First boot:: installing OS and drivers, etc.

[Guest]

I am searching here, reading, Google-ing. too. If you know a clear and reliable on-line guide or video showing how to do first boot, OS install, drivers install, etc. please post a link. I know this is a "asked a million" times question. Im looking at YouTube videos and its hard to see the screen.

Win XP Pro 32-bit SP3 (due to some old software)
GIGA GA-EP45-UD3R
Intel E8400
Power Supply: Corsair 750W (arrived, crushing my ram in one box from Newegg)
3 x Caviar Black 640gb, 32mb cache SATA
EVGA nVidia 9500GT 1gb for photo work.
RAM: Mushkin 2 x 2gb RAM 1066 5-4-4-12
Case: Antec 900

I use pull SONY CD IDE from my old rig.

What do I do first? Do I need to do a full format of the drive that will become my boot drive? Should I do that to do error-checking before I use it to make a living on this workstation? I boot from the CD - when I first turn on, I can move CD to top of boot order just in BIOS with no OS loaded yet, correct?

Any pointers appreciated.

Oh, I am using XP Pro SP3 - if there are any setting that i should select or deselect in install, please let me know. For example, I do not like energy saving or sleep modes. When Im working, i need full-power, no sleep all the time (just like me lol)..

Thanks! I am searching and reading... just need one best reference.

EXCITED!!!

 

[TomNJ]

Yes, you make the CD-ROM first in the boot order. Put the XP disk in, and reboot. Windows Setup should start.

When Windows starts to install, assuming all goes well, it will recognize and format your new hard drive. You don't need to do it yourself. If you're using SP3, it should work -- my copy of XP SP2 was able to recognize my new SATA drive without any trouble.

You may need to download the latest sound driver from the Gigabyte site -- the one on their CD did not work for me. I didn't get any sound until I downloaded the latest driver.

 

[Guest]

What about the board - there are chipset drivers? XP Pro will boot with "generic drivers"? - then I load the Gigabyte CD for chipset drivers? ...I check for updated Gigabyte driver for sound and also for chipset?

First time Ive even done this - thanks!

 

[Outlander_04]

First thing . XP doesnt install on sata drives without installing a sata driver /AHCI RAID driver from a floppy disc first . You can download this from intel , or you can theoretically get it off the driver disc and on to a floppy [ but Ive had trouble with gigabyte driver discs and floppys ]

When you first boot from the CD it will ask you to press F6 to install drivers . You have about 30 seconds to select that option . Follow the instructions .

If the hdd's are not in a RAID then I would add the other drives after you have installed windows .


There will also be an option in BIOS to disable AHCI and run the hard drives in native PATA mode . If you dont have the floppy drive do that . You can add the AHCI drivers after windows has installed . AHCI adds NCQ and RAID potential .
If you are creating a RAID you will need to do so b4 windows installs .

Reading the manual can help but has never been popular

 

[TomNJ]

When it comes to XP and SATA, it depends. Some XP SP2 discs can recognize and support SATA drives. I just installed XP Pro SP2 onto a new WD SATA drive, using my Microsoft retail copy, and I didn't need to slipstream any drivers. However, I do recognize that this is the exception, not the rule.

 

[Guest]

I will see if my XP SP3 will recognize SATA. If not, then I will reinstall and attempt to load ACHI from floppy - I have an old floppy drive that I can resurrect.

I will get the ACHI driver from Intel.

Thanks!
ps: I am reading the Gigabyte manual - I will see if I an find my XP manual ...lost in my move.