Install Windows XP Professional

I'm gonna describe here how to install Windows XP Professional edition, step by step, from a bootable CD.

1. Start the computer from the CD.


2. You can press F6 if you need to install additional SCSI adapters or other mass-storage devices. If you do you will be asked to supply a floppy disk with the drivers and you CANNOT browse it (or a CD for that matter). Make sure you have one handy.

3.Setup will load all the needed files and drivers.

4.Select To Setup Windows XP Professional Now. If you want, and if you have a previous installation of XP, you can try to fix it by pressing R (only if you know what to do in the recovery console). If not, just press ENTER.

5.Read the licensing agreement and press F8 if you accept it.

6.Select or create the partition on which you will install Windows XP Professional. Depending upon your existing disk configuration choose one of the following:

• If the hard disk is unpartitioned, you can create and size the partition on which you will install Windows XP Professional.

• If the hard disk is already partitioned, but has enough unpartitioned disk space, you can create an additional partition in the unpartitioned space.

• If the hard disk already has a partition that is large enough, you can install Windows XP Professional on that partition. If the partition has an existing operating system, you will overwrite that operating system if you accept the default installation path. However, files other than the operating system files, such as program files and data files, will not be overwritten.

• If the hard disk has an existing partition, you can delete it to create more unpartitioned space for the new partition. Deleting an existing partition erases all data on that partition.

If you select a new partition during Setup, create and size only the partition on which you will install Windows XP Professional. After installation, use Disk Management to partition the remaining space on the hard disk.

Summer's here: Cool it down!

Most desktop PCs run comfortably when their internal temperature is between 16 and 43 degrees Celsius. Internal temperatures over 43 degrees can stress delicate circuits and electrical contacts, which may substantially shorten your computer's life. Hard drives are especially vulnerable when the temperature goes up: Data transfers slow down, and data written to the disk is more likely to be lost. Here's how to beat the PC heat:
Big amplitudes: The biggest temperature changes occur when you turn your system on and off, so leave your PC on but use its power-management functions to keep its innards as cool as possible when it's idle.
Fans:

The primary air mover in most PCs is the power-supply fan, although some systems have an additional ventilation fan built into the case. Even in relatively clean offices, dust can accumulate on the fan intakes and seriously obstruct airflow. Clean your PC's fans and fan intakes regularly, especially if you hear a change in the fans' one-note whir. If your CPU's fan or heat sink stops functioning properly, a CPU failure won't be far behind.
Monitor your temperatures: There are many programs which can show you the CPU and Chipset temperatures, as well as the fan speeds, but some of them don't support your hardware, so in most cases they won't show the correct values. The BIOS shows the most correct values, because it's built especially for your mainboard.