Because installing an OS can be a time-consuming task, even when everything
goes right, theWindows installation process holds great potential for
lost time. Nothing sets the teeth to grinding as much as encountering an
indecipherable or ambiguous error message or the infamous Blue Screen of
Death 55 minutes into an hour-long system installation.
Preparation tasks help minimize such problems. They go pretty fast and
skipping them can cause you gobs of grief later. You need to complete the following
nine tasks before you insert that CD or DVD:
1. Identify hardware requirements.
2. Verify hardware and software compatibility.
3. Decide whether to perform a clean installation or an upgrade.
4. Determine how to back up and restore existing data, if necessary.
5. Select an installation method.
6. Determine how to partition the hard drive and what file system to use.
7. Determine your computer’s network role.
8. Decide on your computer’s language and locale settings.
9. Plan for post-installation tasks.