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How To Fresh Install Windows X P Pro Without A Recovery C D
1. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Last updated March 23 2005
In this step-by-step guide, I will show you in details how can you
accomplish the following:
1- Create a bootable Windows XP Pro (WXPP) CD with service pack 1a
or 2 (SP1a or SP2).
2- Format your hard disk drive (HDD).
3- Install a clean copy of WXPP.
4- Download and install all the necessary drivers/applications for your
ThinkPad notebook (TP).
Usually people want to format the HDD and install a clean copy of WXPP
to get rid of many software and applications that come preloaded with
the new computers or to configure WXPP the way they want. You can
use this guide if the following are true:
1- You have a folder called i386 on your HDD or a recovery CD from
where you can extract that folder.
2- You have the WXPP product key for your computer. Most
manufacturers place a sticker on the back of the machine with this
number.
If you do not meet these two requirements, stop here and look
somewhere else.
What we are doing here is just reinstallation for the copy of WXPP that
you have paid for when you bought your computer.
Important Note: You must follow all the instructions in this guide
whether your computer came preloaded with SP1 or SP2.
Note: This guide is oriented towards IBM ThinkPad T series (TP).
However, most of the steps are general and you can just skip the steps
that deal with TP.
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4. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 2
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 2: Download SP1a or SP2.
Choose which service pack you want to slipstream to WXPP:
A- For SP1a, download the network installation from here. It is about 125MB.
or
B- For SP2, download the network installation from here. It is about 266MB.
Note: If you chose to go with SP1a, you can always update your system later with SP2. However, your WXPP
installation CD will have SP1a not SP2.
click here
for SP1a
screenshot
Note: This is the English version. Other language versions could have different names.
Step 1 Step 3
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11. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 7
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 7: Extract and Integrate SP1a or SP2.
In this step we will extract the service pack from the file we downloaded from Microsoft and
integrate it with the installation folder i386.
1- Click Start > Run...
2- Based on the service pack you downloaded, type the following in the Open text box:
For SP1a C:xpsp1_en_x86.exe -s:C:bcdcdswxpprofiles
or
For SP2 C:WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe -s:C:bcdcdswxpprofiles
3- Click OK
Note: I assume you saved the service pack file under C: If not, write the correct path.
Important Note: You must do this step even if your computer came preloaded with SP2. This step
is crucial to create a file called win51ip.SP2 which prevents the install CD from asking you to insert
the SP2 update CD during the installation.
click here for SP1a screenshot
The service pack first is extracted...
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12. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 7
then it is integrated with your installation folder.
When the process completes successfully, you will see this window:
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14. [4saad.com] Integrate SP1a screenshot
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15. [4saad.com] Integrate SP1a screenshot
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16. [4saad.com] Integrate SP1a screenshot
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17. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 8
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 8: Create the Bootable CD.
In this step we will first create a bootable ISO image and then burn it to a CD using the BCD package.
1- Insert a blank CD in your CD-RW/DVD-RW drive.
Note: Try first to use a CD-RW disk instead of CD-R in case something went wrong, you do not lose a CD. After
you test the CD-RW, you can copy it to a new CD-R and keep it somewhere safe.
2- Click Start > Run...
3- Type the following in the Open text box:
C:bcdbcd wxppro
3- Click OK
You should see the following window.
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18. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 8
Then you will be asked to insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW. Insert the blank CD and press ENTER.
Note: The CD image (bcd.iso) is saved in your temporary folder quot;C:Documents and SettingsUser NameLocal
SettingsTempquot; in case you want to burn it using your own burning software.
After inserting the blank CD, you should see the burning progress. The next screenshot shows that 15MB of
575MB has been copied to the CD.
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20. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 9
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 9: Get the Product Key.
By now you should have a bootable WXPP CD with SP1a or SP2 that you can use to install a clean
copy of WXPP on your machine. Before we proceed any further, we need first to get the product key
for the WXPP copy which you have paid for when you purchased your computer.
Check the back of your computer and look for a Windows sticker with a product key. Write down this
key on a piece of paper.
If you did not find that sticker, it is probably included with the documentation package that came
with your computer. If it is not there, call the computer's manufacturer and ask for it.
Note: If you chose to use the key on the bottom of the machine to install WXPP, you will need to
activate your windows by calling Microsoft. To bypass the activation, follow the instructions below.
How to bypass the activation process?
1- Go to the original folder i386 and search for this file unattend.txt.
2- Open that file using any text editor (e.g. WordPad, NotePad, ...) and search a line starts with
ProductKey.
3- Write down the key number in that line on a piece of paper.
4- Use this product key during the installation instead of the one you got from the sticker.
5- You will not be asked to activate your windows.
Important Note: For this trick to work you need to extract the product key from quot;unattend.txtquot; in
the original i386 folder not the one that has been modified by the service pack integration.
If this trick did not work for you and you still want to bypass the activation, use Magical Jelly Bean
Keyfinder to extract the product key from the registry. Download this free tool from here.
