Best Way to Install WinXp w/ Hardware...One at a Time, or All at Once???

[rpr]

I have a new motherboard and hard drive, so I'm also going to do a clean install of WinXP. In the past, Win 98 seems to do better when I have installed one piece of hardware at a time instead of expecting it to properly configure and assign IRQ's, etc for all of my hardware at once. What is the best way to setup hardware with a clean install of Win XP? Should I install one piece of hardware at a time (ie: video card, then sound card, then NIC, etc) or should I let WinXp do it in one shot?

Are there implications with the Windows Activation Protocol that I should be aware of? Tx.

 

[darth maul]

The proper way for me to reply is to tell you to do one at a time. But, to tell you the truth, I never have done it that way. I slap in my video, sound, nic, etc. and boot away! Either its luck, or its proper placement of each card in the machine, or it works cause thats how its supposed to work, or better yet a combination of those factors.

 

[John]

Install ALL the hardware then install XP.

 

[GTaudiophile]

I prefer to install just the videocard before installing the OS, and then installing everything else. There seemed to be less "confusion" this way. With WinXP's new "only allowed to make 8 changes before we call Big Brother," I am not sure what is best.

 

[rpr]

So does that mean that if I let WinXP install everything at once (say 8 pieces of hardware: vid card, sound card, NIC, modem, scanner, video cam, mouse, keyboard), it is only considered one hardware change to WinXP's Big Brother Activation Protocol? Whereas if I individually install each of my 8 pieces of my hardware, then that is 8 "hits" and I am at my limit with the Activation Protocol?

 

[bacillus]

<< So does that mean that if I let WinXP install everything at once (say 8 pieces of hardware: vid card, sound card, NIC, modem, scanner, video cam, mouse, keyboard), it is only considered one hardware change to WinXP's Big Brother Activation Protocol? Whereas if I individually install each of my 8 pieces of my hardware, then that is 8 "hits" and I am at my limit with the Activation Protocol? >>


I would defer activation till you've got all your hardware installed & running properly!
also if XP has native drivers for all your hardware then I'd install all at once.

 

[rpr]

Ah hah! I didn't realize you had control over when you "activate". I assumed it was automatic with each hardware upgrade. So what youn are saying is that I could install each piece of harware separately, one at a time, and activate only after they are all playing nice together, and that would only be one "hit" as far as the Activation Protocol is concerned. Please correct me if I misunderstood. Tx for all the help!

 

[bacillus]

correct!

 

[Om]

Each peice of hardware is installed one at a time by the OS anyway, regardless if it's all in the machine or not???
Not sure why you'd bother installing each peice of hardware one at a time? I mean if you tried installing XP or any other OS and you have major issues then I'd say yes start talking things out and try again, but there's no benefits to doing this unless you have a conflict?

 

[ChrisADuffy]

I installed all hardware at the same time. No trouble, just had to update all my drivers.