CREATING A PASSWORD RESET DISK ON A COMPUTER THAT IS A MEMBER OF A WOR...

2-2 Chapter 2 Installing Windows XP Professional

Lesson 1: Preparing for Installation

When you install Windows XP Professional, the Windows XP Professional Setup pro-

gram allows you to specify how to install and configure the operating system. Prepar-

ing in advance helps you avoid problems during and after installation.

After this lesson, you will be able to■

Verify that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for installing

Windows XP Professional.

■

Verify that hardware is compatible with Windows XP Professional.

■

Create a partitioning scheme appropriate for an installation.

■

Choose a file system appropriate for an installation.

■

Join a domain or workgroup during installation.

■

Update installation files using Dynamic Updates.

■

Explain how Microsoft grants software licenses.

Estimated lesson time: 70 minutes

Overview of Preinstallation Tasks

Before you start the installation, you should complete the following tasks:

■

Ensure that your hardware meets the requirements for installing Windows XP Pro-

fessional.

■

Determine whether your hardware is in the Windows Catalog.

■

Decide how you will partition the hard disk on which you will install Windows XP

Professional.

■

Choose a file system for the installation partition.

■

Determine whether your computer will join a domain or a workgroup.

■

Complete a preinstallation checklist.

Windows XP Professional Hardware Requirements

Before installing Windows XP Professional, you must determine whether your hard-

ware meets or exceeds the minimum requirements for installing and operating Win-

dows XP Professional, as shown in Table 2-1.