Difference between revisions of "Installing ReactOS"

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If you decide to install ReactOS on a disk drive that contains an existing operating system (such as Microsoft Windows XP), you should ensure that the drive is formatted with a file system ReactOS can access and write to (now, primary FAT32/FAT16 partition) and that there is sufficient free space on the drive such that ReactOS can be installed (now, >=450 MB).
 
If you decide to install ReactOS on a disk drive that contains an existing operating system (such as Microsoft Windows XP), you should ensure that the drive is formatted with a file system ReactOS can access and write to (now, primary FAT32/FAT16 partition) and that there is sufficient free space on the drive such that ReactOS can be installed (now, >=450 MB).
−
Furthermore, the current hardware limitations to which ReactOS is constrained must be identified and compared to the target computer system (e.g. that ReactOS has only basic audio support as of [[0.4.12]] release).
+
Furthermore, the current hardware limitations to which ReactOS is constrained must be identified and compared to the target computer system (e.g. that ReactOS has only basic audio support as of [[0.4.13]] release).
  
 
Once the available hardware and software situation is determined the installation media can be selected. In most cases, USB-RAM boot should be enough (or CD-ROM boot for virtual machines). But sometimes it may either not work or be not available for the particular system. Then you can use other available options as well.
 
Once the available hardware and software situation is determined the installation media can be selected. In most cases, USB-RAM boot should be enough (or CD-ROM boot for virtual machines). But sometimes it may either not work or be not available for the particular system. Then you can use other available options as well.
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* Third stage – Booting to desktop, user configurations.
 
* Third stage – Booting to desktop, user configurations.
  
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If you '''encounter problems''', it is recommended to disable all secondary or unnecessary devices, especially '''USB'''-cameras and '''sound cards''' of any type.
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If you '''encounter problems''', it is recommended to disable or physically remove all secondary or unnecessary devices, especially '''USB'''-cameras and '''sound cards''' of any type.
  
 
== Virtual Machines ==
 
== Virtual Machines ==
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Generally speaking, PCs from Windows 2000-XP era should work with ReactOS, the details depend on your particular hardware configuration. Check our [[Supported_Hardware|supported hardware]] and [[PC ROS Rigs|notebook models]] pages for more info.
 
Generally speaking, PCs from Windows 2000-XP era should work with ReactOS, the details depend on your particular hardware configuration. Check our [[Supported_Hardware|supported hardware]] and [[PC ROS Rigs|notebook models]] pages for more info.
  
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{{Warning|ReactOS does not support UEFI booting yet, you need to enable legacy BIOS mode on UEFI systems}}
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{{Warning|Although work on the UEFI Boot is [https://reactos.org/blogs/newsletter-103/ in progress], ReactOS does not support UEFI booting yet, you need to enable legacy BIOS mode on UEFI systems}}
  
 
== Install from a CD-ROM ==
 
== Install from a CD-ROM ==
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== Install from a USB media ==
 
== Install from a USB media ==
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Since version [[0.4.15]] there are two options for booting from a USB media. Try another one if the first doesn't work
 
  
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'''Note:''' due to instabilities in the USB stack, it makes sense to try the boot a couple of times (2-3) before moving to a next method
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See article [[LiveUSB]] about how to prepare a USB boot media.
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=== Bootable USB from an iso ===
 
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This is an ordinary way to prepare USB, feel free to take any manual made for Windows.
 
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* On Windows [https://rufus.ie/ Rufus] tool can be used for that
 
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* On Linux [https://unetbootin.github.io/ UNetBootin] can be used
 
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* '''ReactOS feature:''' the iso will work even if written in a raw <code>dd</code> mode
 
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=== Ramdisk (aka USB-RAM) boot ===
 
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The basic idea of this method is to dump the whole unchanged iso file into memory first (make a ramdisk) and then boot from it without touching the original media.
 
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For this method, you should prepare a flash drive first. It should have a FAT32 filesystem and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiboot_specification Multiboot specification]-capable bootloader should be installed on it.
 
