Installing Operating system

[millman52]

What's involved with installing a new hard drive & windows XP to it?

The only things I have ever done inside a computer case is installing more memory, changing a modem, adding an I/O card, cleaning etc.

[gar]

071007-1629 EST USA

millman52:

First, I would suggest XP Pro instead of Home.

Ask some questions.

Do you want to copy any programs or files from an existing drive? This can be somewhat tricky.

Do you want more than one logical drive (C, D, E etc.) on the one hard drive? If so what sizes do you want these to be?

Do you want multiple operating systems on one hard drive, and/or do you want to be able to boot from different operating systems?

If you copy from an old drive to a new one, then you will need to temporarily change the jumpering of the new drive to slave.

This should get you started asking questions.

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[millman52]

Originally Posted by gar 071007-1629 EST USA millman52: First, I would suggest XP Pro instead of Home. Ask some questions. Do you want to copy any programs or files from an existing drive? This can be somewhat tricky. Do you want more than one logical drive (C, D, E etc.) on the one hard drive? If so what sizes do you want these to be? Do you want multiple operating systems on one hard drive, and/or do you want to be able to boot from different operating systems? If you copy from an old drive to a new one, then you will need to temporarily change the jumpering of the new drive to slave. This should get you started asking questions. .

I'll start by stating, all I will be using this computer for is operating a CNC plasma table. I am not needing to save any files from an existing hard drive or from any other computer, at this point anyway.

I suppose just 1 operating system XP or XP pro.

If I may ask. Why do you recommend Pro?

[gar]

071007-1811 EST USA

millman52:

I had more limitations and problems with Home vs Pro. In our area there is not much cost difference. You basically buy an OEM version.

I believe you will find more networking flexibility with Pro. Pro allows you to operate in a one user Terminal Server mode.

If you are starting from scratch buy the computer with XP installed.

If you are generating step pulses from the PC, then is your software to do this capable of maintaining the correct timing between pulses when run under XP?

XP's timesharing can be a real time hog.

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[millman52]

I'm using Mach3 & CandCNC's hardware. It's supposed to work with XP

[millman52]

I have a couple of PC I can use without having to start from scratch. both have either p4 or Celeron 2.+Gh processors & 512 mem or better.

[gar]

071007-1931 EST USA


I can not give you personal experience on what problems you might have with Mach3 & CandCNC's .

Go to the forum above
Machine Controllers Software and Solutions
and the
Mach section and pose questions there.

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[millman52]

Originally Posted by gar 071007-1931 EST USA I can not give you personal experience on what problems you might have with Mach3 & CandCNC's . Go to the forum above Machine Controllers Software and Solutions and the Mach section and pose questions there. .

According to those forums 1Gh processor or better & 512 mem is supposed to work fine. Which brings me back to my original question: Is there anything else needed or what's involved to load XP Pro, (I have a new licensed copy) to one of the PCs I have using a new hard drive.

[gar]

091007-2223 EST USA

millman52:

I assume you have a CD reader. With power off remove the old drive. That one should be jumpered for MASTER probably abbreviated to maybe MST. Jumper the new drive for MASTER. Install the drive. Put your XP CD in the CD reader. Power up the PC.

Now you have to decide how to partition the drive, partition it, and format each partition. Assign drive letters to each logical drive. If you only do one partition and one logical drive, then that will be C.

An XP book should help you, and it would be most useful if someone local could work with you to do the operations.

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