Learn to Install Windows 8

This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to install Microsoft Windows 8 Professional. You can follow this guide if you have Windows 8 basic edition or any other version as the steps are very similar.

The best way to install Windows 8 is to do a clean install. Before you start the installation process I recommend that you check Windows 8 System Requirements to ensure that your hardware is supported by Windows 8. If you don't have Windows 8 drivers for all your hardware, it is a good idea to download all the drivers from the hardware manufacturers web site and save all the necessary drivers on a CD/DVD or a USB drive before you start the installation.

Step 1 - Place Windows 8 DVD in your dvd-rom drive and start your PC. Windows 8 will start to boot up and you will get the following screen with a rotating progress bar.

Step 2 - The next screen allows you to setup your language, time and currency format, keyboard or input method. Choose your required settings and click next to continue.

Step 3 - The next screen allows you to install or repair Windows 8. Since we are doing a clean install we will click on "install now".

Step 4 - The setup process starts as shown.

Step 5 - At this stage you need to type your product key that came with your copy of Windows 8. Click next once you have entered the product key correctly.

Step 6 - Read the license terms and tick I accept license terms. Then click next to continue.

Step 7 - Choose the type of installation you want. Since you are doing a clean install you need to click on custom.

Step 8 - Choose where you would like to install Windows 8. If you have one hard drive you will get an option similar to the image below. You can click next to continue then go to step 12.

If you have more than one drive or partition then you need to select the appropriate drive and click next. At this stage you can go to step 12.

If you want to partition a large drive then do not click next. Go to step 9.

Step 9 - If you want to partition an existing drive then click new. Choose the size of the partition and click apply.

Step 10 - Click OK to create the partition. Windows will create additional system partition which you don't have to worry about.

Step 11 - You will notice that you have 3 partitions. Partition 1 is system reserved. Leave this partition alone. Partition 2 is 30GB primary partition that was created in the last step. The third partition is unallocated which means it is not being used. You can however format it and use it as a second storage drive. This can be done after windows installation is finished so I will leave it for now.

Choose partition 2 (Primary Partition). This is where I will install Windows 8. Click next to continue.

Step 12 - At this stage Windows starts to copy files to your hard drive and begins the installation. This process might take a few minutes depending on your computer specification. Now is a good time to grab yourself a coffee.

Step 13 - When all the necessary files are copied Windows 8 will automatically restart as shown.

Step 14 - You will go through various progress bar and information messages as shown on the following images. Windows might restart automatically second time.

Step 15 - You are now presented with "Let's go through a few basics" screen. It will automatically select personalize option.

Step 16 - Choose your PC name and personalize the color.

Step 17 - Here you can choose express settings or choose customize. I will choose customize to make further customization.

Step 18 - Choose Yes, turn on sharing and connect to devices.

Step 19 - Help protect and update your PC. Choose your preferred option and click next.

Step 20 - Send Microsoft info to help make Windows and apps better. Choose your preferred options or leave the default settings. Click next to continue.

Step 21 - Check online for solutions to problem. Choose your preferred options or leave the default settings. Click next to continue.

Step 22 - Sign in to your PC. Here you can login to your PC using a Microsoft email account such as your hotmail account.

If you do not have a Microsoft account you can create one by clicking Sign up for a new email address. Go to Step 23.

If you don't want to create an email account and prefer to create a local user name, click Sign in without a Microsoft account. Go to step 24.

Step 23 - Sign up for a new email address. If you want to create a new email account you need to complete the form below.

Step 24 - Click local account

Step 25 - Here you can choose a local user name and password. Choose finish to continue.

Step 26 - At this stage Windows starts to finalize your settings. You will get the following information screen as the installation moves forward.

Step 27 - As Windows 8 setup progresses you are given a presentation of the new interface.

Step 28 - Soon as the demonstration finishes windows moves into the final stages of the setup.

Step 29 - Finally the setup process is finished and you are presented with a completely new and unfamiliar Metro user interface. You have your most common application right in front of you. Clicking on any tiles will launch that application. At this point you can start using your computer. However, it may not be fully configured. You need to make sure that all the hardware is detected correctly and the necessary device drivers are installed. This can be done from the device manager.

Step 30 - To go to device manager click search on charm bar on the right. Then type devmgmt.msc. Click on the devmgmt icon on the left.

Step 31 - You will see all your hardware listed as shown on the image below. You need to check if you have any yellow exclamation marks next to the name of the devices, similar to "Base System Device" on the image below. This indicates that the driver has not been installed for this device.

