Table of Contents

• 0. Back up everything
• 1. Re-install the operating system
• 2. Re-install hardware drivers
• 3. Run Windows Update
• 4. Re-install user software
• 5. Configure user software
• 6. Test configuration

-1. Foreword

Re-installing Windows XP can be a painful experience. Despite Microsoft’s claims regarding Vista, the “wow starts now” when you say, “wow, this wasn’t much of an upgrade at all”. These disaffected Vista users might want to switch back to Windows XP. But anyone with an older PC that already had Windows XP installed would almost be foolish to upgrade to Vista without any compelling reason. Gaming support for DirectX 10 is one of the most common reasons to upgrade to Vista, but unless this is the reason you need Vista, you might be surprised to see how fast, cost-free, and hassle-free Windows XP can be with a fresh install and some extra software. This how-to guide explains step-by-step how to install Windows XP, and some useful free software.

0. Back up everything

This is step 0 because if you’re doing this on a new PC, or simply don’t care, you can skip this step.

However, if you need the data or settings on your PC, you’ll want to have a way to bring everything back. So before doing anything here to your own PC, make a backup of everything on your system using a drive imaging tool. The tools for this task are commercially developed and cost money to use. However, both drive imaging tools featured here offer free trials for evaluation. This will give you either 14 or 30 days to restore anything you need, without having to pay. You can always keep the backup, and decide to buy the software later if you need the backup for more than the time limit on the software. Otherwise, 14 to 30 days is more than enough time for this task.

• Acronis TrueImage (14 day trial)
• Norton Ghost (30 daytrial)

Back to top…

1. Re-install the operating system

a) Re-install Windows XP

If you’ll be installing XP regularly, it’s worth checking out how to make your own unattended installation disc with nLite. You can also use nLite to roll-up Windows Updates and service packs, like Service Pack 3 (SP3).

b) Configure O/S settings & options

You’ll want to be able to see what you’re doing during the rest of these steps, so a good first step is to set some basic options in the O/S.

i. Display Properties

First set the display options. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.

1. On
   the “Desktop” tab, you can select a new Destop background image to use.
   You can slightly improve performance by selecting “None”, and instead
   choosing a solid color.
2. On the “Appearance” tab, you
   can select the overall look and feel of Windows. You can significantly
   improve performance by selecting the “Windows and buttons” option and
   choosing the “Windows Classic style” setting.
3. Still on the “Appearance” tab, click “Effects…”.
   • Un-check:
     • Use the following transition effect for menus and tooltips
     • Shows shadows under menus
     • Show window contents while dragging
     • Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation until I press the Alt key
   • Check:
     • Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts
     • Select “ClearType” from the drop-down menu
   • Optional:
     • Use large icons – check this if you have bad eyesight or if you will select a high display resolution in the next step.
4. Click “OK” to return to the “Display Properties” dialog
5. On
   the “Settings” tab, adjust the “Screen resolution” slider to the
   resolution you desire. Higher is generally better, but sometimes you
   may want a lower resolution, such as if you have bad eyesight or if you
   have a monitor that doesn’t support high resolutions.
6. Click OK to close the display properties dialog.

ii. Add key icons to the desktop

It
is helpful to add frequently used icons to the desktop. For some
reason, Microsoft felt that users wanted a desktop with less clutter.
In practice, a lot of software installs shortcuts on the desktop
anyway, including some software by Microsoft.

1. Click “Start”
2. Right click “My Computer”
3. Click “Show on desktop”
4. Right click “My Documents”
5. Click “Show on desktop”

iii. System Properties / Performance Options

The
“System Properties” dialog contains a number of key settings. Now is a
good time to set some of these options, especially the options on the
“Performance Options” dialog, which can dramatically help improve
performance by disabling some needless animations and other display
features. Using the desktop icon we just created (or the start menu
link):

