New Install: System Disk Neccesary?

[Insomniak]

This is one of those stupid n00b questions. When installing Windows2000/XP on an as yet untouched drive, do you need to format and partition the drive, and make a partition bootable before attempting to install the OS?

I was under the impression that with Windows 2000 on up, you could just pop in the install CD (so long as it's not an upgrade), use the install to format the disk, and then install the OS off of that. Is it neccesary to prep the disk with a system disk/fdisk before doing this, or no?

If someone could write me out a nice step-by-step of OS install on a virgin hard drive, I would greatly appreciate it....

 

[TheGreenGoblin]

You won't need to use a boot disk to format beforehand. Your prompted to do so during installation when you boot off the cd.

Just follow the instructions on screen. It isn't very difficult. Don't worry if you see 8 Megabytes of unallocated space on the drive after partitioning , it's normal.

 

[Insomniak]

Yeah, that's how I'd done it on all my previous builds...I didn't want to think I'd gotten lucky three times in a row, but you never know...

Anywaym good. This means my housemate's recent failed build that I directed and supervised was due to a Motherboard defect, not improper software installation.

 

[Abzstrak]

Even NT4 did this, only those psuedo OS's based on DOS didn't have these options.

 

[Twofootputt]

My OEM copy of W2K Pro needed bootdisks fo a new build. Used other computer, ran D:\bootdisk\makeboot.exe, made four floppies to start installation.

 

[Nothinman]

My OEM copy of W2K Pro needed bootdisks fo a new build

Your OEM disc was either intentionally limited or broke, even NT4 (and probably NT3.1) was able to be installed directly from CD.