Chapter 6 Installing Windows XP

This chapter describes how to install the Windows XP SP2, 32–bit and 64–bit, operating system directly onto your server using the Windows XP media.

Unlike with Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Server 2008, you need to prepare mass storage drivers (Intel SATA AHCI driver) before installing the Windows XP operating system and then install the mass storage drivers during OS installation.

Windows XP Installation Requirements

Before beginning the operating system installation, make sure that you have:

• Located the Windows XP media.

• Downloaded the latest software for your workstation. See Chapter 2, Downloading Driver Packages.

• Configured the system BIOS and prepared disks as described in Chapter 3, Preparing Disks for the Operating System.

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  Note –

  The complete Microsoft Windows XP installation process is not documented in this section. This section documents only the steps that are specific for installing Windows XP on your workstation.

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Installing the Windows XP Operating System

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Caution –

The Windows installation formats the drive you designate as the boot disk. Any pre-existing data on that disk will be lost.

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You have two options for installing Windows XP:

• Install Windows by using a Windows CD and manually load drivers during and after the OS installation.

• Install Windows by using XpReburn scripts to create a Windows CD that includes the platform and Intel SATA and RAID drivers and then use the newly created CD to install the OS. (You must install video and audio drivers separately.)

To Install the Windows XP Operating System

1. Make sure that you have completed all of the requirements listed in Windows XP Installation Requirements.

2. Power cycle your server.

   The BIOS POST process begins.

3. Set the System BIOS as needed. If needed, set the System BIOS and configure disks for Intel AHCI SATA RAID. See Setting the System BIOS and Configuring Disks for Intel AHCI SATA or RAID.

   • If you are using the optional LSI 1041E HBA, set the hard disk mode to IDE.

   • The default mode is AHCI. If the mode was changed and you are using SATA or RAID, set the System BIOS and configure disks for Intel AHCI SATA RAID. See Setting the System BIOS and Configuring Disks for Intel AHCI SATA or RAID.

4. Do one of the following:

   • Install Windows XP manually

   • Install Windows XP using the XpReburn script

Installing Windows Manually

This section describes a manual installation of Windows, including the optional NVRAID drivers, platform drivers, and display drivers. This section does not describe the complete Windows installation process.

Creating Media for the Mass Storage (Intel SATA and RAID) Drivers

Select a method listed in Table 6–1 that meets the need of your environment for providing the mass storage drivers. Make note of the method you select.

Table 6–1 Delivery Methods for Windows XP Mass Storage Drivers

Mass Storage Drivers Delivery Method	Additional Requirements
Floppy Disk Local: This is the recommended method. Uses a physical USB floppy drive externally connected to a USB port on the workstation. Do not connect it to a hub, this could cause the installation to fail.	External USB floppy drive listed as Designed for Windows [If you do not use a USB floppy drive designed for Windows, it might appear that the drivers are installed during the OS installation, but when you reboot the system, the graphical part of the Windows setup is unable to find the drivers again and the installation fails with an error message.] on the Windows Marketplace site Floppy disk
Non-Floppy Media: Uses a USB flash disk or CD/DVD media inserted in the workstation.	CD/DVD and CD/DVD drive or USB flash drive media

Requirements for Manual Installation of Mass Storage Drivers

To install the Intel SATA or RAID drivers using this method , you need the following:

• Windows system with a CD-ROM drive

• A blank diskette, CD/DVD, or USB flash drive

• A Sun Ultra 27 Workstation Tools and Drivers DVD

• A USB diskette drive if you create a diskette or an external CD/DVD drive if you create a CD/DVD

• A Windows XP Installation media (non-OEM version)

To Create the Media

1. On a Windows workstation, insert the Tools and Drivers DVD.

   The Sun Ultra 27 Workstation menu appears.

2. Double-click the DRIVERS folder to open it.

3. Double-click the WINDOWS folder to open it.

4. The next steps depend on which disk controller you are using.

   • If you are using the optional LSI 1041E HBA, go to the directory \SAS\DRIVERS\XP.

