Introduction

In this chapter, we take a look at the installation of Windows XP Professional. We walk through a clean install on a new PC, an upgrade from Windows 2000 Professional, and finally, we look at a few methods for automating the installation of Windows XP Professional. First, let s take a look at the requirements for installing Windows XP Professional. Table 2.1 lists the requirements that Microsoft specifies.

As you can see from the table, Microsoft has taken the additional steps to provide both minimum and recommended hardware requirements for the new OS. You will obviously need a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive if you plan to install from CD, or a network adapter if you plan to install from a network distribution point. An important feature to note about Windows XP Professional that isn t mentioned in the table is its support for multiple processors. WinXP Pro will support up to two processors, whereas WinXP Home Edition only supports one processor.

If you were in the position to purchase new computers for a Windows XP deployment, the best advice would be to buy the fastest you could afford. This should (hopefully) protect you from needing to turn over your PC inventory every two years. In fact, many major corporations try to plan for new PCs sticking around for...