SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Before you install Windows XP Professional you should ensure that
your hardware meets the system requirements. These may vary based
on your system configuration, click here
for more details and the complete system requirements listed at Microsoft.com
| CPU |
Minimum
required: 233 MHz
Recommended: 300 Mhz or higher processor
Supports Dual-processor. |
| RAM |
64
MB minimum supported
128 MB or higher recommended
4 GB maximum supported |
| Disk
space |
1.5
gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space |
Other
requirements |
-
SVGA (800x600 or higher) display adapter and monitor
- CD-ROM or DVD drive
- Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device |
HCL
You should also ensure that you hardware is listed in the Hardware
Compatibility List. You can download the HCL in text file format here.
When not all your hardware is on the HCL it does not necessarily mean
you cannot use it with Windows XP, check the vendor's web site if
they have a XP driver for their device.
THE INSTALLATION
A typical installation of Windows XP Professional from a CD-ROM consists
of 4 stages described below:
1. Starting Setup
If your computer is able to boot from CD-ROM, the easiest way to start
setup is to boot from the Windows XP Professional installation CD.
During this stage, which is also known as the text-based portion of
setup, a mini Windows XP is loaded on the target computer and starts
the setup program. After accepting the license agreement, setup prompts
you to create or choose a partition where Windows XP should be installed.
If you choose to create a new partition setup formats the new partition
as either FAT32 or NTFS, depending on your choice.
If the target computer is not able to boot from CD-ROM, or you want
more control over the setup process and parameters, you can start
setup manually using winnt32.exe or winnt.exe, both described below.
Winnt32.exe
Performs an installation of or upgrade to Windows XP. You can run
winnt32.exe on Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, or XP. The following table
lists and describes the available command-line parameters for the
winnt32.exe command:
| Parameter |
Purpose |
| /checkupgradeonly |
Checks
your computer for upgrade compatibility with Windows XP. You
can save the results in a file, upgrade.txt in the system root
by default. |
| /cmd:command_line
|
Instructs
Setup to carry out a specific command before the final phase
of Setup. This would occur after your computer has restarted
and after Setup has collected the necessary configuration information,
but before Setup is complete. |
| /cmdcons |
Adds
the Recovery Console to the startup options. This option can
only be used when Windows XP is already installed. |
| /copydir:{i386|I64}\FolderName |
Creates
an additional folder within the folder in which the Windows
XP files are installed. For example use /copydir:i386\corpdrivers
to have Setup copy that folder to your newly installed computer,
making the new folder location systemroot\corpdrivers. Use /copydir
multiple times to create additional folders. |
| /copysource:FolderName
|
Creates
a temporary additional folder within the folder in which the
Windows XP files are installed and is deleted after Setup completes.
For example use /copysource:corpdrivers to have Setup copy that
folder to your newly installed computer, making the temporary
folder location systemroot\corpdrivers. Use /copysource multiple
times to create additional folders. |
| /debug[Level]:[FileName]
|
Creates
a debug log at the level specified, for example, /debug4:InstDbg.log.
The default log file is C:\systemroot\Winnt32.log, and the default
debug level is 2. Level 0 represents severe errors, 1 errors,
2 warnings, 3 information, and 4 detailed information for debugging. |
| /dudisable |
Discussed
below in "Post-installation Updates" |
| /duprepare:pathname |
Discussed
below in "Post-installation Updates" |
| /dushare:pathname
|
Discussed
below in "Post-installation Updates" |
| /m:FolderName |
Instructs Setup to look for installation files in this alternate
location first, instead of using the files from the default
location. |
| /makelocalsource |
Instructs
Setup to copy all installation source files to your local hard
disk. |
| /noreboot
|
Instructs
Setup to not restart the computer after the file copy phase
of Setup is completed so that you can run another command. |
| /s:SourcePath
|
Specifies
the source location of the Windows XP files. You can copy files
simultaneously from multiple servers, by using the /s:SourcePath
option multiple times (up to a maximum of eight) to specify
different source servers. |
| /syspart:DriveLetter |
Copies
Setup startup files to the hard disk and marks the disk as active.
