XP Pro Upgrade verification requires CD - but no CD Drive...

[Elliott]

Hello all,

Maybe someone has run across this before, but I did a search and found nothing in the active forums.

I have a WinXP Pro SP2 "Upgrade" Disc, that requires a previous version of windows to be inserted into the CD drive to validate and let you continue with the installation process.

Problem is, I'm running this off my Hard Drive on an X30 that has neither a floppy or CD Drive... I was happy that I was able to get this far after following instructions in this forum about partitions, FDISK, SYS commands, etc., that loaded the basic DOS system and then I copied the /i386 folder from my host PC. But now I do not know what to do...

Haven't tried it yet, but what if I make another folder on the HD and copy the ENTIRE WinXP Pro CD there - but can I point the installer to that folder rather than a CD Drive?

Any help appreciated!
Thanks,

Elliott

[440roadrunner]

I guess I don't understand how you got it on your hard disk in the first place.

You CAN initiate a "dos launched" xp installation, but, frankly, I don't understand how you'd do this with no floppy OR cdrom

Back to the point, all EITHER an upgrade OR the earlier "confirmation" version needs, is the "I386" folder in the case of an NT or XP to later XP upgrade, and in the case of a Windows9xx to XP, all you need is the \Win98 folder for the earlier version, and the "\I386" folder for the newer version.


(NOTE TO SELF: Don't EVER buy a notebook with now cdrom or floppy)

[Elliott]

It wasn't exactly fast or easy, but this website describes how it can be accomplished w/out a CD or Floppy.
And thanks for the info about the folder, I am going to give it a go with an old WIN98SE Disc and see what happens.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Installat ... -ROM_drive

Installing Windows 2000 or XP

Attach the harddrive to the host computer and install a minimal bootable DOS system i.e. by booting a Win98 Emergency Boot Disk and performing the command "SYS X:" (where X = the laptop's harddrive).

Copy FDISK.EXE to the laptop harddrive.
Return the harddrive to the laptop and boot to DOS. (If you have Win98 installed by default, you can skip the first two steps and simply reboot in Windows to DOS.)

Run FDISK and set up your new Windows system partition on this laptop. (If you do not do this on the laptop, after reboot you will receive the infamous "NTLDR IS MISSING" error.)

Then return the drive to the host and format the drive as FAT32. (DO NOT format as NTFS.)

Repeat the "SYS X:" step to make the new partition bootable.
Copy Himem.sys and Config.sys, too. Otherwise SMARTDRIVE.EXE won't run

Get SMARTDRV.EXE from the internet and copy it to your Thinkpads harddrive.

Also, from the Win2K or WinXP CD, copy the I386 folder to the harddrive.
Return the laptop's harddrive to the Thinkpad one final time and boot to DOS.

Run SMARTDRV.EXE first, then change directories to I386 and run WINNT.EXE, this will allow the installation to begin.

During installation, choose NOT to format the destination partition, since it contains the installation files. If you want that filesystem to be NTFS you can convert it after installation from within Windows.

[440roadrunner]

I didn't realize that you could run FDISK from the same drive that you're booted from. Huh.


If that procedure will work, sounds like all you need to add is to copy the \Win98 folder as well. You can delete it after the install.


This is like trying to change a flat tire without being able to get out of your car.

[smugiri]

Try mounting the folder with the installation files as a drive.

at a DOS prompt, type:

subst h: c:\install\

where h: is the drive that you can point the windows installer to check for the CD at to and c:\install is the folder with the installation info.