Installing XP -- sequence help

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RonM
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:02 am

Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by RonM »

As I've posted elsewhere, lack of a VGA option may be an intractable problem for me, but I'll try to manage. In the event I can solve the problem, I'd like some advice.

I'm not a totally naive user, but it's been a while since I did a full windows install to a naked drive, and this configuration is different. I'll be installing from a valid and legal XPsp2 upgrade disk, and have the requisite earlier version for validation. I'll have an external USB CD drive and an ethernet connection to a router and then to the internet. I'll be getting the base (cheapest) version of Fit2, and installing a 500gb/5400 drive. I assume I'll have to download the various xp drivers, but am unclear as to when to invoke these. I'll also presumably need to dl and install the current updates from Microsoft, presumably to and above sp3.

So, I'd like a basic sequence of what I will need to do under these conditions. Anyone?

I'd also like advice on an application to selectively install XP options, thereby leaving out everything I don't need, which is quite a bit, e.g. mail, etc.

Thanks!

R.

irads

Re: Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by irads »

1. Install HDD in the fit-PC2
2. Power up and enter BIOS settings
3. Set first boot device to USB CDROM and save settings
4. Connect CDROM with XP installation
5. Reboot. Windows installation should start. Follow instructions.
6. Download fit-PC2 drivers from http://www.fit-pc2.com/download/xp-drivers/ and install.

ender
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:29 pm

Re: Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by ender »

Note that if you don't have access to USB CD, you can install XP like this: create a DOS bootable USB stick (you can use something like the HP USB Storage Format Tool), and put the following things on it: i386 directory from XP install CD, smartdrv.exe and sys.com from DOS/Win9x and something to partition and format the drive (preferably Ranish Partition Manager, since it's much faster than the DOS/9x fdisk+format combination).

Boot the USB stick and partition and format the drive (if you use fdisk, you'll have to reboot after doing a fdisk). Then load smartdrv with parameter 32000 (not required, but speeds up copying), copy i386 directory and smartdrv.exe to disk and run sys c:. Note that directory on disk must be named i386, although it can be in another directory.

Now power off and remove the USB stick, then power on again. You should get DOS booted off disk. Load smartdrv again (recommended, otherwise the next phase takes a long time), cd to i386 directory and run winnt.exe. This will start the XP installer.

RonM
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:02 am

Re: Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by RonM »

irads wrote:1. Install HDD in the fit-PC2
2. Power up and enter BIOS settings
3. Set first boot device to USB CDROM and save settings
4. Connect CDROM with XP installation
5. Reboot. Windows installation should start. Follow instructions.
6. Download fit-PC2 drivers from http://www.fit-pc2.com/download/xp-drivers/ and install.
Thanks, what I need to know.

Should I install the fit-PC2 drivers before or after running Windows Update?

R.

irads

Re: Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by irads »

I don't think it matters, but if you must choose - run before Windows Update.

greanie
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:02 am

Re: Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by greanie »

I would love to know if anyone has gotten the installation of windows by usb drive to work as suggested. I have been working on it for 2 days and have gotten to an impass I cannot overcome.

First, while I appreciated the idea, way to give someone enough rope to hang themselves. There are MANY pitfalls of the suggestion:

1. Win98 doesn't work because you can only "sys c:" and I can only get the usb pen drive to show up as c: and hd as d:. Tried every setting possible but no luck. Also, MS-Dos from Win95a doesn't boot my fitPC, only Win95b. MS-Dos 7.1 doesn't boot either.
2. if you don't have ms-dos installed somewhere, where do you get the files required by HP USB Storage Format Tool? Ok, that was a few hours of trial and error. You have to download a boot image and install it on a floppy drive. If you don't have a floppy drive, you have to install a virtual floppy drive.

Using MS-DOS from Win95b, installed on usb drive with HP formatter, fitPC boots. However, sys d: fails with:

Could Not Copy Command.com onto Target Disk

From Microsoft, the reason given is that command.com is not in the root directory of the drive. However it is in the root directory so that isn't the problem. This problem applies to all of MS-DOS 6 & Win95. MS-Dos 5 can't be installed on a pen drive because it doesn't recognize FAT-32 so doesn't work with hp's formatter.

So, has anyone figured this out?

yogev_ezra
Posts: 539
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:49 pm

Re: Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by yogev_ezra »


tom_in_atlanta
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2009 5:47 pm

Re: Installing XP -- sequence help

Post by tom_in_atlanta »

I was successful in using this method of installing using the provided Windows XP CD transfered to a USB Stick (1GB)...

http://blog.800hightech.com/install-win ... -8gb/4886/

Be sure to select the TEXT method of installing rather than the GUI method.

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