Installing an operating may seem scary at first but it is really easy to perform. This guide will explain the procedure for installing an operating system using a compact disc (CD) but note that the process is very similar if you have the OS on a flash drive.
1. If your computer is already on, go ahead and open the cd drive and place the operating system disc inside.
2. Restart the computer and enter the BIOS screen. Please note that different motherboard manufacturers have a different keyboard button to press to enter the BIOS screen. Usually, it is the delete or F8 key but there are many other possibilities as well. Be sure to check your motherboard manual for the appropriate key to press.
3. Once the BIOS screen has loaded, look for an option called “first boot device” or similar. Sometimes it can be located in the advanced BIOS features area. Once you've found it, change the first boot device to the CD ROM (or flash drive if your operating system is located on that device) and save the changes.
4. After the changes have been saved, the computer will restart and once it gets past the BIOS screen, it will start loading the operating system from the disc. It will say “press any key to boot from CD” or similar. Once you see this screen, the rest of the process is very automated. One of the questions you will be asked is where you want to install the operating system and what format you want (you should always pick NTFS for a Windows OS).