1. Right-click “My Computer”
2. Click “Properties”
3. Select the “Advanced” tab
   • In the section “Performance” click “Settings”, which opens the “Performance Options” dialog to the “Visual Effects” tab.
   • Select “Adjust for best performance”
   • In the set of check boxes, check:
     • “Smooth edges of screen fonts”
     • “User drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop”
   • In the set of check boxes, optionally check:
     • “Use common tasks in folders” – puts links to common tasks in the left sidebar when opening folders in Windows Explorer.
     • “Use
       visual styles on windows and buttons” – check this if you plan to use a
       theme other than the “Windows Classic style”, such as the default
       “Green” theme.
   • Click “OK” to return to the “Advanced” tab on the “System Properties” dialog
4. Click the “Error Reporting” button
   • Select “Disable error reporting”
   • Check “But notify me when critical errors occur”
   • Click “OK” to return to the “Advanced” tab on the “System Properties” dialog
5. Switch to the “System Restore” tab
   • Windows
     allocates 12% of your hard drive to the System Restore service. This is
     a bit much. Move slider slightly to the left to reduce the amount of
     hard drive space to reserve for System Restore. 2000MB should be enough
     for most people, but up to 5000GB may be used just to be safe, if
     desired. 2000MB should be more than enough for most people. We’ll come
     back to the System Restore tab once more later in this process.
6. Switch to the “Automatic Updates” tab
   • Select
     “Turn off Automatic Updates”. This is temporary until we install some
     basic software. We’ll re-enable automatic updates later.
7. Switch to the “Remote” tab
   • Un-check “Allow Remote Assistance invitations to be sent from this computer”
   • Un-check “Allow users to connect remotely to this computer”
     • Check
       this option if you want to use the built in Remote Desktop features in
       Windows to connect to this computer remotely. You don’t need to check
       this box to connect to other computers with Remote Desktop.
8. Click “OK” to close the “System Properties” dialog

iv. Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

Adjusting one setting here improves visibility about what’s running on the system in the background.

1. Right-click the start menu, and select “Properties”
2. Un-check “Hide inactive icons”
3. Click “OK”

c) Remove / disable un-needed components

Windows
comes with a lot of junk by default. Some of this we’ll replace with
other software later. Some of this comes down to personal preference,
but other steps you can take will dramatically improve performance with
little loss.

1. Click “Start”
2. Click “Control Panel”
3. Click “Add or Remove Programs”
4. Click “Add/Remove Windows Components”, which will open the “Windows Components Wizard”
   • Un-check:
     • “Fax Services”, unless you plan to wire this computer to a phone line to send and receive faxes
     • “MSN Explorer”, even if you have MSN you can connect without MSN Explorer
   • Optionally Un-check:
     • “Indexing
       Service”, the indexing service uses a lot of resources, and doesn’t
       dramatically improve the already bad search included with Windows XP.
       If you’ve ever felt underwhelmed by the Windows XP search, un-check
       this to improve performance of your PC with a slight increase to search
       times.
     • “Outlook Express”, but leave this checked
       if you know you need this. Microsoft Outlook (part of the Microsoft
       Office suite) and Mozilla Thunderbird (a free mail and newsgroup client
       from the makers of Firefox) are both superior alternatives to Outlook
       Express. Moreover, if you use a webmail service like Gmail, you may not
       need a mail client at all.
     • “Windows Messenger”,
       but leave this checked if you know you need this. Pidgin, a
       multi-platform messaging client that supports MSN, will be installed
       later.
5. Click “Next”
6. Click “Finish”

d) Disable un-needed services

A
Windows service is a long-running executable that performs specific
functions and which is designed not to require user intervention.
Windows services can be configured to start when the operating system
is booted and run in the background as long as Windows is running, or
they can be started manually when required. Some services that are not
required can be disabled to improve performance.

1. Right-click “My Computer”
2. Select “Manage”
3. In the left column, select “Services and Applications”, and open the “Services” option
   • To disable a service, double-click the service name
   • Select the “Startup Type” drop-down and choose “Disabled”
   • Click “OK” to close the Properties dialog and return to the Services menu
   • Disable the following services:
     • Error
       Reporting Service – since error reporting was disabled in an earlier
       step, there’s no need to launch a service that will sit idle.
     • Help
       and Support – this service is only launched when running “Help and
       Support” from the start menu, so disabling this won’t prevent you from
       accessing built-in help menus and files with other applications.
     • Remote Registry – the description says it all: “enables remote users to modify registry settings on this computer” – no thanks!
     • WebClient
       - this service is only required if you edit files on remote web systems
       via the built-in URL handlers in Windows (e.g., directly editing some
       file on an FTP server). Disabling this service will not prevent you
       from using FTP or other Internet services.
   • Optionally disable the following services:
     • Themes
       - disable this if you selected the Windows Classic theme, in which case
       the themes service is not required. However, leave this enabled to use
       any other visual style.
     • Wireless Zero Configuration – if you don’t have a wireless card, and don’t plan to, disable this service

