Installation ORDER when building a new PC or starting up aga

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 7:08 am

Hello everybody!

As you probably know, I have gone through the following steps already:

1- Building the PC
2- Setting up the BIOS
3- Formatting of drives in NTFS
4- Installation of Win XP

I have read a lot about which would be the priorities when installing software after XP, and the shortcuts you have to take to do so. Unfortunately, there are completely contradictory information in this regard, while some people would recommend this others will recommend that, so it’s difficult to choose what to do when you don’t know the foundations or reasons for this. If you think you can give me a concise explanation of WHY and WHICH software installation should be the first, the second, the third, and so on… please, do, it will be much appreciated.

This question comes up one and over and over again, and it would be nice to go in depth to finally sort it out.

Cheers...

Micha · Post by **Micha** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 8:10 am

Proposition:
Step 1: Make sure all drivers are installed with latest version + no hardware forgotten.
Step 2: All programs related to the hardware. Like SFP, RME mixer, utils that come for your graphics adapter (Pivot), SCSI (EZSCSI) etc.
Step 3: All basic addon software, Acrobat, zipper etc. The things needed everyday and known to be bug-free.
Special case here: latest DirectX, this can be installed with step 1 also.
Step 4: Software for the focus. For us Cubase, Logic, Cool Edit etc.
Step 5: All extended addon software like Awave, fixphoto etc.
Step 6: not for my audio machine. Fun, test etc.
After each install beginning with Step 3 I do a test to see if everything is ok and in case not deinstall/reinstall/lookforbugfix.
Usually works out fine.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 9:15 am

Thanks very much, that's much clearer to me now.

What about graphic and web applications?

SL1200MK4 · Post by **SL1200MK4** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 11:22 am

Usually I do 2 ghost CD for my installation.

One with the basic XP install, and one with all the software install and optimization done.

By optimization I mean things like, tweaking for the best performance, those can mean disable all visual effects on windows XP, disable services that you don't need, and of course things like disable or reallocate the swap space reserved for virtual memory. It's usually better to set up a fixed size swap space, instead of having windows dynamically allocate it, and for me I disable that... use only 1GB of my RAM, which is good enough to run my SFP, Cubase SL, and Kontakt with a ton of samples loaded...

dbmac · Post by **dbmac** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 1:58 pm

If you're gonna use XTC, make sure you install the host (like Cubase) before SFP, so there's a VST plugins folder for SFP to use for the XTC files.
/dave

Valium · Post by **Valium** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 5:55 pm

Hi there Nestor,

I suggest you read the following guide by Mr Steveo on ABXZone (former asusboards). The guide has been used by hundreds of people and tested/adjusted when needed. Hope that helps, it sure helped me ...

Greetz

http://www.abxzone.com/forums/showthrea ... tion+guide

Micha · Post by **Micha** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 2:53 am

Excellent link, Valium.

A ghost/image after Step 3 is , indeed, highly to recommend. Graphic/web with #5.
For XTC I create a folder program filesvst. Cubase can handle this, other programs not (I use cubase). So programs with a fixed vst folder should be installed before SFP, yes indeed.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 9:58 am

When I don't understand something and nevertheless I have to aply it, well... I do, but how much better it is when you KNOW the WHY you are doing something...

Thanks for the great link and explanations... there I go...