This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
After the Second Reboot: Read Me Now!
After the second reboot, you will see a few messages indicating that Setup is collecting additional information, and finally, a graphical interface will be displayed. This screen will be divided into a left and right side. On the left side you will see:
- Collecting information
- Dynamic Update
- Preparing installation
- Installing Windows
- Finalizing Installation
As each of these functions completes, the text will change color so that you can keep track of what the Setup Wizard is doing. When a task has been completed, a check mark will appear to the left of the task.
At the bottom of the left part of the screen, you will see a bar graph that show the progress of each of these functions as they are performed. You will also see an Estimated Time to Completion field at the bottom left of the screen.
On the right side of the screen, you will be entertained by a collection of informational messages that are intended to introduce you to the new operating system. Each message is displayed for a short period, giving you some new tidbit of information about Windows XP. Reading these messages can keep you from falling asleep during the installation!
Note
Selecting regional and language options during setup is not pertinent. These features can also be set using a utility found in the Control Panel after you have finished the installation. As a matter of fact, unless you are familiar with these options, I would recommend simply selecting the local and performing further customizations after the operating system has been installed.
From Collecting Information to Finalizing Installation
Several dialog boxes will pop up during this phase of the Setup process, allowing you to further configure your Windows XP installation. These different options are discussed next.
Regional and Language Options
This dialog box allows you to select the locale for the system. The default user local is English (United States). To change this, click Customize. This will bring up the Regional and Languages Options properties sheets that allow you to select a number of things. The three tabs are Region Options, Languages, and Advanced.
Region Options
In Figure 3.3, you can see an example of this dialog box. Note that when you change Region Options, the fields under the word Samples will change to show you the kinds of formats that will be used for the region you select. Formats are provided for such things as numbers, currency, and time and date. At the bottom of this tab, you can click the Location drop-down menu to select a country. This information is used by Windows to provide you with local information.
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Figure 3.3 The Regional and Language Options dialog box allows you to set certain data formats depending on the Region you select.
Figure 3.4 You can use Customize to bring up this set of property sheets to further customize how certain types of data are presented in Windows XP Professional. From the drop-down menu, you can select from many languages and locales.
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Click Customize if you want to change how any of the Samples fields are used. In Figure 3.4, you can see that the properties sheets that are used for customization are more complex.
To change any of the items in these properties sheets, just use the down arrow at the right side of the field to see the options available for customization.
The Languages Tab
As Figure 3.5 indicates, you can use this tab to install additional languages and to view details about the language you have selected.
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Figure 3.5 Use this dialog box to customize details about the language you have selected.
Figure 3.6 You can add additional languages and keyboard types using this dialog box.
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Click Details to choose a default input language from the Text Services property sheet (see Figure 3.6).
In the Installed services section of this tab, you will see the language and keyboard type. To change the keyboard type, click Add. You can then select from the Add Input Language dialog box the type of keyboard you want to use. For example, if you have chosen English (United States) as your input language, the following keyboard layouts, among others, are available from the drop-down menu:
- United States-Dvorak
- United States-Dvorak for left hand
- United States-Dvorak for right hand
- United States-International
The Advanced Tab
This tab allows you to set up the system for non-Unicode programs. Again, there is a drop-down menu from which you can select the language you want to use, and a section from which you can select code page conversion tables.
When you are finished using the Regional and Language Options properties sheets, click OK to continue Setup.
Personalize Your Software
This standard Windows dialog box will prompt you to enter your full name and the name of the organization to which you belong. This information is stored in the Registry and will appear later as the default when you install new applications. You don't have to enter anything here, but it can save time when applications use the information later. Click Next after entering the information.
Computer Name and Administrator Password
This dialog box will allow you to enter a computer name. If you participate in a network, then you should obtain a computer name from your network administrator.
This dialog box also prompts you to enter a password for the Administrator account. You need to enter it twice, in two separate fields. This is because the actual text you enter is not displayed. Instead, dark black circles are displayed for each character you type. By entering the password twice, the Setup Wizard can ensure that you didn't make a mistake. Click Next to continue.
Date and Time Settings
In this dialog box, you can set the current date and time. Default values will appear in these fields, but you can change them by using the up and down arrow keys. For example, to change the weekday, click on that portion of the field in the date field and use the up and down arrows to change to a different weekday. You can do the same for the month, month day, and field values in the time field.
Note
Information about how to manually configure network information is fully described in detail in Part 4 of this book. If you choose to manually set up the network during setup, then you should read the chapters in Part 4 first.
The Time Zone section of this dialog box provides a drop-down menu that you can use to select the proper time zone for your location. Simply click on the down-arrow to display a list and then use the scroll bar that appears to find your time zone. Click once on the time zone to set it as the default.
Finally, if your location uses daylight savings time, you can enable an automatic change for this by selecting the check box Automatically Adjust Clock for Daylight Savings Changes. When finished, click Next.
Network Settings
This dialog box allows you to set up your computer's network configuration. The two choices are Typical Settings and Custom Settings. Typical Settings will install the Client for Microsoft Networks, along with TCP/IP with automatic addressing. If you choose Custom Settings, you will be able to enter network information manually.
Click Next after making your selection. If you chose Typical Settings, the next dialog box will ask you if your computer is to be a member of a workgroup or a domain. In order to join a domain, your network administrator must set up an account for your computer and your username. If you want to join a workgroup, which is a peer-to-peer network in which authentication is done locally on each computer in the workgroup, you can enter the name of the workgroup. Click Next to continue with the Setup Process.
If you chose the Custom Settings options, you will see a dialog box that allows you to select which network components you want to install. Depending on the components you choose, additional dialog boxes will appear to prompt you for the information required. For example, you will be able to enter TCP/IP addressing information.
Setup will continue, performing functions like setting up the Start menu and registering components in the Registry. The Finalizing installation option on the left side of the page will now turn orange as Setup performs these last few functions. The last thing you will see is that Setup will remove temporary files, and then the system will reboot.