Instalation of the OS


To Install a Windows Operating System you need the Windows CD. This goes to some extent agaist the purpose of this guide "Assemble a PC at a minimum cost".

One of your friend's (who knows how to partition, format and install Windows) help would be greatly apreciated

Most Windows install CDs are bootable, if the one you got is not, you need a startup disk. Else skip the whole startup disk thing. Boot your computer with it. You need to make a partition on your hard drive. Accomplish this with the use of MS "fdisk" program. After you are done, reboot, start with the disk again and run the command "format c:". The Windows 98 startup disk has the ability to start and detect the CD-ROM. Your CD-ROM drive letter should be "D:". Issue the command "D:" and then "dir /w". You should see a directory called "Install" or something like this. Use "cd directory" to enter it and "dir *.exe" to see it's executables. you should find a "setup.exe". Typing "setup.exe" at your prompt should start the windows installation program. The rest is intuitive, however, when the windows instalation is complete, right-click (click the right mouse button) on "My Computer" icon on the desktop. Choose "Propreties", this shows you the recognised configuration. Click on "Device Manager" tab. If on the list of hardware devices there is no yellow or any other disturbong signs, everithing is ok. If not, you probably need the right drivers for your hardware and a great adventure begins that is too much based on experience to express in words. i wish you good luck!

Installation of a Linux Distribution . You can verry easily get a bootable installlation CD. The rest is usualy quite simple as steps are explained by the instalation script. Be aware that the true Linux is for specialists, and it can be quite a challenge for computerwise iliterate people like me. i suggest you use a user-friendly distribution such as Red Hat Linux or Mandrake Linux.


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