Installing new hard drive

[hlratliff]

Trying to teach myself how to do things for myself. I have installed a new hard drive in my dell computer. I have the operating system cd as well as the driver and utilities cd which came with the computer. Here are my questions:

1. Do I have to format the drive before I install the OS or drivers?
2. Which do I install first - the OS or the drivers?

I am fixing this computer for my mother and unfortunately she only as dial up. After I add the modem is there anything else I need to do to "activate" so that it works?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[superty12]

1. Do I have to format the drive before I install the OS or drivers?
2. Which do I install first - the OS or the drivers?
3. After I add the modem is there anything else I need to do to "activate" so that it works?

1. Backup and format when prompted to when installing XP.
2. XP then drivers from XP.
3. No idea.

 

[mike1959]

You know about changing the boot device order, in the BIOS, so that your pc uses the XP disc to install from? (Rather than looking at the empty hard drive).
Have you got a list of info about the name/type of the motherboard, sound and graphic cards your pc has installed?
If the hard drive is brand new, when you put in the XP disc and start the install sequence, one of the options will be; 'Format NTFS'
That will make the drive ready for Windows.
If the hard drive is new then it's likely to be SATA, (Serial ATA), but Windows XP needs a SATA driver to be installed early in the sequence, but it depends on the type of XP disc you have. (Retail, OEM)
During the install sequence, you will need to enter the 'Product key' that came included with the XP disc.
After the XP O/S is installed to the desktop, (Blue/green hill scene background), it's best to install the 'Chipset drivers' if you have them on a disc, or download them on another pc, from the motherboard maker's site. Also at this point, install the sound drivers, and the graphic drivers.
The Windows O/S will now connect to the internet using an Ethernet (CAT5E) cable using the LAN sockets on the PC and your modem/router.
(This is a very rough outline, but it should be a start.)