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22. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 10
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 10: Disable IBM Partition.
Note: This step is only applicable to the IBM ThinkPad (TP) users with
the hidden IBM partition. If you do not have this partition, skip this
step.
IBM notebooks come with a tool called Rapid Restore which can be used
to restore the system to a healthy state usually the state when you first
got the notebook from IBM. This tool utilizes a hidden partition on the
HDD which is inaccessible by other parts of the system including the
bootable CD we just created.
Therefore, before we install WXPP, we need to disable this partition so
the installation CD can see it and hence format it with the rest of the
drive. This can be done through the BIOS only.
1- Boot up your TP.
2- When you see the IBM screen, press F1. This will take you to the
BIOS.
3- Select Security.
4- Select IBM Predesktop Area and Select Disable.
5- Select Yes when you see a warning about disabling the partition.
6- Click F10 and save the changes.
7- Now the notebook will restart. Log on and go to My Computer. Check
if you can see the IBM partition. If you can see it, proceed to the next
step. If you cannot, repeat 1-6 and check again.
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25. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 12
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 12: Install Windows XP Pro.
Now you are ready to install a clean copy of WXPP on your computer.
Note: This step involves formatting your entire HDD and hence losing all data you may have there. So make sure you
backup your important files before you proceed.
1- Insert the bootable CD you created in step 8 into your CD/DVD drive.
2- Reboot your computer.
3- If you see a message about hitting any key to boot the CD, do so now. Otherwise, you will see a message about
Setup inspecting your system.
4- Setup will load all the needed files and drivers.
5- Once the initialization process completes, you will see quot;Welcome to Setupquot; screen with three options. For clean install,
select the first option by pressing ENTER.
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26. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 12
6- Read the licensing agreement and then press F8.
7- The setup will detect your existing OS on partition C and ask you whether you want to repair it or just install a fresh
copy of WXPP. To select the latter, press ESC.
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27. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 12
8- Now use the up and down arrow keys to select the partition in which you wish to install WXPP. Select partition C and
press ENTER.
Note: If you have not deleted IBM partition yet and merge it with the main partition C, you should see another partition
below partition C. Just discard it for now and select partition C to install WXPP.
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28. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 12
9- Since you selected a partition that already has an OS on it, you will be prompted to confirm your selection. Press C.
10- The next screen is asking for the type of disk formatting to be used. Ideally, NTFS files system is the best for WXPP.
As for which to choose Quick or Regular format, it is totally your call. To find out the difference between these two kind
of format, read this Microsoft article.
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32. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 15
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 15: Download Drivers.
Note: This step is only applicable to ThinkPad notebooks (TP).
1- Copy the folders DRIVERS and IBMTOOLS that you backed up in step 1 to this path C:DRIVERS and C:
IBMTOOLS.
2- Start ThinkPad Software Installer you installed in step 14.
3- Select Install or upgrade drivers and click Next >.
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33. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 15
4- By default, the software will look for drivers in C:DRIVERS and C:IBMTOOLS. If you do not see them in the
locations list, add them by yourself. Also UNCHECK quot;Retrieve latest information on the internetquot;. We will use that
feature in the next step. Click Next >.
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34. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 15
5- The software will search for all drivers and utilities in these two folders.
6- A list of the available drivers and utilities will be given. The new (or updated) drivers will be selected by default.
Select the drivers/utilities you want to install and Click Install >.
Note: Although you can install more than one driver in the same step, I recommend you to install them one at a
time and restart your notebook after every installation. This is to avoid any drivers conflict and also to isolate any
problem due a faulty driver installation.
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36. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 16
How to Fresh Install Windows XP Pro without a Recovery CD
Step 16: Update the Drivers and IBM Applications
Note: This step is only applicable to ThinkPad notebooks (TP).
The drivers we installed so far are the ones that came preloaded in your notebook. These drivers could be outdated
or you might have missed an important driver in step 15. We use ThinkPad Software Installer to check IBM servers
for drivers updates or even new applications not currently installed.
1- Start ThinkPad Software Installer.
2- Select Install or upgrade drivers and click Next >.
3- CHECK quot;Retrieve latest information on the internetquot; and click Next >.
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37. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 16
4- ThinkPad Software Installer will compare the drivers currently available on IBM servers and the ones already
installed on your computer.
5- Accept the license agreement and click Next >.
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38. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 16
6- A list of more recent drivers and applications is offered to you. Select the ones you need and click Next >.
Note: click on the package name to read the release text file. From there you can see what is new in this version
and decide whether it is worth updating.
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39. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 16
7- ThinkPad Software Installer will download the selected drivers and extract them to C:DRIVERS. ThinkPad
Software Installer asks you now to install these drivers (they are selected by default). Note the version available and
the version installed to double check your selection. click Install.
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40. [4saad.com] Fresh Windows XP Pro Install - Step 16
8- A message will be given to confirm that the installation was successful.
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