Ready to start up -- but how?

[Hans L]

This is my first build.

CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Motherboard ASUS P5B Deluxe WiFi-AP
Memory (RAM) Corsair VS1GB533D2 1+1 GB
Graphics card eVGA e-GeForce 7600 GT KO PCIe
Graphics card eVGA e-GeForce 7600 GS PCIe
Hard disk Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250620AS 250 GB
Monitors One Iiyama PLH431S + two PLE431S
Case Lian-Li PC-A10
PSU Seasonic S12 500 W
DVD burner NEC ND-4570 BK
USP APC BR900

I am not a gamer, and will not overclock. But I am almost ready to turn the on switch. While I have made changes in BIOS, upgrade BIOS, and partitioned disks before, I have not gone through the entire sequence for a new computer. So, I wanted to check that I am doing all things necessary and in the right order (maybe there is more than one way of doing it).

- Starting computer. During startup testing sequence, I press the Del button to get into the BIOS. I make the few changes in the BIOS that I need, and check that all is well there.

- Inserting my Partition Magic 8.0 disk in the optical drive, and rebooting.

- Upon the new startup, I partition the hard drive (SATA).

- I am now ready to install Windows XP Home (it will be Vista in mid-2007, but now, I'll use what I have, but with a fresh OS install and new installs of all my apps). I have some instructions for getting SP1 in there somehow, since my Win disk does not have SP1, and it is needed for the SATA HDD to work. But for now, I am mostly interested in knowing that I am doing things in the right order and that I have not forgotten a step or two.

Very grateful for your comments.

[kalniel]

Yup all fine. You don't even need the partition magic step as you can setup partitions as part of the install process prior to chosing one of them to install to.

[Hans L]

Thanks, Kalniel. And do you mean that the Windows install disk allows you to partition the new HDD?

[Clunk]

Yep, dump partition magic, not needed for an install. You will need SP1, or windows might not see the hard drives as large as they are.

One thing that i would suggest, just while you are installing windows, is to remove the second graphics card, just to avoid any issues. You may be ok with it in there, but it is one less thing to rule out if you do have any problems.

[Hans L]

Okay, Clunk, I will follow your advice about the second graphics card.

But let me persist about the partitioning: Will Windows install process allow me to partition the disk (I want one part for Windows and apps, and one for data), or do I use Partition Magic later to partition the disk, before I copy over my data?

[kalniel]

Okay, Clunk, I will follow your advice about the second graphics card.

But let me persist about the partitioning: Will Windows install process allow me to partition the disk (I want one part for Windows and apps, and one for data

Yes

[kidzer]

Yep, windows setup lets you creat a number of partitions - so it should do all you need

Edit: Ooh, snap

[Hans L]

Yep, windows setup lets you creat a number of partitions - so it should do all you need

Edit: Ooh, snap

Thanks, Kalniel and Kidzer.

And now, something entirely different: I have seen this "Edit" befoe, and have no idea what it is. Kidzer, what is this "Edit: Ooh, snap ..."

[kidzer]

I edited my post to say "Snap" (A la the card game ) because I posted at exactly the same time as Kalniel

The Edit button can be found at the bottom of all your posts, there might be a time limit on it however, i'm not sure

[Hans L]

Well, I have edited myself, but never seen the word "Edit" as a result. Perhaps you put it in manually. I never have, because I have edited right after I posted, and only to change spellings.

[FInalD]

Yeh, people put it in themeselves if they are adding to their post without creating a new one.

As for the running/installing of the PC that's all fine, as everyone else has said, Windows installer will allow you to create partitions easily.

Personally the way I prefer to do it is create 3 partitions on my main disc for Windows, Programs and Data, format and install Windows onto it's partition and leave the other two sections to be formatted later once Windows is installed. This avoids any conflicts that Windows installer might create.

FinalD

[Hans L]

FinalD, I don't know if this is a thing of the past, but I learned at one point never to install apps to any other drive than the default C. You installed it to D, E, etc, and sooner or later, deep inside an app, there was a hard-coded reference to the C drive, and your app bombed.

I have heard many opinions on splitting Windows and apps into two different drives, and people are split rather evenly between "a must" and "makes no difference". I have had Windows and apps in the same drive (C) now for years, and it has worked fine. Of course, I don't know if I am loosing out on advantages by not splitting them up.

[Hidden Hippo]

Not happened to me. I only have a Windows install and then essentials, such as drivers and software for those installed on my Windows partition, everything else is installed on my games drive, E:.

[FInalD]

I'm not fussed on speed advantages etc. I just prefer to install my programs away from Windows in a drive where I can easily find them. It keeps my Windows (C: ) drive free of clutter, it also means if I have to do a re-install or something in Windows breaks I don't have to worry about wiping C: as there is nothing of any real importance there.
Once re-installed I then have my D:/E: drive to refer back to as to what programs I had installed aswell.

I keep 'My Documents' on a seperate drive/partition from Windows aswell.

Currently I have my PC set up as follows;

1x320GB Seagate
C: - Windows
D: - Programs
E: - General data (My Documents, downloads etc.)

1x320GB Seagate
F: - Media (Music, Videos etc.)

If all goes pairshaped on my first drive I have my most important data stored on the other drive, as it's almost full (the Media drive) I'd rather not lose that data.

FinalD

[acrobat]

How do you get SP1 if you are installing windows from scratch from the CD? Or does it matter?

I'm going to be installing it onto a 320gig disk in the next couple of weeks, so I'm hoping to check it will install onto the full amount from my original WindowsXP cd.

Lastly, is installing onto SATA easy now? I remember when SATA was new and people where talking about having to flash their BIOS with a floppy first, or having to install SATA drivers for the disks using a floppy, before they could install windows. Does that still happen, or will it just install as normal nowdays?

Thanks in advance!

[FInalD]

It's the same as installing onto an IDE drive these days.

All current Windows CDs come with SP1 automatically and now most come with SP2 aswell, so you don't have to worry about that.

FinalD