Alignment issue -- Installing Win XP 32 bit on a new SSD

[WhipperSnapper]

I recently ordered a 64 GB Kingston V100 SSD off of Amazon (about $54.50 after a $40 rebate).

I want to install a 32 bit Windows XP Pro on it. Do I need to mess around with the alignment of this drive? I was thinking that maybe I should first install it in an external hard drive case, connect it via USB to a Vista laptop, and format/align first.

Do I need to mess around with anything like that or can I just add it directly into my Win XP rig and do a fresh install of Win XP Pro?

 

[Coup27]

You will have to create an aligned partition before entering the XP installer.

There are many ways to do this. The simplest is if you have access to a Windows 7 disc.

Boot the Windows 7 disc with the SSD connected as if you were going to install Windows 7 to the disk. Once you arrive at the drive partitioning section, create your partitions how you see fit. Once finished, exit the installer and power off.

Swap the installer discs so the XP installer is now in the drive. Run the XP installer and when you get to the partition selection section, choose the partition you want to install to and use the option NTFS quick format.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Could I download a Win 7 disc somewhere and use it for this purpose without having to have a CD-key or registration? All I have is my currently messed up XP rig and a laptop with Vista.

 

[E6700]

Could I download a Win 7 disc somewhere and use it for this purpose without having to have a CD-key or registration? All I have is my currently messed up XP rig and a laptop with Vista.

warez-bb

 

[Old Hippie]

I have a trial copy of the Paragon Alignment Tool if ya want to use it.

I'll put it on Rapidshare if ya want.

 

[Coup27]

Could I download a Win 7 disc somewhere and use it for this purpose without having to have a CD-key or registration? All I have is my currently messed up XP rig and a laptop with Vista.

Yes you could.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I have a trial copy of the Paragon Alignment Tool if ya want to use it.

I'll put it on Rapidshare if ya want.

Could I use that prior to installing Windows on the SSD? I think I'd be interested if it's pretty easy to use.

 

[razel]

Vista can create aligned partitions just like Win7. Yes, you can plug your SSD into your SATA-USB enclosure then plug that into your Vista laptop and create the partition. When you install XP, just choose that disk.

 

[zuffy]

Just download gpart and create the 1mb offset so you have the proper alignment. No need to reinstall the OS.

 

[groberts101]

razel hit the nail for ease of use with this particular OP's setup. Nothing to download.

I use my laptops for my desktops drives.. and my desktops for my laptops drives. lol

 

[WhipperSnapper]

So, right now the plan is for me to put the new SSD into an external case, and connect it to my Vista laptop by USB. Then what? When Visa sees the drive, do I right click and select Format?

 

[Coup27]

Right click my computer, click manage, then select disk management.

Find the disk and if it all appears as unallocated you will have to create a partition. If you only want a single partition on the SSD, then create a partition the size of the SSD and format it in NTFS. If there is already a single NTFS partition it would probably be safest to delete that so it becomes unallocated space and then remake it again. This way you will be sure it is aligned.

Then put the SSD back into your XP machine and at the installer stage select the partition and choose leave disk intact and go, or you could do an NTFS quick format if you wanted.

 

[groberts101]

all right there coup.. EXCEPT(IIRC).. do not quick format from that XP disk again. That will destroy the previous partitions 1024k offset created with Vista. But it's been more than a while since I used that method.. so I could be wrong.

 

[Coup27]

all right there coup.. EXCEPT(IIRC).. do not quick format from that XP disk again. That will destroy the previous partitions 1024k offset created with Vista. But it's been more than a while since I used that method.. so I could be wrong.

I thought it would leave the partition structure intact and just put a new file system down?

If theres any doubt then just use "leave file system intact".

 

[groberts101]

like I said.. not really sure and too lazy to test it again but you're probably right though now that I rethink it a bit.

I always use dedicated imaging for the last PC in the house to use XP(kids gaming rig).. so I haven't even installed XP from disk in more than 2 years now. They screw the install up and bloat it all to hell with junk.. I secure erase it.. I reload the saved image with the recovery disk.. then they're back to fresh and they start the process all over again. They aren't allowed on my other systems. lol

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Thanks for all the help, guys. Now I just need the Post Office to deliver my SSD.

 

[kmmatney]

I have several SSDs running in Windows XP. I've always aligned the partitions after installing XP, using either GParted or the Paragon Alignment trial. The last few builds, I've used GParted (you can Google it - free and OpenSource) and have been happy with it, although it is VERY slow. When using GParted, just move the partition so there is 1 MB of free space before it, and set the "Align To" option to "MiB" - that has aligned all of my SSDs so far.

 

[groberts101]

that would be the backwards way to do it and inevitably cost more writes to fresh nand as things get moved around at the physical level to put things right.

Pre-formatting is so easy to do it's not worth monkeying around with moving partitions after the fact.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

The SSD came in today. So I put in my external HD case and connected it via USB to my laptop with Vista. It seems like my best option is "Initialize Disk". I'm then presented with two options for the partitioning:

MBR: Master Boot Record

GPT: GUID Partition Table

Which one do I want to choose if my goal is to run it on Win XP?

EDIT--I figured out that I need MBR.

What Allocation Unit Size do I use? Default? (I'm doing this with Vista.)

 

[C1]

Save yourself some potential future headaches and fly with the Windows 4K default. While researching partitioning, AFT and drive alignment I uncovered features and applications which demand 4K unit size (eg, NTFS file compression is not possible on drives with a larger allocation size) and that's at least one reason it is the Windows standard/default.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I went with the default.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Now when I go to install XP Pro on it, it seems to do the install and then when it boots back up to finish the installation it says "A disk error occurred". I burned two CDs with nLite in the hopes that the problem was a need for a Sata driver, but so far no luck. I've tried several installs and it just says "A disk error occurred".

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I let it do the NTFS quick format this time and the Windows setup continued after the reboot. I hope that doesn't cock up the alignment.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Of course...then it gets to the part where it wants the product key and says I have the wrong key which is weird since it worked years ago when I installed on a spindle drive. Maybe the problem was bundling up service pack 3 with the regular install in nlite.

 

[groberts101]

yep.. that'll do it. Need to install the XP version that the key was generated with. THEN.. update to the later service packs after the base install. IIRC(been a while).. has something to do with the genuine advantage thingy.

Stupid MS made things too damned difficult as usual.