It is probable that only the outer portions of the HDD
platters will be used, and that the slower inner portions probably
will be left as empty partitions. SCSI supports simultaneous
multi-tasking (IDE drives need to complete one request before
beginning the next request), supposedly allowing a more "responsive"
("faster") computing experience.

http://scsi.radified.com/ has a strategy that I'd like to experiment
with.

_________________

Why do you wish to copy winxp to hd and install from there. Why not install
from cd?

On my older system, I copied the WinMe CD to a partition on the HDD,
and installed it to the C:\ partition from the HDD. The strategy
worked for WinMe.

I no longer needed to insert my Windows CD into the CD-ROM when a file
became corrupted and necessitated extraction from the CD. I no longer
had to insert the CD to try out some diffferent component of Windows
that hadn't been installed during the initial Setup. Windows
"remembered" whence it had been installed, and it automatically went
back to that location to retrieve the necessary files. This was a
very convenient experience. I know that I still have my WinMe CD
buried somewhere in my untidy office, I just can't lay my hands on it
(but, then, I don't need to lay my hands on it if it's been copied to
HDD, do I?).

James Eshelman wrote that he did the same copy procedure for access to
favorite CD contents, described in his interesting article, "Planning
Your Partitions," that can be found at
http://www.aumha.org/a/parts.htm

________________
________________

In any case as this is a virgin sys how do you propose to copy the cd to a
hd the pc cannot see?

My motherboard's BIOS already recognizes the presence of all three
SCSI drives, but it cannot boot any further because I have not yet
installed any OS.

Are you suggesting that Windows cannot be installed on a virgin HDD?
<grin>

________________
________________

Q 3 You usually need to boot up from the xp cd when there's a problem, how
therefore do you propose to access this hd/partion when the pc wont start?

My question was about exactly that issue, whether the copied WinXP
files were bootable.

I assume that the (six) bootable floppy disks that Microsoft
recommends for WinXP will help. The WinXP CD is copied to a different
HDD than the C:\ partition.

_______________
_______________

Q 2 - you can copy the cd, however you may wish to consider building a
slipstream install that contains appropriate sp's etc.

Slipstreaming is something I never have done. I am not familiar with
the syntax of cmdline.

I had no problem with xcopy.exe and the various DOS switches when
playing around with WinMe, but those DOS experiences are of no utility
to me when playing with WinXP. I'm back to square one about learning a
different language.

Hence, my posted questions about if it is feasible to attempt what I
desire to do when installing Win XP Pro.

I appreciate your warning me that it can't be done, that it shouldn't
be done, and that I shouldn't go there. <grin>

Is there anyone in the audience who already has gone there, and can
give me advice?
_______________
_______________

 

[DL]

You might want to read this kb, with regard use, and particularly
limitations, of the recovery console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314058

You can install winxp from a hd location, but I cannot think of a way to
boot up from it.
And yes I have my win slipstreamed cd on my hd and never had to use it.

I wasn't meaning to suggest you cannot copy the winxp cd to a virgin sys,
merely that you will have to go through a whole lot of hoops to do so.

Whilst its not impossible to find o/s files may become corrupted winxp has
inbuilt protection for sys files. I've run win2k and xp sys for a number of
years, inc. 24/7 sys, the only corruptions I've experienced were caused by
hd failure. You wont find winxp anywhere near as problomatic as win9*

If you have to repair/reinstall from a win cd, depending on the actual
release version, you may well have to update the installation again -
install sp's critical updates etc - having a slipstreamed install that
includes the sp's speeds the recovery process. There are a number of
articles on the subject eg
http://www.msfn.org/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=49

As youve been deeply researching, and speed seems to be important to you, I
take it you realise the mobo/graphics combination chosen may be quite
important - I'm not meaning this in any derogatory way

 

[Alex Nichol]

I desire to copy my retail WinXP Pro CD to a storage partition on SCSI
Drive 2, and then have that partition boot and fresh install itself to
the C:\ partition of Drive 0. I have questions about the consequences
of that copying procedure.

Question 1 -
Does software included on the XP CD allow the formatting and partition
of the five virgin HDDs on my computer?

Question 2 -
Does the XP CD software allow the copying of itself to a storage
partition?

Question 3 -
Will the copied XP at my storage partition still be bootable (like the
retail CD is bootable), or have any files/switches been lost/corrupted
during the copying process?

Question 4 -
Some websites have suggested that C:\ be left empty as a strategy to
thwart malevolent crackers who target the C:\ drive, and suggested
that WinXP instead be installed to the D:\ drive. Is there any
consensus about such a strategy?

You can't copy the CD to a hard disk without some separate system to do
the copying.

Do the installation in the normal way after booting the CD. Either the
BIOS will have basic SCSI support so it sees the drives, or you will
have an opportunity to 'Hit F6 to install SCSI drivers', from a floppy.

Once XP is installed and running in a partition on drive 0, then you can
go to its Control Panel - Admin Tools - Computer Management, select Disk
Management and look lower right for the graphics of the drives. R-click
Unallocated space and Create Partitions on them

You might want to consider setting up the other drives as dynamic disks
so you could span them in a RAID manner for your usage. See Help and
support - 'Glossary' on Dynamic volumes, and 'Diskpart' for information

The drive you initially boot is going to be C:\ whatever you do, and is
open to attacks. What may be of more use is to use a name other than
Windows for the folder where you install the system - having that on a
different partition would be a nuisance rather than a help - ; but I
think malware is sophisticated to the point where it will make little
difference

 

[DL]

Further, this post may be of interest;

Create the integrated install then from the run box;

D:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

http://www.microsoft.com/windows200...ws_2000_integrated_with_the_service_pack_rpmd

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect