How to add new drivers to your XP installation disc

Windows XP gone off the market? No problem: Just grab your Windows XP installation disc and install it on your computer by yourself, right?

Not so fast. As popular as it is, Windows XP is now seven years old, which presents a unique problem if you try to install the aging OS on new hardware.

The issue is one of drivers. A lot has changed since 2001, and modern computers have features and components that didn't exist back then. And while it's no big deal if the audio doesn't work while you're getting the OS set up, it's a huge problem if you can't get Windows to see your hard drive.

Hard drives are in fact the biggest driver issue you're likely to face during installation, as any lingering drivers (Wi-Fi, modem, even video card) can usually be updated after Windows installs. But if your XP disc can't see the hard drive, it can't install itself in the first place. So how do you get XP to see the hard drive?

The answer: Create your own installation disc by "slipstreaming" the drivers you need it.

Don't be scared: Slipstreaming is a pretty easy process once you understand the basics. All you need are your original XP setup disc, whatever drivers and service packs (more on this in a second), and the free software nLite. Naturally, you'll stick this all on a blank CD-R when you're finished, so have one of those handy, too.

The actual walkthrough is pretty lengthy, and a number of sites offer detailed, step by step instructions on how to do it. I find Icrontic's guide to be most thorough while still being easy enough for beginners to follow. It has links to XP's Service Pack 3 (no reason not to install it right from the beginning) and all the drivers you are likely to need for installing XP on a modern computer. Just follow the steps carefully and don't skip anything, and you'll end up with a new disc that you can use in place of your old XP installer. (You can even take stuff out of XP that you don't want, like supportfor CPUs you don't own.)