Back to top…

2. Re-install hardware drivers

Re-installing drivers
can be challenging if the manufacturer’s support is spotty, or if the
original driver disks that came with the PC hardware are no longer
available. This step relies on some prior knowledge of what hardware is
installed on the PC. If the PC has never been upgraded, the PC
manufacturer’s web site should have all the necessary drivers and
updates. Visit the PC manufacturer’s website, and look for links to
“Support”, “Downloads, or “Drivers”. Since this step is different
depending on the manufacturer, you may have to look around. Some common
manufacturer support sites are:

• Acer – Third largest computer manufacturer in the world.
  • Gateway – Presently a brand name of Acer after being acquired in 2007. Largely known for the cow patterned boxes.
  • eMachines – Presently a brand name of Gateway/Acer after being acquired in 2004.
  • Packard Bell – Acer acquired 75% of its parent company, PB Holdings in 2008.
• Apple
  - Third largest computer manufacturer in the United States. Desktop,
  notebook, mobile devices. Even though they’re famous for their own
  operating system that competes with Windows, with Boot Camp, Apple PCs
  can run Windows too. This site explains more about loading drivers and
  what not.
• Asus – Largely known for main-boards and parts, also buildsnotebooks.
• CyberPower PC – Low-cost high-endgaming PCs.
• Dell – Second largest computer manufacturer in theworld.
  • Alienware – High-end gaming PCs and laptops. Presently a brand name of Dell after being acquired in 2006.
• Fujitsu – Largely known for media devicesbut also builds notebooks and servers.
• Hewlett-Packard -Largest computer manufacturer in the world.
  • Compaq – Budget brand of PCs and laptops. Presently a brand name of Hewlett-Packard after the merger in 2002.
  • VoodooPC – High-end gaming PCs and laptops. Presently a brand name of Hewlett-Packard after being acquired in 2006.
• Hitachi – Manufactures desktop and laptop computer components
• Lenovo – Fourth largestcomputer manufacturer in the world. Acquired IBM’s Personal Computing Division in 2005.
  • IBM – PC system manufacturers division was acquired by Lenovo.
• NEC – Computer division of a largetechnology company, products range from laptops to supercomputers.
• Panasonic – Primarily known for the Toughbook rugged laptop computer.
• Samsung Electronics – TheSens line of laptop computers. Is the largest manufacturer of LCD panels worldwide.
• Sharp – Manufactures a lineof laptop computers.
• Shuttle – Manufactures small form-factordesktop computers across a range of performance and price.
• Sony – Manufactures desktops and laptops under the VAIOsub-brand.
• Sun Microsystems – Primarilymanufactures servers and workstations.
• Toshiba – Fifth largest computer manufacturer inthe world.

Most
of the time, Windows XP will successfully detect the ethernet port on
the machine. Occasionally, the ethernet will require some drivers. If
this happens, download the drivers on a working PC, transfer them to a
USB stick, then run the driver installation off the USB stick.

When
installing drivers, avoid unnecessary add-ons like “control panels” to
improve performance. These interfaces are usually unnecessary, but if
you don’t feel comfortable customizing driver installations, it won’t
cause any harm. If you can handle it, pay attention when installing any
drivers and follow “custom” installation to make sure you remove any
unnecessary add-ons. Stick to just the drivers to avoid unneeded
startup programs.

