Installing an operating system is no more a tough task as you are now having bootable cds that will do most of the part with a few inputs from your side. If you are installing on an old hard disc, be sure to backup the data for future usage.
Preparation
You need to check for the system requirements and ensure that you have the necessary hard ware. Disk partitioning is often an important task with XP and you have to plan the number of partitions you prefer. Choose the file system you wish to have – FAT, FAT32 or NTFS.
Beginning
You can install from the cd directly, which is very convenient and when you don’t have any other operating system in your computer. Otherwise, boot the system, open the cd from the existing operating system, and click on WINNT32.EXE to start installing XP.
Installing
Installation involves text based and GUI based program. Initially you have to partition the disk if the hard disk is not partitioned. Otherwise, you can proceed. If you want to install other mass storage devices, you have to press F6 and install. After selecting file system, you can proceed to the GUI screen which will have customization options. You can select any customization or else you can do this later at any time. Proceed by clicking next and you will end up with screen asking for default user name and password. Once specified, you are finished with the installation. Reboot and check if XP is working.