   • If you are using the ACHI10 disk controller or using RAID, go to directory \AHCI_RAID_XP.

5. Insert a blank diskette, CD/DVD, or flash drive into the workstation.

6. Copy the file from xxbit directory to the media where xx is 32 or 64 for 32-bit or 64-bit.

To Install Windows Using the Media on the Ultra 27 Workstation

1. If your media is diskette, attach a USB diskette drive to the workstation. If your media is CD/DVD, attach an external CD/DVD drive to the workstation.

2. Insert the diskette or CD/DVD into the external drive or attach the USB flash drive.

3. Insert a Windows XP 32-bit or 64-bit installation CD into the DVD drive of the Ultra 27 workstation.

4. When prompted, press the F6 key to install third-party SATA or RAID drivers.

5. Press the S key and then Enter to specify additional drivers.

6. Select the appropriate driver: Intel ICH10R SATA AHCI Controller for SATA, Intel ICH10R SATA RAID Controller for RAID, or LSI SAS.

7. Press Enter to continue the Windows XP installation.

8. After the OS installation is complete, install the NVIDIA graphics and RealTek audio drivers described in To Install the NVIDIA Graphics and RealTek Audio Drivers.

To Install the NVIDIA Graphics and RealTek Audio Drivers

1. Make sure the Windows OS is already installed.

2. Insert the Tools and Drivers DVD into the DVD drive.

3. If required, perform the following steps to install the NVIDIA graphics drivers:

   1. Change to the directory on the Tools and Drivers DVD by typing the following command:

      C:\> cd D:\drivers\windows\video\XP\xxbit where xx is 32 or 64 for 32-bit or 64-bit.

   2. Run the executable file.

   3. Follow the instructions in the installation software.

4. If required, perform the following steps to install RealTek audio drivers:

   1. Change to the Tools and Drivers DVD by typing the following command:

      C:\> cd D:\drivers\windows\audio\XP

   2. Run the executable file.

   3. Follow the instructions in the installation software.

5. Reboot the workstation.

6. When done, proceed to Chapter 7, Updating the Critical Drivers and Software.

Using the XpReburn Script to Create a Windows CD that Includes Drivers

The XpReburn script creates an installation CD-ROM for Windows, or an ISO CD image, that incorporates Intel platform-specific and Intel RAID drivers.

You can use the CD-ROM created by XpReburn to install the Windows OS without having to separately install platform-specific and RAID drivers.

The Tools and Drivers DVD includes the XpReburn scripts. Further information about XpReburn is available in the readme.txt file within the /utilities/XPReburn_x.x.zip file (where x.x is the version number).

XpReburn Script Requirements

To use XpReburn to create a Windows OS installation CD, you need the following:

• A system running Solaris 10, RHEL, or SUSE

• CD burner

• Blank CD-R or CD-RW

• Windows XP CD (retail media only ­ not OEM version)

• The Sun Ultra 27 Workstation Tools and Drivers DVD

To Create a Windows XP Installation CD with XpReburn

1. On a Solaris OS, Red Hat, or SUSE system, insert the Tools and Drivers DVD.

2. As superuser, create a temporary directory with at least 1.2 GB of space. For example:

   # mkdir /files

3. Copy the Xp Reburn_version.zip file to that directory, for example:

   # cp /utilities/XpReburn_version.zip /files

4. Eject the Tools and Drivers DVD and insert your retail Windows XP CD.

5. Unzip the Xp Reburn_version.zip file. For example:

   # unzip -q XpReburn_version.zip

6. Run the XpReburn script. For example:

   # ./files/XpReburn

7. After the ISO image is created, insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW to burn the image.

8. After the CD is created, insert the CD into the workstation and boot from it.

9. After the OS installation is complete, install the graphics and audio drivers as described inTo Install the NVIDIA Graphics and RealTek Audio Drivers.

10. When done, proceed to Chapter 7, Updating the Critical Drivers and Software.