How to Install Windows XP

(1)
Ensure that your computer can run Windows XP. Your computer will need to meet or exceed the minimum system requirements in order to run Windows XP. You can find your system information by either checking the computer manufacturer's manual, or by running DirectX Diagnostic on an existing Windows operating system of the computer.

To start the DirectX Diagnostic, open the Run dialog (press WinKey+R simultaneously), type dxdiag, and click OK.
Minimum System Requirements

300 MHz Intel or AMD CPU
128 megabytes (MB) of system RAM
1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available drive space
Super VGA (800x600) or higher display adapter
CD or DVD-ROM
Keyboard and mouse, or other pointing devices
Network Interface Adapter required for Internet and Network Connectivity
Sound card and speakers or headphones

(2)

Find your Windows XP Product Key. It is printed on a sticker on your software package or located on the computer itself. It is a string of 5 groups of characters (each 5 long), separated by dashes, resulting in 25 characters in all. You need the product key to complete installing Windows.

(3)

Set your computer to boot from CD/DVD. Before inserting the CD, you'll need to set your computer to boot from a CD instead of from the hard drive. This will allow you to load the Windows XP setup files before your computer boots to its installed operating system. You can change the boot order from the BOOT menu in your bios

To enter the BIOS of your computer, you usually press F9 or DEL when your computer starts or notifies you that you can enter "setup". Click the green "BIOS" link for more information.
In the BOOT menu, set the order so that your CD/DVD-ROM drive is set as the 1st Boot Device.
If you are installing Windows XP from a USB drive, make sure that the USB drive is set as the 1st Boot Device. You may need to have the USB drive inserted for it to appear as an option.

AND THEN

Load the installer. Once your Boot Order is set, insert the Windows XP CD into your drive and Save and Exit from the BIOS. Your computer will reboot and you will be presented with the message: Press any key to boot from CD. Press any key on your keyboard to start the Setup program.

Setup will load files necessary to begin the installation, which may take a few moments. Once the loading is complete, you will be taken to the Welcome screen.

Press ENTER to begin installation. Once the loading is complete, you will be taken to the Welcome screen. You are given several options, but if you are installing or reinstalling Windows XP, you’ll want to press ENTER to start the installation configuration.

Read the License Agreement. This document tells you what you can and can’t do with Windows, and your rights as the consumer. After reading, press F8 indicating you agree to the terms.

Select the partition you want to install on. You will see a list of available partitions on your installed hard drives. If you are installing Windows XP on a new hard drive, you should see only one entry labeled "Unpartitioned space." If you have a previous version of Windows or Linux installed on your computer, you will potentially have multiple partitions.

Installing Windows XP will erase all of the data on the partition that you choose. Select a partition that is empty or that contains data that you do not care to lose.
You can delete your partitions with the “D” key. This will return them to “Unpartitioned space”. Any data on the partition will be lost when it is deleted.

Create a new partition. Select the Unpartitioned space and press “C”. This will open a new screen where you can set the partition’s size from the available space. Enter the size in megabytes (MB) for the new partition and then press ENTER.

By default, the partition will be set to the maximum amount of available space. Unless you plan on creating multiple partitions, you can usually leave this at its default.
Windows XP requires at least 1.5 gigabytes (1536 MB) for its installation files, but you will want more than this for programs, documents, downloads, and other files. 5 gigabytes (5120 MB) is a good baseline amount for Windows XP, with more if you plan on installing a lot of programs.
You can create multiple partitions on a single drive. This can allow you to separate your programs from your movies and music, or to install another operating system. Windows XP can only be installed on one discrete partition.

Select your new partition. Once you’ve created your installation partition, you will be returned to the partition selection screen. Select your new partition, usually labeled "C: Partition 1 and press ENTER.

Select "Format the Partition using the NTFS File System" and press ENTER. NTFS is the preferred method, supporting a larger amount of disk space per partition than FAT, and including security features at the file system level. NTFS also includes system level compression. There are almost no situations anymore where choosing FAT would be preferable.

If your partition size is larger than 32 GB, you will not be given the option to choose FAT.
It is highly recommended to avoid Quick Format, as this skips an important process that checks the hard drive for errors or bad sectors. This scan is what consumes the majority of the time taken when performing a full format. If there are errors on a disk at the physical level, it's best to catch them now rather than later.

Wait for the format to complete. The system will now format the partition. The length of time this process requires depends on the speed and size of the drive. In general, the larger the partition, the longer the process will take.

Wait for the Setup files to copy. Windows will now start copying files from the installation disc and prompt you to reboot the computer when the process is completed. Press ENTER when prompted to reboot, otherwise it will do so automatically after 15 seconds.

Allow the computer to boot normally. You will see the message asking you to press a key to boot from CD. Ignore it and allow the computer to continue booting from the hard drive. You will see the Windows logo as the Setup program loads.

Wait for the installation to proceed. After the Windows logo goes away, you will see a list of steps remaining on the left side of the screen, and tips for using windows on the right. The time remaining for the installation will be displayed below the list of steps remaining.

It is normal for the screen to flicker, turn on and off, or resize during this process.

Choose your language and region settings. During the installation process a dialog window will appear, asking you to choose your Regional settings. Select appropriate settings native to your area. Click the Next button when that is completed.