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For example, you can use [https://wiki.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php?title=Install syslinux]. Here is how to install it (for syslinux version 6.x):
 
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==== On Linux ====
 
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Plug in the flash drive and leave it unmounted.
 
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Then run these commands:
 
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<pre>
 
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sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
 
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sudo syslinux --install /dev/sdb1
 
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</pre>
 
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Note: here, <code>/dev/sdb1</code> is a partition on a flash drive
 
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==== On Windows ====
 
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Use [https://rufus.ie/ Rufus] tool:
 
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* Select your flash drive
 
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* Click "Show advanced drive properties"
 
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* Boot selection: <code>Syslinux 6.x</code>
 
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* Partition scheme: <code>MBR</code>, File system: <code>FAT32</code>
 
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* Format the drive using selected options above
 
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==== Next common steps for both platforms ====
 
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At this point, you should have a bootloader installed onto the drive. Now it's time to copy some files onto it.
 
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'''Notice''': you may [https://svn.reactos.org/packages/usbramboot.zip download] all the required files, except iso images, in a zip-archive. It uses freeldr.sys from the [https://git.reactos.org/?p=reactos.git;a=commit;h=fb4591c48c568d138d9d7aeaa90db4bd5885c6aa fb4591c] commit.
 
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* Now you need to copy <code>mboot.c32</code> and <code>libcom32.c32</code> syslinux libraries to the root
 
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* Then copy a freeldr.sys bootloader from ReactOS [[0.4.13]] or higher
 
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* Now you need to write some configuration files. First, <code>syslinux.cfg</code>:
 
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<pre>
 
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DEFAULT ReactOS
 
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LABEL ReactOS
 
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  KERNEL mboot.c32
 
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  APPEND /freeldr.sys
 
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</pre>
 
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* Then <code>freeldr.ini</code>:
 
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<pre>
 
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[FREELOADER]
 
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DefaultOS=BootCD_Debug
 
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TimeOut=5
 
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[Display]
 
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TitleText=ReactOS LiveUSB
 
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StatusBarColor=Cyan
 
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StatusBarTextColor=Black
 
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BackdropTextColor=White
 
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BackdropColor=Blue
 
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BackdropFillStyle=Medium
 
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TitleBoxTextColor=White
 
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TitleBoxColor=Red
 
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MessageBoxTextColor=White
 
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MessageBoxColor=Blue
 
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MenuTextColor=Gray
 
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MenuColor=Black
 
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TextColor=Gray
 
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SelectedTextColor=Black
 
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SelectedColor=Gray
 
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ShowTime=No
 
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MenuBox=No
 
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CenterMenu=No
 
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MinimalUI=Yes
 
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TimeText=Seconds until highlighted choice will be started automatically:
 
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[Operating Systems]
 
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LiveCD="LiveCD"
 
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LiveCD_Debug="LiveCD (Debug)"
 
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LiveCD_Screen="LiveCD (Screen)"
 
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BootCD="BootCD"
 
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BootCD_Debug="BootCD (Debug)"
 
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BootCD_Screen="BootCD (Screen)"
 
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[LiveCD]
 
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BootType=Windows2003
 
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SystemPath=ramdisk(0)\reactos
 
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Options=/MININT /RDPATH=livecd.iso /RDEXPORTASCD
 
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[LiveCD_Debug]
 
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BootType=Windows2003
 
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SystemPath=ramdisk(0)\reactos
 
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Options=/DEBUG /DEBUGPORT=COM1 /BAUDRATE=115200 /SOS /MININT /RDPATH=livecd.iso /RDEXPORTASCD
 
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[LiveCD_Screen]
 
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BootType=Windows2003
 
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SystemPath=ramdisk(0)\reactos
 
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Options=/DEBUG /DEBUGPORT=SCREEN /SOS /MININT /RDPATH=livecd.iso /RDEXPORTASCD
 
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[BootCD]
 
