INSTALLING WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL FROM AN EXISTING OPERATING SYSTEMIF...

2-25Lesson 3 Installing Windows XP Professional over the Network

Lesson 3: Installing Windows XP Professional over the

Network

You can install Windows XP Professional over the network. This lesson discusses the

similarities and differences between installing from a CD-ROM and installing over the

network. The major difference is the location of the source files needed for installation.

This lesson also lists the requirements for an over-the-network installation.

After this lesson, you will be able to■

Prepare for a network installation

■

Install Windows XP Professional over a network

■

Modify the setup process using Winnt.exe

■

Modify the setup process using Winnt32.exe

Estimated lesson time: 10 minutes

How to Prepare for a Network Installation

In a network installation, the Windows XP Professional installation files are located in

a shared location on a network file server, which is called a distribution server. From

the computer on which you want to install Windows XP Professional (the target com-

puter), you connect to the distribution server, and then run the Setup program.

Figure 2-7 shows the requirements for a network installation.

Installation filesTarget computerDistribution serverRequirements for a network installation:· Distribution server· FAT partition on the target computer· Network client

F02us07

Figure 2-7

A network client contacts a distribution server for installation files.

Installing Windows XP Professional requires you to do the following: