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Motherboard install question

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I'm going to build my new system from scratch for the first time in a long time. I am going to be using a reformatted HD that had had Win98SE on it, will install Win XP. Here's the order I was going to do it, guidance is requested as to whether this is the right order:

Reformat HDD, assemble Mobo and hardware. Boot up and configure the BIOS, install the OS.

I have a question though, after I boot into the BIOS and save changes made, what happens when I exit the BIOS with no OS installed?

Thanks for the help.

Brandt

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It'll ask you for a boot disk in drive A. Seriously. That or freeze with a "no operating system" message. Translation: Nothing harmful.

If you have your boot options in BIOS setup set to boot from cd somewhere along the line, just have the WinXP cd in the drive and you can boot off that to start installing.

Mike.

PS: Order is fine.

Reply to fishmahn

In BIOS make your CD the first boot option. Stick the XP disk in and format NTFS when it asks you. Take it from there.

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Reply to Cybercraig

Its not necessary to format the hard drive before you install it in the new system.

You can just assemble the new hardware, configure BIOS, install OS, during the OS install format the hard drive.

My Desktop: <A HREF="http://Mr5oh.tripod.com/pc.html" target="_new">http://Mr5oh.tripod.com/pc.html</A>

Reply to Mr5oh

He will want NTFS with XP tho. He's probably stuck with FAT32 at the moment. :wink:

Abit IS7 - 3.0C @ 3.6ghz - Mushkin PC4000 (2 X 512) - Sapphire 9800Pro - TT 420 watt Pure Power
Samsung 120gb ATA-100 - Maxtor 40gb ATA - 100
Sony DRU-510A - Yellowtail Merlot

Reply to Cybercraig

Just assemble the hardware, and boot to the xp cd. After editing the bios, you can have xp format the drive.

Reply to endyen

Thanks everyone. Silly question: Is the format done by WinXP as thorough as using the format command in DOS?

Also, I have heard tell of data still being on the HDD after formatting unless you do a low level format. Is this really necessary?

Reply to BrandtP

The format is just as thorough, plus it can use the NTFS filing system.

There's no need to low-level format. Yes, the data is physically still on the drive (as it doesn't 'de-magnetise' the platters), but as far as the file system's concerned it's blank. You only need to worry about it if there is a likelyhood that the government (or a similarly high-up organisation..) would want to look at some files you USED to have... even then it's not likely they could recover much. :wink:

If your disk is already formatted, then IIRC windows won't give you the option to reformat. You can always convert it to NTFS later on in windows though.

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Reply to ChipDeath

As I near the time I will build the new system, more and more questions arise. I just want to make sure I have them all answered before doing it as I won't have internet access to post later.

Anyway, I will be installing a motherboard with an nForce 3 250 Gb chipset. I am assuming I must install the OS before the motherboard drivers. Will I be able to boot into windows after installing the OS and no nForce drivers installed? Motherboards all include installation discks, but I thought they were to be used after installing the OS and booting into Windows. So, here is my updated order of operations:

Install new motherboard and hardware, configure BIOS, install WinXP (reformatting HDD at this time), install motherboard drivers as well as those for other devices.

Will this still work? I guess I;m just curious if the mobo will work properly with no nForce drivers installed until Windows opens.

Thanks for directing this overcautious novice.

Reply to BrandtP

yes, that the way to do it. Maybe you'll want to check on the internet for newer mobo/graphic/... to install instead of the one that come on CD with hardware.

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

Reply to pat

Nforce3-250GB? Oh, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Just kidding, good luck!

Abit IS7 - 3.0C @ 3.6ghz - Mushkin PC4000 (2 X 512) - Sapphire 9800Pro - TT 420 watt Pure Power
Samsung 120gb ATA-100 - Maxtor 40gb ATA - 100
Sony DRU-510A - Yellowtail Merlot

Reply to Cybercraig

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