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BootType=ReactOSSetup
 
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SystemPath=ramdisk(0)\
 
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Options=/MININT /RDPATH=bootcd.iso /RDEXPORTASCD
 
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[BootCD_Debug]
 
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BootType=ReactOSSetup
 
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SystemPath=ramdisk(0)\
 
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Options=/DEBUG /DEBUGPORT=COM1 /BAUDRATE=115200 /SOS /MININT /RDPATH=bootcd.iso /RDEXPORTASCD
 
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[BootCD_Screen]
 
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BootType=ReactOSSetup
 
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SystemPath=ramdisk(0)\
 
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Options=/DEBUG /DEBUGPORT=SCREEN /SOS /MININT /RDPATH=bootcd.iso /RDEXPORTASCD
 
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</pre>
 
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'''Note:''' for detailed explanation, see [[Boot options]]
 
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* Now place <code>bootcd.iso</code> and/or <code>livecd.iso</code> in the root of the disk (or whatever path configured in <code>freeldr.ini</code>)
 
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* Ready to boot
 
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== Using virtual machine ==
 
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* Create a virtual machine but without the hard disk
 
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* Create a virtual hard disk for VirtualBox which points to the real one
 
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** on Linux: <code>VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename "~/VirtualBox VMs/reactos/disk.vmdk" -rawdisk PathToHarddisk</code>
 
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** important: <code>PathToHarddisk</code> must be the whole disk, not a partition: /dev/sdb
 
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* Add <code>disk.vmdk</code> to virtual machine via Storage => Add Harddisk
 
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* Install ReactOS as usual
 
  
 
== Network boot or installation via PXE ==
 
== Network boot or installation via PXE ==

Latest revision as of 04:54, 12 November 2023

Icon speedy deletion.png Warning: Please bear in mind that ReactOS is still in alpha stage, meaning it is not stable or feature-complete and is not recommended for everyday use. Operating system bugs can and do result in corrupted file systems, overwritten partitions, and more. Do not install ReactOS on any computer containing important data without using a virtual machine or making full backups first.


Before installing

There are several things to be made aware of before installing ReactOS, or even obtaining the installation media. These include how ReactOS will be installed, limitations of the installation, and backing up existing data.

Limitations

ReactOS is alpha level (or alpha phase) software. It is not yet feature complete.
Some major bugs remain to be corrected. For the details see Known Issues. Bear in mind that this is not a complete list of known issues. See also Missing ReactOS Functionality.


The ReactOS itself, setup utility, and boot loader have a number of limitations. The most prominent are:

  • the setup utility does not prevent users from performing dangerous and potentially destructive operations.
  • UEFI system firmware is not supported by ReactOS yet, you have to use legacy BIOS mode.
  • some SATA controllers may not work with ReactOS.
  • the boot partition is highly recommended to be the first partition on the first (or even better - single) disk in the system.
  • the setup utility can check the integrity of ONLY FAT16 and FAT32 file systems.
  • HD Audio or use of multiple audio cards at the same time are not yet supported, ReactOS versions and builds prior to 0.4.12 will not boot after setup with this configuration.

System requirements

Hardware support

ReactOS has limited hardware support. Lists of particular hardware that have been tested can be found on the page Supported Hardware.

Minimum hardware requirements

The minimum requirements to install ReactOS are:

  • RAM: at least 64 MB, recommended 256 MB, and even 2048 MB if you want to test large software suites or bundles.
  • Processor: x86 or x64 architecture, Pentium or later and compatibles; for more information see ReactOS ports.
  • HDD: IDE/SATA with minimum 450 MB of free space on the primary partition (please note that some SATA controllers may not work with ReactOS):
    • FAT16/FAT32 primary boot partition.
  • Video: VGA compatible video card (VESA BIOS version 2.0 or later).

Getting ReactOS

Due to the current state of the project, the ReactOS Foundation does not offer official installation media for distribution. Installation CD-ROMs must be created by the user by writing an available image file to a CD-ROM.