At this stage you can install the driver for this device. To do so, Right Mouse click on Base System Device -> Update Driver Software...

Step 32 - You can choose to "Search automatically for updated driver software" or "Browse my computer for driver software". If you have the driver CD or if the driver is on a USB drive then choose "browse my computer for driver software". Window 8 will search and install the driver from the CD or you can locate the driver manually.

Once you have removed all the yellow exclamation marks from the device manager your Windows 8 configuration would be fully complete.

WHEN GETTING DRESSED

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ كَسَانِيْ هٰذَا (الثَّوْبَ) وَرَزَقَنِيْهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِّنِّيْ وَلاَ قُوَّةٍ.

Transliteration:

Alhamdu lillaahil- laze kasaanee haaza (as-sowba) wa razaqaneehi min ghairi hawlim-minnee wa laa quwwatin.

Translation:

Praise be to Allah who has clothed me with this (garment) and provided it for me though I was powerless myself and incapable.

Paani Poori

Ingredients:

For the Poori:

1.Sooji                   -              3/4 cup
2.All purpose flour -             1/4 cup
3.Salt                      -              as needed
4.Water                   -              enough for a tight dough

Method:

* Mix all the ingredients and form a firm dough.
* Apply oil to the rolling surface and roll the dough into thin chapathis.
* Take a bottle cap and make small pooris.
* Deep fry them in the oil and keep it aside.

Ingredients for Paani:

1.Tamarind extract                    -               1/2 cup
2.Cold water                             -                1 cup
3.Green chillies                         -                3
4.Mint leaves                             -                a hand ful
5.Cilantro                                   -                a hand ful
6.Kala namak/ black salt            -                 1/4 tsp
7.Ginger                                      -                 a small piece
8.Chilli pwr                                 -                1/4 tsp

Method for Paani:

* Take a mixing bowl,add the tamarind extract with ice cold water.
* In a grator,add chopped green chillies,a small piece of ginger,mint leaves and cilantro.
* Pound it roughly.And add it to the mixing bowl.
* Add salt,kala namak,chilli pwdr to the mixture and give it a stir.

For Serving :

Ingredients:

1.onion                       -                1/4 (chopped)
2.Potato                      -                1     (boiled and mashed)
3.Tomato                    -                 1/2  (chopped)
4.Cilantro                   -                 1 tbsp (minced)
5.Sev                          -                  1/4 cup
6.Chaat masama          -                  1/4 tsp

Method:

* Break the pooris,slit in onion,tomato,potato,cilantro and pour a spoon full of paani.
* Gulp it immediately after garnishing with sev and chaat masala.
* Enjoy ur evening snack.

Note:

If u feel like ur pooris are not stiff enough to hold the paani, then increase the amount of sooji.
The stuffings can be altered to ur taste.Black salt or kaala namak is a must for paani,bcoz this gives the tangy taste as that of in restaurants.

KFC Chicken Drumstick

Ingredients:

For Marination:

1.Chicken drumsticks                -         2
2.G&G paste                             -         1 tsp
3.Chilli pwdr                            -          2 tsp
4.salt                                         -          1/4 tsp
5.Coriander leaves                   -           as needed

For Egg coating:

1.Egg white                               -         2
2.Chilli pwdr                            -         1/2 tsp
3.Pepper pwdr                          -          1 tsp
4.Orange color                          -          a pinch

Dry Coating :

1.All purpose flour                   -          1/2 cup
2.Bread crumbs                         -          1/4 cup
3.Salt                                         -          1/4 tsp  

Method:

* Wash and slit the drumsticks in fleshy areas,for the masala to penetrate.
* Take a bowl , add all the ingredients under "For marination" and place the chicken .Now ,pour water till,the chicken gets immersed in masala .By adding water,masala is absorbed quickly into the chicken.
The chilli pwdr added is purely up to our taste.Leave the marination for atleast 3 hrs.
* Take the egg white in a small bowl,and add all the ingredients under " Egg coating".The chilli pwdr,fully is not absorbed by the chicken,in the marination.To compensate that , I have added it to egg coating mixture.

* Now ,take a a plate and mix all the ingredients under "Dry coating".

* Take the chicken and dip it with egg mixture.Let it get coated fully.
* Now roll,it in the flour-Bread crumbs mixture.The chicken ,shud be coated well with the flour mixture.
* Take a pan and shallow fry the chickens .
* Wipe off  with a tissue to remove excess oil.
* Serve hot with ranch or ketch up.

Note:

We can also increase the amt of chili pwdr.But usually KFC chicken will not have much spicy.

