OS Setup Guide 2005

MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
edited December 2008 in Science & Tech
This guide takes the novice step by step through the process of setting up Windows XP and reminds veterans of a few good habits.

Read it here
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Comments

  • edited February 2005
    According to the Description next to the Messenger settings in Group Policy Editor, you have to select Enabled to actually disable Messenger.
  • edited February 2005
    Why did you so totally ignore the proper methods and order for installing drivers?????
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited February 2005
    According to the Description next to the Messenger settings in Group Policy Editor, you have to select Enabled to actually disable Messenger.


    Good eye. Had missed that one myself. Typed DIS when I should have typed EN...

    Thanks for catching that...corrected.
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited February 2005
    Great Guide MM! Very thorough!
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited February 2005
    Why did you so totally ignore the proper methods and order for installing drivers?????

    1) OS installed and configured.
    2) Backup software installed (optional) and image taken of basic OS
    3) Antivirus software installed.
    4) Connect to the NET to update Windows OS Critical Updates and a) retrieve and install latest video and chipset drivers or b) install them from the motherboard install disc. I usually look to the manufacturer first for latest video and chipset drivers rather than Windows Update.

    The AV protects the system from surfing around to various sites looking for latest drivers else, if uncertain, the motherboard install disc is recommended.

    And this method is wrong? I've done this many times and I did state that this is no the DEFINITIVE guide but one to pick up hints and tips from. May I enquire as to what is in error that I may have missed?
  • FAH_WWFAH_WW Training in Indianapolis, IN
    edited February 2005
    I would suggest adding another option to the guide:
    1. Get NIC working and as soon as it does, enable the windows firewall

    Suppose in your numbers in the post dated 28th Feb @ 16:26 that would be 3a ;)

    Main reason being that once you have the NIC working you can then download the antivirus software for free from AVG, and whilst that is taking place you need a firewall to protect you.

    There are some other gotchas like requiring SP1 before you can get certain NV driver packs to actually work, cant remember if ATI had the same or not (not had to do a clean-install for XP Pro for ages now).

    Not having the firewall enabled meant a re-install at my previous job - basically the network was so virus-infected that you didnt even have time to get the virus scanner installed.

    If at all possible I would recommend either using an integrated XPSP2 disc, or downloading the network installer on a working PC, and burning it to CDR.

    The more you can preload, the more likely it is to remain safe :)

    Good guide nevertheless, and as you say, it's a guide, not a definitive guide.


    Nice job,

    WW
  • edited March 2005
    just wondering guys i have lots of problems with stuttering and drivers i currently use xp sp1 i underclock my system then format install xp sp1 and ati 4.7 any other drivers like 4.8 4.9 or sp2!! gives me so much trouble and general slowness but to my real question what advantages does putting to page fil on its own partition have speed boost or does it help agasint to windows performance deterioration we all love so much
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited March 2005
    ...what advantages does putting to page fil on its own partition have speed boost or does it help agasint to windows performance deterioration we all love so much
    The page file, like every other file on your computer, is subject to fragmentation over time.
    The pagefile is space allocated on the C: drive for the operating system to use temporarily for operations that exceed the amount of memory available. After a while this file can become fragmented as it is constantly changing size and trying to allocate itself in and around other files on the operating system drive.

    The solution is to move it to its own partition and set it at a fixed size.
    By having it on it's own little partition it doesn't have to work around all the other files on the partition (because there won't be any). To borrow the analogy used to make the case for partitioning to begin with, imagine having an eight room house and three kids. If you could make them keep all their toys in one room it would make it a much simpler job when it came time to clean them up than if they were scattered all over the house. :)

    Nice article, MediaMan. :thumbsup:
  • edited March 2005
    does putting the paging file on a differnt partition make game feel a bit better or boost speeds?
  • edited March 2005
    im not an advanced user i just came across this and wanted to know is it worth putting it on its on partition as i only use this pc for games im not an advanced user just looking to see if it will make my system run smoother and better could someone give me a yes or no? :D
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited March 2005
    Do it. Then you won't lose anything when you reformat.

    <b>EVERY</b> user should have two partitions. And I do mean <i>every</i> user.
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited March 2005
    im not an advanced user i just came across this and wanted to know is it worth putting it on its on partition as i only use this pc for games im not an advanced user just looking to see if it will make my system run smoother and better could someone give me a yes or no? :D


    This is why you come to Short-Media Forums. We answer questions just like that and hope to help. As my concise compatriot states..."do it."

    Think of it this way. You have one chalkboard. You write on it but can't erase it. So that means you have to throw it away...but one problem. All your important notes are on another part of the chalkboard. That means your notes get thrown away too.

    That's a hard drive with only a big C:\ drive.

    Now...same scenario except you have two chalkboards. Your notes are on one but you are writing on the other. Oops. You made a mistake. This time you can erase the chalkboard and start again...but thank heaven your notes are on the other chalkboard...untouched and safe.

    Make sense?
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited March 2005
    just wondering guys i have lots of problems with stuttering and drivers i currently use xp sp1 i underclock my system then format install xp sp1 and ati 4.7 any other drivers like 4.8 4.9 or sp2!! gives me so much trouble and general slowness but to my real question what advantages does putting to page fil on its own partition have speed boost or does it help agasint to windows performance deterioration we all love so much

    I doubt the performance boost would be hugely noticeable but it would be a positive step in the direction of reducing the rate of defragmentation.

