XP install order

[Kyteland]

I'm just about to install XP on my system and was wondering what the accepted install order is. I ran across this the other day in this thread.
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=29&threadid=1032288&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=&STARTPAGE=3

1. Windows XP (Pro)
2. Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility
3. Microsoft Directx
4. Intel Application Accelerator
5. Any drivers there after[\q]

but in the same thread someone posted this:

The correct driver installation order is as follows:

1 Fresh Operating System Installation
2 Latest Service Pack or Patch
3 Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility (INF Utility)
4 All other device drivers
5 Intel(R) Application Accelerator if needed
6 Microsoft* DirectX* 8.0 or higher

Is there a general consensus on what order you should do these in? Thanks.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Here's what I did recently:

1) Update BIOS
2) Win2K
3) Latest INF files for Intel mobo
4) Latest Intel Application Accelerator
5) SP3
6) Latest NIC drivers
7) Windows Update: All critical updates
8) Windows Update: All recommended updates (starting with DX9.0a)
8) Latest Videocard driver
10) Latest Soundcard driver
11) Finish installing drivers
12) Install MS Office
13) Install other software
14) Install Norton Antivirus LAST

 

[Kyteland]

Hmmm, why didn't you install sp3 before you installed the intel drivers?

 

[0roo0roo]

two last things, live update/windows update like crazy. then ghost image.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: Kyteland
Hmmm, why didn't you install sp3 before you installed the intel drivers?

Dunno. Just think updated the mobo stuff should come first before you build on it.

 

[yhelothar]

install service packs BEFORE you install drivers.. because service packs have their own drivers.. and will overwrite your current drivers, that you want.. so you'll end up having to have to install the drivers twice!

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
install service packs BEFORE you install drivers.. because service packs have their own drivers.. and will overwrite your current drivers, that you want.. so you'll end up having to have to install the drivers twice!

very true

 

[pelikan]

I downloaded SP1a for XP and put it on a disk. Then:

XP
SP1a
mb drivers
critical updates
DX9
Video drivers
complete update
everything else

 

[Jeff7]

I'd advise installing SP1a as soon as possible after the main installation. It can solve some serious bugs. With a Silicon Image RAID controller I have, the RAID 0 setup did not survive a reboot after Windows XP is installed and arrives at the desktop - it would report some error the next time it tried to boot. Once I installed SP1a at the desktop there (off of a CD-RW), it rebooted fine.

 

[gramboh]

Just repeating above, I did this:

Windows
SP1a (burned to CD)
INF Motherboard drivers
DirectX 9.0a (burned to CD)
Video card drivers (burned to CD)
Network card driver
Windows Update all critical patches
Config everything in Windows (TCP, Firewall, graphics/desktop settings blahblah)
MS Office and any other apps going on system drive
Defrag (do it! My drive fragmented 24% just from the install load, and it only took a few minutes to defrag).

This was on an Asus P4P800 (865 chipset) with a WD Raptor as the drive.