Downloading the image file

Official ISO image files can be downloaded at one of the following locations:

WARNING: Some anti-malware programs will detect false positives in ReactOS files.

Creating the Installation CD

The downloaded file is a compressed archive in ZIP format, containing a single file named "ReactOS.iso". The ISO image contains everything needed to create the CD.

  • Extract the image file from the archive into a temporary directory.
  • Burn the ISO image to a CD-R or CD-RW using any software of your choice.

When burning the ISO to disc, be sure it is written as an image file. Writing to the disc as another type of data will not work and render the Installation CD unbootable. Look for an option similar to "Burn from ISO" or "Write disk image".

Installing ReactOS

Please consider making full backups of any sensitive data before you start any experiments with ReactOS in the production environment!

Installation strategy

The first consideration to make is whether to install ReactOS on a dedicated testing machine or in a contained environment, such as running on an emulator without direct disk access. The use of an emulator is preferable if the machine on which you will run ReactOS is your primary computer or if you have important data on the computer which you cannot afford to lose.

If you decide to install ReactOS on a disk drive that contains an existing operating system (such as Microsoft Windows XP), you should ensure that the drive is formatted with a file system ReactOS can access and write to (now, primary FAT32/FAT16 partition) and that there is sufficient free space on the drive such that ReactOS can be installed (now, >=450 MB). Furthermore, the current hardware limitations to which ReactOS is constrained must be identified and compared to the target computer system (e.g. that ReactOS has only basic audio support as of 0.4.13 release).

Once the available hardware and software situation is determined the installation media can be selected. In most cases, USB-RAM boot should be enough (or CD-ROM boot for virtual machines). But sometimes it may either not work or be not available for the particular system. Then you can use other available options as well.

ReactOS goes through three stages during setup. The first two stages deal with the installation of the system, while the third stage is the first usable boot by the user.

  • First stage – Text mode setup, started when booting from a ReactOS CD-ROM.
  • Second stage – Booting to GUI installer. The input of user information and registering of files.
  • Third stage – Booting to desktop, user configurations.

If you encounter problems, it is recommended to disable or physically remove all secondary or unnecessary devices, especially USB-cameras and sound cards of any type.

Virtual Machines

A Virtual Machine is a software program that provides a virtual hardware platform. Software instructions that would be run on hardware are now interpreted by the emulator software. This allows you to "run" a different kind of computer hardware and its software in a window on your computer.

See Virtualization software for well-known configurations for popular VM software.

Hardware

Generally speaking, PCs from Windows 2000-XP era should work with ReactOS, the details depend on your particular hardware configuration. Check our supported hardware and notebook models pages for more info.

Icon speedy deletion.png Warning: Although work on the UEFI Boot is in progress, ReactOS does not support UEFI booting yet, you need to enable legacy BIOS mode on UEFI systems


Install from a CD-ROM

  • Make sure your BIOS is configured to boot from the CD-ROM first.
  • Insert the ReactOS setup CD-ROM into a CD-ROM drive and reboot your computer. On the next boot, the ReactOS setup utility will start.
  • Follow the instructions on the screen to install ReactOS on your computer.
  • After the installation has finished, remove the setup CD-ROM from the CD-ROM drive and press Enter to reboot your computer. You can now start ReactOS by selecting it from the boot menu.

Install from a USB media

See article LiveUSB about how to prepare a USB boot media.

Network boot or installation via PXE

See article Building PXE-ready ReactOS.

Installing from internal drive

See article User:Minecraftchest1/installing/installing-from-harddrive

Installing drivers

You may be also interested to know how to install a driver for a device in ReactOS. If so, see Install a driver article.

Unattended Installation

You may be also interested to know how to install ReactOS in the automatic (non-interactive) mode. If so, see Create an unattended Installation CD article.

See also

  • VirtualBox – a free virtualization software for Windows, Linux and Mac (HOWTO)
  • QEMU – an open source machine emulator
Retrieved from "https://reactos.org/wiki/index.php?title=Installing_ReactOS&oldid=55299"