How to Copy an Original Windows XP Installation Disk
Making a copy of your original Windows XP installation disk is an easy process to perform. Before you start, though, you need to be aware that creating a copy of the Windows XP installation disk for anything but backup purposes is illegal. You should only create a copy of your own Windows XP installation disk that you bought legally if you need it for backup and archival purposes.
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Things You'll Need
- Windows XP Installation CD
- Blank CD
- Computer with CD writing abilities
- CD burning software
Instructions
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1
Insert your original Windows XP installation CD into the CD tray of your computer. Close the CD tray, and open Windows Explorer on your computer (right-click on the "Start" button, then click "Explore").
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2
Create a folder on your desktop. You can name it whatever you would like, but an example of a good name would be something like "Windows XP Installation CD Files."
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3
Navigate to the CD inside Windows Explorer, and click on the "Tools" menu, then on "Folder Options." Check the option to "Show hidden files and folders," then click "Apply," and click "OK" to close the pop-up menu.
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4
Select all of the folders and files on the CD, and copy them into the folder on your desktop. This process will take several minutes to complete, but usually no longer, unless your computer is an old model, or you are running lots of data intensive processes in the background while you do it.
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Remove your Windows XP Installation CD from your computer, and insert your blank CD. Open your CD burning utility, and choose the option to make a data disk. When asked which files you want to burn to the CD, choose the files that you just copied, located inside of the folder on your desktop. (Don't copy the folder; just the folders and files that are inside of it.)
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Write the files to the CD. This process will take several minutes to complete, up to an hour or so, depending on the speed at which you are writing the CD.
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Take the CD out of the computer once the burning process is completed.
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Tips & Warnings
Burn your CD at a slow speed, such as 2x or 4x, instead of 8x, 16x or 32x to avoid corrupting the data. You should also verify the data on the CD using the Verify Data After Burning function that is built in to your CD burning program.