To verify that you’ve installed all the hardware drivers you need:

1. Right-click “My Computer”
2. Select “Manage”
3. In the left column, select “Device Manager”
   • Devices that appear with a yellow question mark icon or a name of “Unknown device” are not recognized
   • Devices highlighted with a yellow exclamation point are recognized, but require additional drivers to function properly
   • Devices
     highlighted with a red ‘x’ are disabled because there is a malfunction
     with the device, the device has been removed, or the device is disabled
4. If there are any driver issues, correct them before continuing.

Back to top…

3. Run Windows Update

Once all the manufactuer drivers
are loaded, you should have no problem using all your hardware, and you
should have full internet connectivity. We will run Windows Update
manually the first few times, and then re-enable the Automatic Updates
service to keep the system up-to-date.

1. Click “Start”
2. Select “Programs”
3. Select “Windows Update”
4. The first time the Windows Update page is loaded, it will prompt to update the Windows Update software
   • Update the Windows Update software
   • Restart the PC when instructed to do so
5. Load the “Windows Update” page again
6. Click “Custom” updates to select from optional and high-priority updates
7. If
   you installed Windows XP without any service packs or updates rolled
   up, you will first be prompted to install Service Pack 2 (SP2)
   • Follow the on-screen directions to install SP2
   • Restart the PC when instructed to do so
   • Return to the Windows Update page
8. If
   you installed Windows XP without any service packs or updates, or you
   installed Windows XP with service packs or updates released prior to
   Service Pack 3 (SP3), you will be prompted to install SP3.
   • Follow the on-screen directions to install SP3
   • Restart the PC when instructed to do so
   • Return to the Windows Update page
9. Again click “Custom” updates to select from optional and high-priority updates
10. Once SP3 is installed, a list of outstanding updates is presented
11. Leave all the updates selected
12. Click “Software, Optional”, and check:
    • “Root Certificates Update”, to provide support for the latest SSL Extended Validation (EV) certificates in Internet Explorer 7
    • “Windows Media Player 11″ to enjoy the latest features for the perennial favorite media player
    • “Microsoft
      .NET Framework 2.0: x86″ this and the .NET Framework below provide full
      features to programs that may be required for software installed later
    • “Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1″
13. Click “Hardware, Optional” if there are any number of updates available besides 0.
    • Check
      the available drivers. Occasionally, the Windows Update drivers revert
      the driver to one that was not the most recent, or causes other issues.
      If you’re not experiencing problems, or if you’re sure you have the
      most recent drivers for this device, you can skip this step.
14. Click “Review and install updates”
15. Click “Install updates”
16. Restart the PC when instructed to do so
17. Again click “Custom” updates to select from optional and high-priority updates
18. Return to the Windows Update page one last time to ensure there are no more updates
19. If
    there are any updates, click “Review and install updates”, then
    “Install updates” and repeat the update process again until there are
    no more updates to install.

If prompted, avoid the “Microsoft Download” agent, which also installs Silverlight. Neither of these programs are widely adopted and they are not

recommended.

Back to top…

4. Re-install user software

Now that the system has an
up-to-date operating system with all its drivers installed, it’s time
to load user software. This list includes some basic applications and
solutions. There is a free solution for just about any problem out
there, but occasionally, we recommend some commercial alternatives.

a) Internet

At
this step, Internet Explorer 7 should still be fresh. If you like
Internet Explorer, more power to you! But we recommend Mozilla Firefox
because of its open, non-commercial nature.

1. Load Internet Explorer now.
2. The first time it runs, it will prompt to customize your settings.
   • Select “Let me select from a list of other search providers”
   • Un-check the “Turn on automatic Phishing Filter”
   • If desired, check “Activate ClearType”
   • Un-check the “Customer Experience Improvement” box
   • Click “Save your settings”
3. Click on the desired search provider (Google is recommended), then click “Add Provider”
4. Close and restart Internet Explorer
5. You will be prompted again to enable the phishing filter; disable the phishing filter and click “OK”

Required:

• Mozilla Firefox 3.0

  Mozilla
  Firefox is a free and open source web browser that includes tabbed
  browsing, a spell checker, incremental find, live bookmarking, a
  download manager, and an integrated search system that uses the user’s
  desired search engine.

