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Installing XP through DOS

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Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 07:42:01 Pacific
OS: XP Pro SP2
CPU/Ram: P4 2.0 Ghz 512MB
Comment:

I have tried to clean install XP from a cd using DOS onto a machine with no floppy drive(so can't use a boot disk). I have tried using fdisk to create a partition but there is already one there (ntfs). Getting this error message when trying to run d:\i386\winnt.exe
"Windows XP Setup - An internal setup error has occured. Could not find a place for a swap file. Setup cannot continue"



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Response Number 1
Name: StuartS
Date: December 2, 2005 at 07:44:55 Pacific
Reply:

XP is meant to be installed from the CD. There is no DOS in XP so using DOS just gets it confused.

Boot from the CD and all the partitioning and formatting tools are there for you. No floppy required.

Stuart


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Response Number 2
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 07:50:48 Pacific
Reply:

I can't get it to boot from the cd...when I do it goes into Caldera dr-dos. I completely reformatted the c: drive the other day so there is nothing on it. It is strange to me to be getting this "no place for a swap file message"

I think i need to somehow (im not good with dos) copy the install files from the cd onto the c: drive


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Response Number 3
Name: Chuck 2
Date: December 2, 2005 at 07:51:37 Pacific
Reply:
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Response Number 4
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 07:53:56 Pacific
Reply:

The ntfs partition already exists. Why do I need fdisk exactly? Fdisk wont allow me to delete the old partition and create a new one.


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Response Number 5
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 07:56:17 Pacific
Reply:

Im getting this message from fdisk when trying to delete the existing partition-

"you cannot do this in standard mode"

How do I get to a more advanced mode in fdisk?


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Response Number 6
Name: XpUser
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:00:50 Pacific
Reply:

Is your NTFS partition in the extended partition? If so, FDISk is useless. You will need to use something like delpart. Google for it.

i_XpUser


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Response Number 7
Name: Chuck 2
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:02:55 Pacific
Reply:

Fdisk
Delete Partition or logical drive
Delete primary DOS partition if fat16 or fat32
Delete Non DOS if NTFS
Next
Create DOS partition
Create primary DOS partition
Do you wish to use max size?_______Y
Reboot to A: format C:
You have FAT32
If you want NTFS you can convert later.

How to Use Convert.exe to Convert a Partition to the NTFS File System


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Response Number 8
Name: plainandsimple
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:03:46 Pacific
Reply:

Have you set CD to first bootable device in BIOS ?

BTW what has Caldera got to do with M$ ??


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Response Number 9
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:04:45 Pacific
Reply:

how would I know if it is in the extended partition? Using fdisk I try to delete what's there and start fresh but it won't let me in standard more. How do I get out of standard mode?
I try to create a DOS partition and it tells me there is not enough space to creat another partition, so obviously I need to somehow delete that first one.


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Response Number 10
Name: Chuck 2
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:08:08 Pacific
Reply:

How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk
Print the article or


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Response Number 11
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:08:14 Pacific
Reply:

Yes boot order is set for cd/dvd drive as "1st boot device" in BIOS
BTW -No idea why caldera is coming up instead of usual boot into xp setup routine

Chuck 2 - I can't get it to delete that partition in "standard mode" of fdisk. Any ideas on how to get out of standard mode?


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Response Number 12
Name: XpUser
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:15:59 Pacific
Reply:

Low-level format may be the only way to go...

i_XpUser


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Response Number 13
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:20:09 Pacific
Reply:

how would I go about doing a low level format?


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Response Number 14
Name: XpUser
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:21:36 Pacific
Reply:

Do you understand what a low level format entails?

i_XpUser


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Response Number 15
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:23:04 Pacific
Reply:

well if it means completely reformatting drive and losing all data, then yes, because that's what I did the other day. There is absolutely no data left on this drive.


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Response Number 16
Name: StuartS
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:34:22 Pacific
Reply:

Yes, what has Caldera got to do with M$?

If you are getting Caldera dr-dos when booting from the CD you havn't got a genuine XP disk. Is this a pirate disk?

Stuart


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Response Number 17
Name: Chuck 2
Date: December 2, 2005 at 08:46:52 Pacific
Reply:

Check Gateway's website for any information on how to do things.


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Response Number 18
Name: plainandsimple
Date: December 2, 2005 at 09:27:20 Pacific
Reply:

Possibly it is a Recovery CD which uses DR-DOS Boot Files, therefore the hard drive may have a hidden partition which has either been wiped or corrupted, and therefore the CD will not function !!!!!!!


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Response Number 19
Name: Sabertooth
Date: December 2, 2005 at 10:02:31 Pacific
Reply:

Dude !!!

Use the tools that came with your PC, you've got a Gateway. One of your restore discs has GWSCAN on it, boot from the appropriate one and write zeroes to the darn drive.

That will sanitize it.

My sig is on sabbatical.


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Response Number 20
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 10:04:16 Pacific
Reply:

is there just a flat "boot from cd" option in dos? I get the feeling everyting would go fine if it wasn't going into DOS first. Any no, this isn't a pirate version. It is a legit university copy of XP Pro.


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Response Number 21
Name: adamblaster
Date: December 2, 2005 at 10:07:55 Pacific
Reply:

Sabertooth -
I'm on the road and don't have the recovery discs with me. I am doing this to help out a friend in need. It's her laptop. She had the stupid WPA error where the guy that previously helped her out of a virus problem reinstalled windows wrong and she got the dreaded WPA activation loop where it says she needs to activate then she clicks OK to activate and then it says "This copy of windows has already been activated". This is really so frustrating.


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Response Number 22
Name: XpUser
Date: December 2, 2005 at 10:08:14 Pacific
Reply:

Any no, this isn't a pirate version. It is a legit university copy of XP Pro.

Did it ever passed Windows Genuine Advantage validation check?

i_XpUser


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Response Number 23
Name: Sabertooth
Date: December 2, 2005 at 19:43:30 Pacific
Reply:

Adamblaster,

If you can get into safemode, try this tool. Hopefully it gets you out of this pickle.

Goodluck !!!

My sig is on sabbatical.


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