How to install Windows XP in 5 hours or less...

vibe666

found this here. http://diveintomark.org/archives/2003/08/04/xp

thought it was kinda funny.

theres a whole lot more of it if you visit the link. very geeky, but we've all been there.

Back up entire d: drive to iMac upstairs. rsync rocks.
Find Windows XP install disc.
Reboot with Windows XP install disc.
Asked for product activation. Curse Microsoft.
Search my house in vain for my original, 100% legitimate, retail Windows XP box.
Reboot.
Search control panels in vain for a window, dialog, tab, or pane that displays my current product key.
Search Google for "windows xp get current product key".
Find a utility on a cracker web page in Russia that displays the current product key. This is one of the more lame utilities, since most of the good ones allow you to change it. I don’t wish to change it; I actually have a perfectly good product key, I just don’t know what it is.
Reboot with Windows XP install disc.
Reboot repeatedly as required.
Boot screen. Choose between "Windows XP Professional" and "Windows XP Professional". Brilliant. Pick one. The wrong one. Boot into ****ed Windows XP install. Hard reboot. Pick the right one. Make mental note to hack boot.ini later.
"Welcome to Windows XP. You have no useful programs and no internet access. You have 30 days left for activation. Would you like to activate now?" Yes, I would, but I have no internet access.
Unnecessarily loud and cheerful startup noises. Make mental note to turn off all sounds later.
Search the "Network and Internet Connections" wizards in vain for some way to set up my Linksys wireless card. Having never done a clean install of XP (I previously upgraded from Windows 2000), and having been moderately impressed by the new wireless networking features in XP, I naively assumed this would "just work". Silly rabbit.
Search my house for my Linksys wireless card driver install disc. Find the install disc that came with the old card, that broke and was replaced by the new-and-improved version 3.0 card. Wonder if that will suffice.
Fight with the "Add New Hardware Wizard" trying to install the obviously inferior drivers off this disc.
Wonder where the "Device Manager" is hiding.
Find the "Device Manager". Right-click on the unknown device, "Linksys_Instant_Wireless_Card". Update driver. "Windows was unable to locate a driver for this device. Would you like to search on the internet?" Yes, I’d love to, but I can’t, you moron. Install driver from specific location. Specify WIN2000 folder on old-and-inferior install disc.
"This driver is not digitally signed." OK.
"This driver may cause your computer to become unstable." OK.
"This driver may anally rape your mother while pouring sugar down your gas tank." OK.
Nothing. No connection, no internet access, no acknowledgment of any device whatsoever.
Reboot.
Doesn’t work.
"Take a tour of Windows XP!" I am.
Reboot.
Doesn’t work................ <--- the rest can be found at http://diveintomark.org/archives/2003/08/04/xp

edit: shortened to make it a little less daunting to read.

Mossy Monk

less than 5 hours :eek:

not possible, takes an ages

SirLemonhead

Only takes me an hour

Caliden

question though,
can you have both xp home and win 2kpro on same hard drive?
i have xp home but its crap for gaming so i want win2k pro on comp also.
is it possible in 5 hours or fewer or do you need about the half-life of your xp install to complete it?

SirLemonhead

How is XP worse than 2k for gaming? It should be better...

I think to install 2k you'll have to remove xp, install 2k, then reinstall win xp. Microsoft OS's like to be installed in order of release.

Caliden

xp <HOME> , big difference between home and pro , trust me!