computer science

Now it's time to choose a password for the administrator account. The administrator account is a default account created when XP is installed. It has all possible rights and privileges within Windows XP on your specific computer. Given that using Windows authentication, it is quite possible for several people to log onto the same computer remotely (i.e. over the internet or from another computer on a home network) using the same user account, It is highly recommended that you choose a secure password for your administrator account and note it down.

Ensure the date and time settings are correct.

After another installation period, the XP setup will prompt you to specify your networking settings. These specify the default settings of your network adaptors, and whether certain Windows services such as file sharing are enabled.

Unless you already have a home network set up with specific IP settings or you know exactly what you are doing, the best approach here is to accept the 'typical settings', as these will enable you to quickly configure your cable or DSL internet connection after the installation is complete, and include the ability to share files over a network connection if required.

If you are using XP Professional, you will be asked to specify a workgroup or domain for your computer to join, while users of XP Home will only have the workgroup option, since XP Home computers cannot join Windows 2000 or 2003 domains.

A workgroup is a simple logical grouping of peer computers close to one another, while a domain is an enterprise level logical structure supported by servers, which is way, way beyond the scope of this article. If you have a network in your home, check the network settings of the other computers for the workgroup name.

Your system will now finalize the installation. Sit back and read the tips.

Eventually your system will restart and load XP for the first time. There are a few other things that need setting up before installation is complete. XP will now check to see if your system is already connected to the Internet.

If you are using a cable Internet connection, or you have a home network with Internet sharing through software or a router, you may already be connected at this point. Otherwise, fill in the necessary information for your connection. XP will prompt you to activate it over the Internet. At this point in the install, it is recommended not to activate it.

Wait until you have used the computer for a few hours and verified that everything is working. You will get plenty of reminders to activate XP, so skipping it now is not an issue.