Task: Installing Operating System
Windows 98 & Windows Millennium Edition (ME) are both based upon windows 95 however windows millennium edition includes upgrades to default software such as Internet Explorer, windows ME is also more compatible with more modern games and allows for high grade specification hardware to be installed. Windows Millennium Edition allows the user more inter-action with their computer and allows easier access to application setups. Windows ME is more suited to the user of today as well as processing programs much faster with the help of high grades of hardware. Windows ME is more suited to users who like to network their computers or who install protocols, as the options available are more accurate and contain more drivers than windows 98. Windows ME also contains more screensavers, background and general entertainment that the common user looks for. This helps to brighten up the general usage of a computer and is more inviting to any new comers to a computer.
Preparation of Hard Drive
When installing a hard drive the drive needs to be portioned unless that has previously been done a program called “Fdisk” is required, this gives simple step-by-step instructions to portioning a hard drive for use on a computer. Once this has been done the hard drive can be used to its maximum on the computer. A Boot disk is then required to install the drivers for the CD-ROM which contains the operating system, unless the operating system is being installed from a floppy in which case the first disk in the series of the installation can be inserted then the computer needs to be restarted.
The computer should then detect the disk from the floppy drive, this does not happen the start-up settings of the computer need to be changed from the BIOS so that the floppy is enabled on start up. Once this has been done the setup should carry on step by setup if using an operating system from floppy disks. If the installation of the operating system is on a CD-ROM then the boot disk should have been entered and then installed the drivers for the CD Rom and should go straight into the installation. If this does not happen then the user will be sent to DOS where the location of the setup file needs to be typed (normally d:/setup) and then the setup should continue by step by step guide.
FDISK is a small piece of software that is used to
partition a drive for usage on a particular computer, primary dos partition
means that the hard drive chosen by the user has allocated it to be the primary
one, making it the master drive means it will be accessed when the computer is
turned on and this is the drive for where the operating system should start
from.
After partitioning a disk can be formatting in DOS a
boot disk is generally required to get to DOS, or the disk can be formatted
from another operating system in which no files from the formatting disk are
being used.
Installing windows 95/98 can be done from the current
windows system or after a FDISK partition has been performed from the DOS
prompt using d:/setup where “d” is the drive of the CD ROM or if using floppy
disks the “a” drive