X20 and fresh XP install

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uncle_geoff · #1 Post by **uncle_geoff** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:01 am

Its tear your hair out time. This is a S/H X20 and I am trying to fit a larger hard drive and install XP. I dont have access to either a USB floppy or CD drive. Using a 2.5 adapter, I have copied the i386 folder plus dos start up bits to the hdd. Started up, ran winnt but when it eventually restarts it says NTLDR is missing. NTLDR is NOT missing its there, large as life on the drive. Recopied it, no change. Read many NG and other threads on this and the missing NTLDR seems a very common problem. Anyone ever come across a solution to this apart from using a USB or smartbase CD? Many thanks.
hairless Geoff

uncle_geoff · #2 Post by **uncle_geoff** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:33 pm

The investigation continues. Now I am inclined to believe that XP is looking for NTLDR on a CD drive ... no CD drive, no NTLDR hence problem. Quite why it should look for it there is beyond me at the moment but the quest continues .... more anon.
Geoff

Quattro · #3 Post by **Quattro** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:45 pm

try turning off all uninstalled devices in the BIOS.

AndyL · #4 Post by **AndyL** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:58 am

Is this MS knowledge base article any help?
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314057

scrible88 · #5 Post by **scrible88** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 4:48 pm

I went through this today on my x22... Should work no problem.

If you need the smartdrv.exe file throw me an email: scrible@gmail.com

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.
·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.

Then finish installation as always...

uncle_geoff · #6 Post by **uncle_geoff** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 11:52 am

Thanks for the replies. Andyl - the M$ link provided the answer. Scribble - thanks for the 'how-to', this is pretty much how I had tried previously.

Again my appreciation to you who responded! Compliments of the season to you all

Geoff

QLi · #7 Post by **QLi** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:41 pm

uncle_geoff wrote:Its tear your hair out time. This is a S/H X20 and I am trying to fit a larger hard drive and install XP. I dont have access to either a USB floppy or CD drive. Using a 2.5 adapter, I have copied the i386 folder plus dos start up bits to the hdd. Started up, ran winnt but when it eventually restarts it says NTLDR is missing. NTLDR is NOT missing its there, large as life on the drive. Recopied it, no change. Read many NG and other threads on this and the missing NTLDR seems a very common problem. Anyone ever come across a solution to this apart from using a USB or smartbase CD? Many thanks.
hairless Geoff

I'm having the exact same problem right now trying to install XP to an X22 without the benefit of an Ultrabase and would appreciate knowing how you resolved it. The instructions by scrible88 a few posts down from yours didn't get rid of the error and I don't quite follow the MS link provided by AndyL. Any clarifications or instructions you can provide would be most appreciated.

cooldavy · #8 Post by **cooldavy** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:09 am

Some types of bootable Memory Key which simulates USB-floppy feature can boot X2x System, I wonder if you have one.

X20 and fresh XP install

X20 and fresh XP install

Re: X20 and fresh XP install

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