    Defragmenting your hard drive along with emptying the Temp Internet Files, temp files and prefetch folder should be done at least once a month. Think of it like an oil change for the car. It may not add considerable speed but it does make the car last longer and run a bit smoother.

    As to your driver problems...see the other forums and post some questions. :)
  • RewiredRewired Member
    edited March 2005
    Will changing the Pagefile to one fixed size (but not on its own partition) not keep it from fragmenting?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited March 2005
    Unfortunately, no.
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited March 2005
    Just one point as I havn't read it yet & it's probably user error but I wanted to be old school and read this in paper form & proberbly bind it as well for future reference.

    So I go to the print icon at the page bottom, click it & a lurverly version of the doc appears in a suitable print format. However for A4 size in the print preview it cuts off the right handside of the doc so that it missies off the last few words of each line.

    I've noticed this in other s-m articles, is this is a print format error or stupid user error?
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited March 2005
    Will changing the Pagefile to one fixed size (but not on its own partition) not keep it from fragmenting?

    As long as your partition was defragged first so that the new pagefile would be pretty much contiguous ( a few fragments do not hurt ) then yes that would be fine and performance wise its actually better then having it on its own partition.There are performance advantages to having pagefiles on seperate disks not partitions. In fact having one on every seperate disk is an adavantage because XP will page to the disk with the lightest I-O or even page to all the pagefiles simultaneously. If that was happening to partitions not disks you would be screwing yoiurself over performance wise. Its better to keep the pagefile in the OS partition because the heads are closer and do not have to move as far in general. The only reason to have it in its own partition is for housekeeping and defragging which can be overcome in other ways IMHO.

    Tex
  • RewiredRewired Member
    edited March 2005
    Some interesting tidbits from AUMHA.ORG:

    • The page file in XP is a hidden file called pagefile.sys. It is regenerated at each boot.

    • The slowest aspect of getting at a file on a hard disk is in head movement (‘seeking’). If you have only one physical drive then the file is best left where the heads are most likely to be, so where most activity is going on — on drive C:. If you have a second physical drive, it is in principle better to put the file there, because it is then less likely that the heads will have moved away from it.

    Virtual Memory in Windows XP
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited March 2005
    It's regenerated if its not there. An existing pagefile is not regenerated in any way or form.

    Tex
  • edited March 2005
    I just reformated and set up partitions according to your guide. I allowed 6 GBs for the C:\primary partition. My problem is that I have 4.2 GBs of My Documents which is too big for that partition. Do you move My Documents to some other partition..ie...Work partition?

    Great guide by the way. I was one of those one big C:\ drive guys, but I see the sense of partitioning now.
  • edited March 2005
    I had to copy a Windows98 OEM disk in order to run XP. I now have 2000 which is infected with viruses. I am reading the instructions and hoping for the best. Thanks for these instructions.
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited March 2005
    My problem is that I have 4.2 GBs of My Documents which is too big for that partition. Do you move My Documents to some other partition..ie...Work partition?

    You are a MY DOCUMENTS fan huh? Simply move it to another partition.

    Click on START and right click on the MY DOCUMENTS name and choose PROPERTIES.

    Choose the MOVE button and move the folder. OK and you are done.

    :)
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited March 2005
    Jimborae wrote:
    Just one point as I havn't read it yet & it's probably user error but I wanted to be old school and read this in paper form & proberbly bind it as well for future reference.

    So I go to the print icon at the page bottom, click it & a lurverly version of the doc appears in a suitable print format. However for A4 size in the print preview it cuts off the right handside of the doc so that it missies off the last few words of each line.

    I've noticed this in other s-m articles, is this is a print format error or stupid user error?

    Bumpety Bump Bump

    Care to comment Mr MediaMan :D
  • RewiredRewired Member
    edited March 2005
    Jimborae,

    In Firefox click Page Setup. Under the 'Format and Options' tab, check the box where it says Shrink to Fit Page Width. If you're using IE it's almost the same procedure.
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited March 2005
    Thanks for that but I can't find the option in IE.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited March 2005
    Try:

    Print>>Preferences>>Advanced>>Page Setting 4 (Scaling) Icon>>Fit To Paper Size
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited March 2005
    Hi prof,

    'Fraid that option ain't their either, under >advanced >Paper size (no option to fit to paper size) just Letter, A4, A6 etc
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited March 2005
    Jimborae wrote:
    ...'Fraid that option ain't their either...
    It must be a setting specific to my printer. :(

    Try this:

    Open the article and click the Print button so you have the whole works on one long page. Use "Select All" to highlight everything and then copy and past it into a Word document. Then just drag the right margin over far enough so that clicking "Print Preview" displays a sample with the entire text fitting within the paper size you're using.

    I tried this and it worked for me. Better make sure you have at least 81 pieces of paper in your printer, though. :D
  • RewiredRewired Member
    edited March 2005
    In IE you could also try clicking 'Print Preview'. There is an option to scale your document. Click 'Page Width'. I think this might work but I haven't tested it out as I haven't yet built up the motivation to go upstairs and turn on the printer.

    If there was only away to turn on my printer remotely and have my documents find there way downstairs...
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited March 2005
    OK well I found the option to shrink to fit with the printers at work, Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work.

    Also there is no option in Print Preview to scale the document. I think the only answer that will work is to copy & paste into Word.

    Thanks for the help guys.
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