Windows XP Installing Question

[drfsupercenter]

Hi,

I have a Windows XP Pro CD with a legit and unused serial number. However, the disc is old (from 2003) and thus only includes service pack 1.
I'm getting a laptop soon, and will be installing XP on it to avoid using the bloated heap that is Vista (at least until I get my free Windows 7 upgrade in October), and I was just wondering.

If I were to, like, get a CD that had service pack 3 pre-installed, would it work? I mean, are those XP serials tied to the OS/Service Pack disc, or do they work with ANY version of the OS? I'd much rather just have all the updates pre-installed than try to do it all myself. But if the serial number will be rejected, it's also no good.

And on that note, how do you install 64-bit version of XP? I've never seen a separate disc for it... is there one? Or do they both use the same disc? The laptop has 4GB RAM so I think it's necessary to use 64 bit.

[dr_ml422]

use nlite and it will show you how to integrate sp3 into your xp pro. you will also be able to eliminate even more bloat w/nlite.

yes 64 bit is different than 32 bit and you would need a separate disc. also the 4gb ram would just make 64 bit more efficient, it doesn't necessarily need 64 your 4gb's.

play w/64 on a separate hdd as a lot of apps. are still not compatible. but w/7 64 you'll be fine as it takes both x86 and 64 bit architecture. just throw the disc in the drive and follow the directions. you'll be fine. don't be afraid.

[drfsupercenter]

Ah, well, I don't have a 64 bit installation disc... and I've heard bad stuff about Windows XP 64-bit, so I'll probably not use it.

But I'm still curious: If I were to get a CD that had service pack 3 pre-installed, would my serial number still work? I guess it just feels weird using a 2003 disc on a 2009 machine... I'd rather use a brand newish CD, even though I have a valid serial from 6 years ago.

So the thing about 32-bit only "seeing" 3.2GB of RAM isn't true?

[PurpleDemon]

I've heard bad stuff about Windows XP 64-bit, so I'll probably not use it.

Maybe a good idea not to use at this point. It had a difficult time catching on so compatibility was always an issue. However I have been using Windows 7 64 bit and have not had a prioblem yet.

If I were to get a CD that had service pack 3 pre-installed, would my serial number still work?

I don't see why not as long as they were the same type of install. (Like OEM)

[pfloyd]

Ah, well, I don't have a 64 bit installation disc... and I've heard bad stuff about Windows XP 64-bit, so I'll probably not use it.

But I'm still curious: If I were to get a CD that had service pack 3 pre-installed, would my serial number still work? I guess it just feels weird using a 2003 disc on a 2009 machine... I'd rather use a brand newish CD, even though I have a valid serial from 6 years ago.

So the thing about 32-bit only "seeing" 3.2GB of RAM isn't true?

As stated above, get Nlite and you can slipstream SP3 into it and it will work fine. I have XP sp2 and put sp3 on with no problems.

[soup]

So the thing about 32-bit only "seeing" 3.2GB of RAM isn't true?

Au contraire mon ami, XP32 only sees 3.25 GBs. Used XP64 for a long while & never had any problems with it. There is also another program out there called Autostreamer.

[drfsupercenter]

I don't see why not as long as they were the same type of install. (Like OEM)

Mine's not OEM, it's the retail version. I could probably borrow the newer retail version from somebody who has it, though.

What exactly does Nlite do? I would install the OS with SP1, and use it after installation? Or does it modify the disc image (on a CD-R or something) to have the other two service packs in them?

As for the 3.25GB thing... if I used CPU-Z or something then, it would say I only had 3.25GB of RAM? Someone answer me this: Which is worth it, having programs work or a few MB more RAM?

[MilesAhead]

If you read one of those 64 bit Windows FAQs you can get all the details. Basically, a 32 bit flat address space is limited to 4 GB. PCs map stuff into the system memory, such as video. Those areas are taken away from the general system ram or else when you allocate a block of memory that happened to be where the video is, you'd get gibberish on the screen as applications stored their data.

80386 and higher processors can actually address more than 4 GB of memory by using segment descriptors. Windows just sets these all to 0 because it's more complicated to program stuff if you have to calculate in the segment descriptors. Plus every time PCs get access to what seems like a lot of memory, the thinking is "Gee! We'll never need more than x amount of memory!! What would we do with it all?

So they do it the easy way. With 64 bit OS you can still have segment descriptors that are all zeros and access a 64 bit address space. Chances are the physical ram in the system will be much less than you can address. You can just go around the address space used by the video and other memory mapped i/o. If you really want to know all the nitty gritty, google "physical addresses", "logical addresses", "memory mapped i/o" "DMA" and "80386". Some old white paper written when the 386 was new is probably still out there somewhere.

[Abuilder]

Danny
Before you install your XP SP1, you may want to read about slipstreaming an upgrade CD to SP3.

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/slipstream-xp-service-pack-3.shtml

OR
make sure you have this file on hand to upgrade to SP3 after you install SP1.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

[pfloyd]

Mine's not OEM, it's the retail version. I could probably borrow the newer retail version from somebody who has it, though.

What exactly does Nlite do? I would install the OS with SP1, and use it after installation? Or does it modify the disc image (on a CD-R or something) to have the other two service packs in them?

As for the 3.25GB thing... if I used CPU-Z or something then, it would say I only had 3.25GB of RAM? Someone answer me this: Which is worth it, having programs work or a few MB more RAM?

There is no difference between an older version of XP than a so called newer version. Just update with the service packs and you are all set.

[atifsh]

ppl say bad things about xp 64 because it was released very late and some rumers are its derived from server 2003 , and not actual XP./ thats what makes those little problems like drivers issues and stuff., but on the otherhand because its somhow derived frm server 2003 its very stable.

[Chewy]

Back on topic, use nlite to do the slipstream and burn the iso with Imgburn.

Best OS for a clean install and a non super computer(laptop)

With 3.25 gigs of ram and xp you'll never miss the .75 gigs.

[drfsupercenter]

So I should use my 32-bit edition?

Alright, so assuming I want to do this legally, I should just slipstream the SP1 CD I have to include the newer service packs?
Now question: Would adding SP3 without adding SP2 screw it up? Or does SP3 include all of SP2 and then some?

[Chewy]

I did the slip of sp2 first then later did the sp3

I have used that same disk to wipe several old oem computers and install xp w/ sp3 clean
using their numbers

[drfsupercenter]

Hm, so it's like double slipstreaming?

Would it *work* if I went from SP1 to SP3? I mean, service pack 2 was the best one... I'd hate not having it...

Anyway, the serial number that came with my SP1 disc will work with the slipstreamed one, right?