Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
ceived a copy of this disk with your motherboard; if not, you can download a copy from
the motherboard manufacturer. Obviously, you need a floppy drive installed for this to
work; if you don't have a floppy, you can integrate most mass storage drivers into the XP
installation disc using the driver packs found at
www.driverpacks.net
.
The Windows 7/Vista install DVDs have integrated drivers for most newer chipsets, so
you shouldn't need additional storage drivers in most cases. However, if the hard drive
is not recognized at the start of the OS install, storage drivers are probably required. The
goodthingisthat youdon'thavetosupplythem viafloppyaswithWindowsXP;instead,
you can supply them via optical disc or USB flash drive, which is much more convenient.
You can also install Windows 7/Vista from a bootable USB flash drive. Installing via a
flash drive not only works faster than when using a DVD, but it also enables you to easily
install Windowsonsystems that don'thave anoptical drive, suchasnetbooks. Tocreate a
bootable USB flash drive for installing Windows 7/Vista, you need:
• 4GB (or larger) USB flash drive
• An original 7/Vista install DVD
• An ISO file creation tool, such as ImgBurn (
www.imgburn.com
)
• Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (
http://tinyurl.com/4qfdm4x
)
Note
Note that despite the name, the Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool works for
Vista just as well as it does for Windows 7.
When you are ready, create an ISO file from your original install DVD using an ISO cre-
ation tool, such as ImgBurn, and then use the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool to
copy the ISO file to the flash drive. When complete, you'll have a bootable flash drive
that will work just like your original DVD for installing Windows.
During the initial part of the installation, you can delete any existing partitions and create
new ones if desired. On a drive with no partitions, if you simply tell the installer to install
Windowsinto“unpartitioned space,”theinstallerautomatically createsandformatsapar-
tition using all the available space.
After you have the OS installed, I recommend installing the drivers. In general, older OSs
have fewer drivers included on the installation disc, meaning you have to install more
drivers after the OS is installed. This often includes chipset drivers for your motherboard,
driversfornewervideocards,soundcards,networkcards,andmore.Ofthese,themother-
board chipset drivers are the most critical and should be installed first. A disc containing
thesedriversshouldhavebeenincludedwithyourmotherboard;insertthisdiscandfollow