  1. Run the setup file
  2. Click “Next” to start the setup process
  3. Check the box to accept the free license and click “Next”
  4. Select “Custom” and click “Next”
  5. Leave the default install location and click “Next”
  6. Leave all the boxes checked to create shortcuts to Firefox and click “Next”
  7. Leave the default Start Menu folder name and click “Next”
  8. Click “Install” to begin installing Firefox
  9. Click “Finish” to complete the setup process

  The
  first time Firefox is run, it will prompt you to import bookmarks.
  Select “Don’t import anything” and continue. With Firefox started up,
  it’s time to customize it.

  1. Click “Tools”, and select “Add-ons”
  2. Search for “Adblock Plus”
  3. Click “Add to Firefox…”, then “Install Now”
  4. Repeat the previous step for any of the desired plugins, like some recommended plugins below
     • Adblock Plus
     • NoScript
  5. Restart Firefox when the desired plugins are installed
  6. The Adblock Plus plugin will prompt to subscribe to a filter list. Select “EasyList (USA)”, and click “Subscribe”
  7. Close the “Add-ons” window
  8. Add search engine plugins from Mycroft.
     The Mycroft project provides a collection of Sherlock & OpenSearch
     Search Engine Plugins (15876 at the last count) for your web browser.
     To add a search engine plugin, simply click the link below and click
     “Add”.
     • Wikipedia (3rd Party – Google)
     • YouTube
     • Flickr
     • Facebook – Everything (Login)
     • Urban Dictionary
     • Merriam-Webster Dictionary
     • Torrentz
     • The Pirate Bay

  Mozilla Firefox is recommended, and you’ll still have Microsoft Internet Explorer to fall back on, but since the choice of browser comes down to

  personal preference, you also might consider these alternatives:

  • Google Chrome is exciting, but not ready for primetime. It’s still a bit unstable, and doesn’t support Java yet. Give it time.
  • Opera
    is an “internet suite” that supports features that other browsers
    don’t, such as including its own IRC and torrent client. However, it’s
    not widely adopted or supported, but has a cult following.

• Java Runtime Environment

  Java is a programming language originally developed by Sun Microsystems. Java allows you to play online games, chat with people around the world,

  calculate your mortgage interest, and view images in 3D, just to name a few. It’s also integral to the intranet applications and other e-business solutions

  that are the foundation of corporate computing.

  1. Download the “offline” installation package from the download link
  2. Close any open web browser windows before continuing
  3. Run the setup file
  4. Click “Accept” to accept the free license
  5. Un-check “Openoffice.org Installer”, and click “Next”
  6. Click “Finish” to complete the setup

• Adobe Flash

  Adobe Flash (previously called Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash) is a set of multimedia software created by Macromedia and currently developed

  and distributed by Adobe Systems. Flash is commonly used to create animation, advertisements, and various web page components, to integrate video into web

  pages, and more recently, to develop rich Internet applications.

  • Install Flash in Firefox
    1. Using Firefox, download the setup file from the link above
    2. Run the setup file
    3. When the setup is complete, click “Close”
  • Install Flash in Internet Explorer
    1. Using Internet Explorer, go to the download link, and click “Download”
    2. Un-check the “Free Google Toolbar” option
    3. Click “Agree and install now”
    4. Click
       the area with the text “Click here to install the following ActiveX
       control: ‘Adobe Flash Player Installer’ from ‘Adobe Systems
       Incorporated’”
    5. Click “Install ActiveX Control…” then click “Install” in the pop-up box
    6. When the setup is complete, the Flash demo movie will load, close Internet Explorer

• µTorrent

  µTorrent
  (or uTorrent) is a free BitTorrent client by BitTorrent, Inc. for
  Microsoft Windows. It is designed to use minimal computer resources
  while offering functionality comparable to larger BitTorrent clients
  such as Vuze or BitComet. The program has received consistently good
  reviews for its feature set, performance, stability, and support for
  older hardware and versions of Windows. It has been in active
  development since its first release in 2005.