This disk can then be installed into another computer. When
you start that computer, it automatically starts with the next
phase of Setup. You must always use the /tempdrive parameter
with the /syspart parameter. You can start Winnt32 with the
/syspart option on an x86-based computer running Windows NT
4.0, 2000, or XP. |
| /tempdrive:DriveLetter
|
Specifies
a drive letter to place temporary files. (note: for a clean
installation, Windows XP will also be installed on the specified
partition.) |
| /unattend[num]:[answer_file] |
Specifies
an answer file for unattended installations, discussed in detail
below in "unattended installations"
Num is the number of seconds between the time that Setup finishes
copying the files and when it restarts your computer. |
| /unattend |
Discussed
below in "unattended installation" |
| /udf:id
[,UDB_file] |
Specifies
an UDB file for unattended installations
Discussed below in "unattended installations" |
Winnt.exe
Performs an installation of Windows XP. If your hardware is compatible
with Windows XP, you can run winnt.exe at a Windows 3.x or MS-DOS
command prompt. The following table lists and describes the available
command-line parameters for the winnt.exe command:
| Parameter |
Purpose |
| /s:SourcePath |
Specifies
the source location of the Windows XP files. The location must
be a full path of the form x:\[Path] or \\server\share[\Path].
|
| /t:TempDrive
|
Directs
Setup to place temporary files on the specified drive and to
install Windows XP on that drive. If you do not specify a location,
Setup attempts to locate a drive for you. |
| /u:answer
file |
Discussed
below in "unattended installation" |
| /udf:ID
[,UDB_file] |
Discussed
below in "unattended installation" |
| /r:folder
|
Specifies
an optional folder to be installed. The folder remains after
Setup finishes. |
| /rx:folder
|
Specifies an optional folder to be copied. The folder is deleted
after Setup finishes. |
| /e:command
|
Specifies a command to be carried out just before the final
phase of Setup. |
| /a
|
Enables
accessibility options. |
| /? |
Displays
the parameters listed above. |
2. Setup Wizard
When the first stage of the installation completed, the computer reboots
and the GUI portion, known as the Setup Wizard, will start.
This will prompt you for regional settings to customize keyboard,
language, and locale settings. Information such as your name and organization,
the Computer name, Administrator password and time and date is also
entered during this stage.
3. Installing Network components
The next stage is Installing Network components, which includes
detecting the network interface card. You must also choose to join
a Domain or Workgroup during this stage. Typically the following components
are installed:
- Client for Microsoft Networks
- File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks
- Qos Packet Scheduler
- TCP/IP protocol suite.
4. Completing the installation
During this final stage Setup copies the remaining files, configures
the computer, saves the settings, removes temporary installation files,
and restarts the computer.
UNATTANTED INSTALLATIONS
There are several ways to perform an unattended installation of Windows
XP. Unattended means Setup will not require any user input during
the installation, although in practice this is not always the case.
But it allows you to install multiple computers without actually sitting
in front of them.
Setup Manager
The
Setup Manager (setupmgr.exe) can be used primarily to create or modify
answer files. When you start the Setup Manager, a wizard will take
you through all the steps involved, similar to going through a regular
Setup. Although answer files can be created manually using a simple
text editor, the Setup Manager provides a graphical interface allowing
you to easily create complex answer files. For example, answer files
with additional commands that run other installation and configuration
scripts when Setup is finished. Besides creating the default unattend.txt
answer files, you can also use the Setup Manager to create answer
files for Sysprep and RIS installations. When a regular unattend.txt
answer file is created you can also have Setup Manager create a distribution
folder with the installation files. Additional files (applications,
drivers, etc.) can be installed in the same folder.
