Order of installation

[Germonicus]

Hi,I'm going to be adding my new components over the weekend and I'm sure I read somewhere that the order in which you install the OS and drivers affects how well the system runs.I can't find the thread where this is mentioned sorry.

So could someone tell me what is the best order of installation or is it a trial and error thing depending on your mix of componenets?

 

[mechBgon]

Assuming a Windows XP system...

1. install Windows with the system isolated (no network cable, no wireless card/dongle)

2. install Service Pack 2 while the system is still isolated. This means having SP2 available on a CD-R or USB drive or something. Isolated = secure. SP2 gets your DirectX 9.0C installed too.

3. install mobo drivers and reboot. Anymore this will probably get at least one onboard NIC working.

4. install video drivers and reboot.

5. install other drivers, including CPU drivers if needed.

6. install security software (antivirus, alternate firewall if desired) and configure it to use all its goodies.

7. fully enable DEP like this

8. connect to the Internet and update antivirus software, reboot if needed, then drag the system through Windows Update and Office Update until it's coming up all patched.

9. take a snack break 🙂

 

[Germonicus]

Take a snack break? Could you be more specific please? Should that be chips n dips or a donut? 😛 sorry couldn't resist 😀

Thanks for the info mech 🙂

 

[piasabird]

Install OS
Note I recommend deleting all partitions and formatting drive.
if you have a utility to write zeroes to the drive that is an option that is even better.
Install Chipset Drivers for your motherboard
Install Video Card Drivers and other special hardware.

 

[Brazen]

Go here: http://unattended.msfn.org

They have instructions for slipstreaming the Service Pack and drivers onto an XP installation disc. There is also a group of driver packs with a script to automatically slipstream every known driver (to the pack maintainer anyway) on to a disc (which is then big enough to require being burned to DVD rather than CD). This is what I use (in a corporate environment) and it is FANtasTIC!

BTW: I would give the exact location of the driver pack, but the site seems to be down right now.

 

[sourceninja]

Yea, I used to always make a slipstream CD to install for me. I'm lazy like that. Then after I get a nice installation, I always make a drive image just incase anything goes wrong.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Germonicus
Take a snack break? Could you be more specific please? Should that be chips n dips or a donut? 😛 sorry couldn't resist 😀

Given the choice, I would go with the chips 'n dips over the donuts. You could basically include consumption of chips & dips in every single step if you wanted. But I really lean towards having pizza somewhere during the building and OS install. It's sort of like smashing a bottle of champagne across the bow of a new ship 😉