Tips for installing Windows XP onto an SSD

SHORT VERSION:

Windows XP by default installs to a bad spot on a new SSD (sector 63). You need to install starting at sector 64...

FRESH XP INSTALL:

1. connect SSD to working pc
2. wipe all partition info off the drive, must be unpartition, unformatted for next step
   
3. run 'diskpar' on the drive to repartition *IMPORTANT* set partition offset to '64' (32k)
4. format OS partition using 'quick format', *MAKE SURE TO SET 4096 for the ALLOCATION UNIT*
   
5. reboot and start the install, DO NOT REFORMAT, select the new partition you created above
   

MOVING/MIGRATING EXISTING XP TO NEW DRIVE:

1. prep the SSD using the instructions above (1-4)
2. make your backup of the working OS partition using something that doesn't ruin the sector alignment when restoring (I use an old version of Norton Ghost (dos), and was able to copy directly HDD partition -> SSD partition)
3. power off pc
   
4. *IMPORTANT* swap sata cables on the SSD and your old HDD, so that the pc thinks your SSD is in the same 'place' where the HDD was
5. restore OS backup onto the newly created partition on the SSD
6. set SSD partition to 'boot' or 'active' (I used Partition Manager , dos-based, free)
7. set bios to boot from SSD
8. reboot :)

more details about SSD prepping and screenshots here.

If you have a 1st gen SSD like I picked up on sale (OCZ Solid 60GB, jmicron-infected), there's a few extra steps you should consider to keep the drive running smoothly (minimizing writes to SSD), which I will go into detail in my next post.