How to fix slow running computer?

Let’s perform little PC maintenance:

Clear Temporary Files:

Go to Run and type %temp%, it will take you to the windows temporary folder. Press Shift+Del to erase all the temp files.

clear temporary files

Uninstall unnecessary software from control panelàAdd or Remove Program

Couple of things from windows system tools such as Disk clean-up and Defragmenter.

Windows System tools

Disk Clean Up:

For Disk Clean-up, select the C drive and proceed. Clean-up tool will auto calculate the estimated cleanup from system and prompts you to proceed. If you can see in the below image tool has estimated to make a free space up to 903 MB even after I had performed clean up before few days back.

Windows Disk Clean Up

Disk Defragmenter:

Sometimes when you install a program or create a data file, the file ends up chopped up into chunks and stored in multiple locations on the disk. This is called fragmentation. Now, when Windows is writing a file to the disk, it looks for a suitable piece of free space in which to store it. What happens, then, when you copy a 40M database or audio file to the disk and the biggest slice of free space is only 30M? Or say you modify an existing file, appending a whole bunch of data so the file now takes up more space on the disk. To accommodate the files, Windows writes the first part of the file in one section of the disk and then scouts around for other places to store the rest of the file. The end result is that a single file may be stored in several chunks scattered about the disk. Defragmentation tool rearranges your disks and drives to make free the unused chunks, this makes your work computer faster.

Windows Disk Defragmenter

Perform a virus scan, malware/spyware scan. Clean recycle bin and make your desktop free with unnecessary files/folders.

Run Check Disk:

Run check disk for detect bad sector on drive. Go to Run type CMD for command prompt. In command prompt type “chkdsk” to start check disk.

Windows Check Disk

Speed Up Computer Boot Process:

Go to Run and type regedit

For Windows XP

Now navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then to SYSTEM.
Expand the SYSTEM node and click to CurrentControl­Set, and then to Control node. Click on ContentIndex,
You can see a list of files in right side pane.Look for Startupdelay or you can search for this, edit/double-click it.480000 is Defualt Startupdelay Hexadecimal value, change it to 4000.You are done man!!
Same way, you can speed-up shutting down process of windows.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then to SYSTEM.

Expand the SYSTEM node and click to CurrentControl­Set, and then to Control node.

Now edit String value “WaitToKillServiceTimeout”, default value is 20000.

Change it to 200 and feel the difference.

Verify Hardware or Driver Issues:

Sometimes hardware or driver issue may slow down your computer. Check if CPU has proper cooling and no extra sound coming out of it. Overheat always slow down the machine. Go for the utility which will verify for any driver errors, maybe you should go for updating drivers. Check failing or bad,  hard drive, CPU, RAM, motherboard or other component. Right click on My Computer and go to manage option, there you need to browse device manager and check at least what ever options I have expanded in the below image.

Computer Device Management

Try Different Browser:

There is no harm in trying different browser to check which suites you best. For me its Google Chrome that keeps me hassle free and makes me happy. Clear the browser cache , cookies history, auto form filling, history and other temp. Check for any stupid extension or plugin that you never wanted to install but it’s there by some way. Remove it at the very first moment.

Registry Clean Up:

It’s very uncommon where registry errors increases, which bogged down the machine. There is utility available CCleaner to clear the registry errors. Do back up the registry before making a test. Perform the CCleaner test 2-3 times for complete error removal and then reboot your machine to take it affect.

Remove Background Program:

Remove or disable any TSR(Terminate-and-stay-resident) and startup programs that automatically start every time machine boots. Press CTLR+ALT+DEL for Task manager, check for background program utilizing high memory or CPU usage. Windows 7 user can get better picture by using resource manager, Type resmon in Run to access.

Resource Monitor Widows 7

In the Run type “msconfig” to access System Configuration. Go to services and check Hide all Microsoft services as below.  Disable any unnecessary service.

System Configuration and Start Up

Start up tab will show you all the services that starts automatically when computer starts.  Since we have checked in Services TAB “Hide all Microsoft services”. Disabling all start up items will not affect on system start up and disable all non third party software to run while system start up.

System Configuration and Start Up other than Microsoft Services

Make sure you have a control over your antivirus, disable scanning in background which may lead to sluggishness.

Up gradation:

Upgrade operating system, security update, drivers and antivirus. If your computer is older than a year, it means your machine is not meeting with today’s memory requirement, upgrade RAM. If your computer is older than 5 years, we strictly suggest you to purchase a new one.