The Setupmgr.exe file must be extracted from the DEPLOY.CAB file located
in the \Support\Tools folder on the XP installation CD. Before you
enter the the information (the answers) you would normally enter during
the installation process, you have to select the User Interaction
Level. You can choose from 5 different options:
|
Provide Defaults |
During
the installation the user will see the answers provided in the
answer file as defaults, the user can accept or change them.
|
| Fully
Automated |
Fully
automated installation. |
| Hide
Pages |
During
the installation the user will see the answers provided in the
answer file as defaults. Pages which answers are completely
provided by the answer file are hidden, the user cannot accept
or change those. |
| Read
Only |
During
the installation the user will see the answers provided in the
answer file as defaults, but cannot change them. |
| GUI
Attended |
This
automates only the text-based stage of the installation, the
user will have to enter the answers starting from the Setup
Wizard. |
At some point during the wizard, you need to provide the computer
name. If you specify multiple names, Setup Manager will also create
Uniqueness Database (UDB) files. The computer or user specific
values in these .udf files can be used to override the values provided
in the answer file.
If you want to perform an unattended installation from the command
prompt on Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, or XP, use Winnt32.exe, otherwise
use winnt.exe. For example to perform an unattended installation on
a computer named XPclient1, using unattend.txt as the answer file,
and overriding some of the answers with XPclient1 specific values
in the unnattend.udf file use the following command:
winnt32 /unattend:unattend.txt /udf:XPclient1,unattend.udf
or
winnt /u:unattend.txt /udf:XPclient1,unattend.udf
You can also use the /unattend parameter without specifying an answer
file to upgrade Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, or 2000 in unattended mode
and take all user settings from the 'previous' installation. If you
use the /udf parameter and do not specify an UDB_file, Setup will
prompt to insert a disk that contains the $Unique$.udb file.
When you want to perform an unattended installation by booting from
a CD-ROM, you need to rename the answer file to winnt.sif (default
is unnattend.txt) and copy it to a floppy disk. When Setup starts,
it looks for the winnt.sif file on the floppy disk and uses it to
provide the answer during the unattended installation.
Using answer files in combination with winnt32, winnt, or the CD rom/winnt.sif
combination is used for standardized deployment of Windows XP Professional
in situations where the target clients have many different hardware
configurations. If the target clients all have the same or very similar
hardware and configuration, RIS or disk duplexing is usually faster
to deploy Windows XP to a large number of clients.
Here's a sample part of an answer file:
[Data]
UnattendedInstall=Yes
MSDosInitiated=No
AutoPartition=1
[Unattended]
UnattendMode = FullUnattended
TargetPath = WinXPpro
FileSystem = LeaveAlone
OemPreinstall = No
OemSkipEula = Yes
[GuiUnattended]
TimeZone = "YourTimeZone"
OemSkipWelcome = 1
OemSkipRegional = 1
[UserData]
ComputerName = *
ProductKey = "Your product key"
[SetupMgr]
ComputerName0=XPclient1
ComputerName1=XPclient2
[Display]
BitsPerPel = 16
XResolution = 800
YResolution = 600
VRefresh = 60
[Components]
iis_common = On
iis_inetmgr = Off
iis_www = Off
iis_ftp = Off
iis_doc = Off
Fp_extensions = On
Indexsrv_system = On
Accessopt = On
Calc = On
Charmap = On
Chat = Off
Clipbook = On
Deskpaper = On
Dialer = On
[TapiLocation]
CountryCode = "1"
Dialing = Pulse
AreaCode = "Your telephone area code"
LongDistanceAccess = 9
[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes
[Identification]
JoinDomain = TEcorp.net
DomainAdmin = Administrator
DomainAdminPassword = XEkdf7834H
[URL]
Home_Page = http://www.techexams.net
Search_Page = http://www.google.com
Quick_Link_1 = http://www.techexams.net
[Proxy]
HTTP_Proxy_Server = proxysrv12:80
Use_Same_Proxy = 1
[GuiRunOnce]
Command0=c:\task1.bat
Here's
an example of a simple .udf file, which can be used in combination
with the answer file above:
;SetupMgrTag
[UniqueIds]
1=UserData
2=UserData
[1:UserData]
ComputerName=xpclient1
[2:UserData]
ComputerName=xpclient2
System Preparation Tool
The System Preparation Tool (sysprep.exe) is used to assist in performing
a large deployment of Windows XP on clients with identical hardware
configurations. This process is fairly simple:
First Windows XP Professional is installed and completely configured
on a master disk. Next, an image of the client is created using
sysprep.exe (remember that only a single partition can be imaged).
