Installing a Fresh Windows XP OS is easier than you think. You can install a new XP operation system on your computer in many ways. One of the easiest ways would be to install it with a boot disk(floppy) or Windows XP boot CD.

I did not need to install a fresh Windows XP because my laptop (Compaq 2135CA) came with the installed operation system. But now I realize that the operating system I am using is getting really old (almost 5 years old). Besides, my hard disk was getting slower because of all the junk and 100+ Windows updates (I can bet Microsoft released more than 100+ small/big updates including SP1, SP2, SP3 for Windows XP Home edition since 2002).

Here, I will give you a step-by-step tutorial on how to install a fresh copy of a Windows XP operating system either on a brand new computer or on a computer that already has an operating system installed.

  1. Create a Boot disk or XP boot CD
    2. Before you get onto the dark side of your computer (the scary MS DOS black screen), you need a rescuer. This rescuer can be a bootable Windows XP CD OR any bootable disk that comes with many DOS related software (such as: Partition Magic, Active@Kill Disk, etc.) OR a simple Windows 98 boot floppy. MS-DOS Black Screen

    Where can I find or download a Windows XP boot CD ?

    Download Windows XP boot CD. There are 6 types of XP boot CDs available on this Microsoft page, depending on your operating system version. If your computer supports booting from a CD-ROM, Microsoft does not recommend using any of these XP boot CDs.

    How can I make a Windows XP boot CD ?

    Most of the Windows XP installation CDs are bootable, but if your Windows XP does not have a boot CD, you can make your own. There are many websites on the internet that will provide you with a free guide on how to make a non-bootable XP installation CD bootable.

    create bootable XP CD Tutorial #1
    create bootable XP CD Tutorial #2

    Where can I find or download a Windows 98 bootdisk ?

    Download Windows 98 Boot Disk or Floppy Disk
    List of Windows 98 bootdisk files:

    ASPI2DOS.SYS
    ASPI4DOS.SYS
    ASPI8DOS.SYS
    ASPI8U2.SYS
    ASPICD.SYS
    BTCDROM.SYS
    BTDOSM.SYS
    DRVSPACE.BIN
    EBD.CAB
    EXTRACT.EXE
    FDISK.EXE
    FINDRAMD.EXE
    FLASHPT.SYS
    HIMEM.SYS
    OAKCDROM.SYS
    RAMDRIVE.SYS
    README.TXT
    SETRAMD.BAT

    How can I make a Windows 98 bootdisk?

    You can make your own Windows 98 bootdisk if you have a computer that runs Windows 98. Insert a floppy disk in the floppy drive, open “my computer” from the windows 98 desktop, right click on the floppy disk and select the option to create a MS-DOS boot disk from the bottom.

    Note: You can also do the same from windows XP, but I found older Windows bootdisk/MS-DOS boot floppies are more helpful. Therefore, I will recommend using a Windows 98 boot floppy.

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