  1. Run the setup file
  2. Un-check the boxes below, and click “Install”
     • Create Start menu entry
     • Create Quick Launch icon
     • Create Desktop icon
  3. When installation is complete, µTorrent will start for the first time
  4. Click “Yes” to make µTorrent the default torrent application
  5. Accept the default connection settings by clicking “Use Selected Settings”
  6. Click “Options”, and select “Preferences”
  7. In the menu on the left side of the Preferences dialog, click “Queueing”
  8. Check the box “Limit the upload rate to” and set the value to 0
  9. In the menu on the left side of the Preferences dialog, click “UI Settings”
  10. Un-check the box “Close to tray”
  11. Click “OK” to close the Preferences dialog, then close µTorrent

Optional:

• LogMeIn

  Free

  LogMeIn
  Free provides remote desktop access with optional remote sound, file
  management, printer access, and online chat features through a web
  browser.

• Logmein

  Hamachi

  LogMeIn
  Hamachi is a VPN service that easily sets up in 10 minutes, and enables
  secure remote access to your business network, anywhere there’s an
  Internet connection. It works with your existing firewall, and requires
  no additional configuration. Hamachi is the first networking
  application to deliver an unprecedented level of direct peer-to-peer
  connectivity. It is simple, secure, and cost-effective. Not everyone
  will need a personal VPN, but if you’re a tinkerer, check out this
  free, lightweight VPN solution.

b) Security

Required:

• AVG Anti-Virus Free

  Edition

  AVG
  includes most of the common functions available in modern antivirus
  programs, including periodic scans, the ability to “heal” some
  virus-infected files, and a “virus vault” in which infected files are
  held. While it does not offer the best protection nor performance, it
  does offer the best price, being free.

  href=”http://www.avg.co.uk/uk.39275″ target=”_blank”>AVG is also recommended by Microsoft as part of the security center in Vista.

  1. Run the setup file
  2. Click “Next” at the splash screen, then “Accept” the free licenses
  3. Select “Custom Installation” and click “Next”
  4. Click “Next” again when prompted for the license key (leave the free default key)
  5. Click “Next” when prompted for the destination folder, then click “Yes” to create the new directory
  6. Uncheck
     “LinkScanner”, “Email Scanner”, and “Office plugin”, then click Next
     (don’t worry, you’ll still be protected by the resident scanner
  7. Review the settings, then click “Finish”
  8. When the installation is complete, click “Next” to launch with the First Run Wizard
  9. Click “Next” to start the wizard
  10. Un-check “enable dailying scanning”, and confirm by clicking “Yes”, then click “Next”
  11. Click “Next” to get the latest updates
  12. When the updates are finished, click “Next”
  13. Skip the registration screen by clicking “Next”
  14. Click “Finish” to complete installation
  15. Daily scanning: your choice, but probably not necessary. Definitely disable on laptops, since it’ll drain the battery.
      • Let it auto update
      • No need to register

  Admitedly, AVG is not the “best” solution, but it is the “best priced” solution, and offers adequate protection. Alternatives to AVG are noted

  below. Although they are commercial software, the developers offer free trials.

  • Kaspersky
  • NOD32

• PeerGuardian 2

  PeerGuardian
  2 is a free and open source program capable of blocking incoming and
  outgoing connections based on IP blocklists, preventing you from
  connecting to advertising, spyware, and government hosts.

  1. Run the setup file
  2. Click “Next” to begin the setup
  3. Accept the free license and click “Next”
  4. Click “Next” again four (4) times, accepting all the defaults
  5. Click “Install” to begin the installation
  6. Click “Finish” to complete the installation and launch the PeerGuardian Setup Wizard
  7. Click “Next” at the first screen of the wizard
  8. Check the boxes below, leave the rest unchecked, and click “Next”
     • P2P
     • Ads
     • Spyware
     • Government
  9. Click “Next” to accept the default update settings
  10. Click “Finish” to complete the setup wizard and launch PeerGuardian for the first time
  11. PeerGuardian will automatically update its filter lists, when it is done updating, click “Close”, which will launch PeerGuardian
  12. With PeerGuardian loaded to its home screen, first click “Allow HTTP”
  13. Switch to the “Settings” tab
  14. Un-check the box “Blink tray icon” and click “Next”
  15. Check the boxes “Start with Windows” and “Always start hidden”
  16. Close the PeerGuardian window to complete configuration

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