This image can be duplicated to other disks using third-party disk
duplication software. A duplicate of the master disk is placed in
a target machine, and when this computer boots a mini-setup will
be performed and a new SID is generated. You can use the Setup Manager
Wizard to create a mini-answer file named sysprep.inf. This file
must be placed in the Sysprep folder on the root where Windows is
installed or saved to a floppy disk, and inserted at the beginning
of Mini-Setup. (Click here
for more information about using Sysprep with sysprep.inf.)
The Sysprep.exe file must be extracted from the DEPLOY.CAB file
located in the \Support\Tools folder on the XP installation CD and
supports the following parameters:
| Parameter |
Purpose |
| pnp |
force
Plug and Play enumeration on next restart |
| quiet |
run
in Silent mode, with no dialog boxes |
| nosidgen |
do
not regenerate security ID on restart (this is useful for creating
a backup image of a client) |
| reboot |
automatically
restart when the Sysprep.exe tool is finished |
| mini |
Configures
Windows XP Professional to use Mini-Setup instead of Windows
Welcome. This option has no effect on Windows XP Home Edition,
where the first-run experience is always Windows Welcome. This
switch also forces SysPrep to recognize the Sysprep.inf file. |
Remote Installation Services (RIS)
One of the best additions to Windows introduced in Windows 2000 is
RIS. This service allows you to push automate remote installations
of Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Professional clients.
First Windows XP Professional is installed and configured on a client,
including software applications and other settings. Next, an image
of the client is created using riprep.exe ( only a single partition
can be imaged). The riprep.exe command offers the same parameters
as the sysprep.exe tool described earlier. The image is stored on
the RIS server. When a target client's boot order is set to "boot
from network" (in the BIOS) it receives basic IP addressing info
and a mini-Setup (Client Installation Wizard) starts. Again the answers
to this mini-setup can be provided by a special answer file created
with Setup Manager. (Click here
for more information about using answer files and RIS).
Instead of creating a new preconfigured RIS image, you can also use
the default CD-ROM based image. There must be at least one Windows
XP CD-ROM based image to allow target clients to request additional
installation files if needed.
There are a couple of things you need in a network to be able to install
RIS and perform remote installations.
Network in which clients are installed needs:
- a DHCP server
- Active Directory
- a DNS server
Target clients:
Besides enough available disk space for Windows XP and temporary installation
files the target clients must have a Network Interface Card equipped
with PXE Boot Rom version .99c or greater. If Pre-boot Execution Environment
(PXE) is not supported use rbfg.exe (located in the \remoteinstall\admin\i386
folder on the Windows 2000 RIS server) to create a remote boot floppy.
Users:
The user used to perform RIS installations needs the right Create
Computer Objects in Active Directory.
Click here
for more detailed information in the chapter RIS in the Windows XP
Resource Kit.
UPGRADING TO WINDOWS XP
Windows 98, ME, NT 4 Workstation, 2000 Professional can be directly
upgraded to Windows XP Professional. If you want to upgrade from Windows
95 you need to upgrade to Windows 98 first, and if you want to upgrade
from Windows NT 3.x you need to upgrade to Windows NT 4 first.
Run winnt32.exe with the /checkupgrade only parameter to check if
the target machine meets the minimum system requirements. You can
save the results in a file, upgrade.txt in the system root by default.
There are several ways to address problems with applications that
do not run properly after the upgrade:
- Reinstall the applications after the upgrade.
- Use migration dynamic-link libraries (DLLs)
- Run the application in Compatibility Mode by right-clicking the
application, selecting Properties, and then clicking the Compatibility
tab.
MIGRATING USER ENVIRONMENTS
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard
This tool allows users who with a new computer to migrate their own
files and settings by using a direct cable connection or the network
and without the support of an admin. When you run the wizard you'll
have to choose the transportation method, which can be removable media,
a direct serial cable connection or the network. Then you can customize
which settings and files are included in the migration. This includes
display settings, Internet Explorer and Outlook setting, and regional
settings.
