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Windows Setup Installation Process
- Article
- 09/15/2021
- 2 minutes to read
In this article
Windows Setup is the program that installs Windows or upgrades an existing Windows installation. It is also the basis for the following installation and upgrade methods:
- Interactive Setup
- Automated installation
- Windows Deployment Services
Windows Setup Installation Types
Windows Setup can perform both clean and upgrade installations. However, it does not perform computer-to-computer migrations. Instead, you must use Windows Easy Transfer, the User State Migration Tool (USMT), or another migration tool to move data from a previous installation to the new operating system.
Custom installations. Windows Setup can perform a custom installation, also known as a clean installation, which saves your previous Windows installation but does not migrate your settings. The previous Windows installation will not boot after a clean installation.
Upgrade installations. Windows Setup can perform an installation that retains your settings and preferences while upgrading your operating system.
Windows Setup Process
The Windows Setup program starts and restarts the computer, gathers information, copies files, and creates or adjusts configuration settings. The following table shows the overall process for Windows Setup:
Downlevel (for custom installations and upgrades) - or - Windows PE (for booting the Windows DVD or booting a custom Windows PE image) |
|
Online configuration | Create specific configurations, making the Windows installation unique. |
Windows Welcome |
|
Windows Setup Technical Reference
Automate Windows Setup
Settings for Automating OOBE
Windows Setup Scenarios and Best Practices
Windows Setup Automation Overview
Audit Mode Overview
Windows Setup Configuration Passes
Windows Setup Supported Platforms and Cross-Platform Deployments
Unit 7. Evolution of computers
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Computer Hardware Basics
– any physical device or equipment used in or with a computer system (anything you can see and touch).
External hardware
- – any hardware device that is located outside the computer.
- – a piece of hardware device which is used to enter information to a computer for processing.
- Examples: keyboard, mouse, trackpad (or touchpad),
touchscreen, joystick, microphone, light pen, webcam, speech input, etc.
- – a piece of hardware device that receives information from a computer.
- Examples: monitor, printer, scanner, speaker, display screen (tablet, smartphone …), projector, head phone, etc.
Internal hardware
- – any piece of hardware device that is located inside the computer.
- Examples: CPU, hard disk drive, ROM, RAM, etc.
Computer Software Basics
Computer software
- – a set of instructions or programs that tells a computer what to do or how to perform a specific task (computer software runs on hardware).
- Main types of software – systems software and application software.
Application software
- – a computer program that provides users with tools to accomplish a specific task.
- Examples of application software: word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, database management, Internet browsers, email programs, media players, accounting, pronunciation, translation, desktop publishing, enterprise, etc.
System Software
– it is designed to run a computer’s hardware and application software, and make the computer system available for use. It serves as the interface between hardware, application software, and the user.
- Main functions of system software – allocating system resources, managing storage space, storing and retrieval of files, providing security, etc.
- Main types of systems software – operating system, device driver, utility software, programming software, etc.
– a software that controls and coordinates the computer hardware devices and runs other software and applications on a computer. It is the main part of system software and a computer will not function without it.
- Main functions of an operating system – booting the computer, managing system resources (CPU, memory, storage devices, printer, etc.), managing files, handling input and output, executing and providing services for application software, etc.
- Examples of operating system: Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS, Android OS, macOS, Linux, etc.
– a software program that is designed to control a particular hardware device that is attached to a computer.
- The main purpose of device driver – it acts as a translator between the hardware device and operating systems or applications that use it.
- It instructs computer on how to communicate with the device by translating the operating system’s instructions into a language that a device can understand in order to perform the necessary task.
- Examples of device driver: printer driver, display driver, USB driver, sound card driver, motherboard driver, ROM driver, etc.
– a type of system software that helps set up, analyze, configure, strengthen, maintain a computer and performs a very specific task (e.g. antivirus software, backup software, memory tester, screen saver, etc.).