User State Management Tool (USMT)
The User State Management Tool (USMT) provides the same functionality
as the wizard, but on a large scale targeted at migrating multiple
users. USMT gives administrators command line precision in customizing
specific settings such as unique modifications to the registry. The
User State Migration Tool consists of two executable files, ScanState.exe,
LoadState.exe, and four migration rule information files Migapp.inf,
Migsys.inf, Miguser.inf, and Sysfiles.inf. These files are located
on the Windows XP CD in the \valueadd\msft\usmt\ folder.
A user can run Scanstate.exe on a Windows 95, 98, NT Workstation 4.0,
or 2000 Professional computer and it will collect the data and settings
based on the information in the migration rule .inf files mentioned
above. A local admin can then run Loadstate.exe on the target Windows
XP Professional computer to migrate the data and the settings.
POST-INSTALLATION UPDATES
If you are performing an upgrade to Windows XP Professional on a computer
with Internet connectivity, you can have setup uses Dynamic Update
to check online for newer versions of the installation files. Instead
of using the Internet for each installation, you can also place the
updated files on a share in the network.
There are three related parameters for the winnt32.exe command:
/dudisable
Prevents Dynamic Update from running and will disable Dynamic Update
even if you use an answer file and specify Dynamic Update options
in that file. Setup will only use the original Setup files.
/duprepare:pathname
Prepares an installation share so that it can be used with Dynamic
Update files that you downloaded from the Windows Update Web site.
This share can then be used for installing Windows XP for multiple
clients.
/dushare:pathname
Specifies a share on which you previously downloaded Dynamic Update
files (updated files for use with Setup) from the Windows Update Web
site, and on which you previously ran /duprepare:pathname. When used
on a client, it specifies that the client installation will make use
of the updated files on the share specified in pathname.
SERVICE PACKS
Once in a while Microsoft releases a Service Pack; a combination of
all previous updates and hot-fixes and some new ones. A
service pack can be installed by using the command:
update.exe
To uninstall a service pack, change to the %systemroot%\$NtservicepackUninstall$\spuninst
folder and type: spuninst.exe -u
ACTIVATING WINDOWS XP
Windows XP introduces a new method to prevent piracy: if you don't
activate your copy of Windows online within 30 days you don't you
won't be able to use it any longer. An Installation ID is created
based on a hardware ID (based on several hardware components) and
a Product ID (based on the Product Key) and is send to Microsoft.
Replacing several hardware devices might require re-activation. MS
does not know the actual hardware configuration, the information is
encrypted using a on-way hash, which means it can't be decrypted.
To activate Windows from the command-prompt type:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\oobe>msoobe /a
To activate Windows XP unattended installations, add the following
information to the Unattend.txt or Winnt.sif answer file:
In the [Unattended] section: AutoActivate = Yes
In the [UserData] section: ProductID = yourProductID
Windows Product Activation uses ports 80 - HTTP and 443 - HTTPS.
TROUBLESHOOTING INSTALLATIONS
Installations of Windows XP Professional can fail partly or completely
for many different reasons. Some common causes and possible solutions
are listed in the following table:
| Media
errors |
Check/clean
the CD-ROM drive and the installation CD. |
| Dependency
service fails to start |
This
is almost always network related. |
| SCSI
disk not detected |
Install
the drivers by pressing F6 during the text mode portion of setup. |
Windows Setup creates several log files during the installation listed
in the following table:
| SETUPACT.LOG |
Keeps
a record of all actions performed during setup. |
| SETUPERR.LOG |
Keeps
a record of errors that occurred during setup and their severity.
The information in this file will be displayed at the end of
setup if any errors occurred. |
| %windir%\COMSETUP.LOG |
COM+
components |
| %windir%\SETUPAPI.LOG |
Keeps
a record of each processed line from an .inf file and related
errors. |
| %windir%\debug\NETSETUP.LOG |
Logs
the process of joining a domain or workgroup. |
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