Boe said:
Hello,
I've encountered this a few times in the past but can't seem to get
a consistent solution. Sometimes Windows XP on install will be
able to read from a USB flash driver if I press f6 on install -
sometimes it can read from a CD but never with any consistancy. Today I
had to yank a floppy from another machine to install the
SATA drivers.
Is there a trick to pointing to other sources than the floppy? This
computer was determined only to use the floppy for the drivers (I
tried a CD and a usb flash drive) - funny thing is it wanted to
install windows on the flash drive so I know that it certainly
could read it.
It should not work from USB or flash, actually.
The best option - for now - would be to integrate the necessary drivers (as
well as service packs and such) into your installation media.
Integrate the controller driver..
http://www.greenmachine.msfnhosting.com/READING/addraid.htm
(Can be adapted to Windows 2003, etc.)
Rather than give you just a little information - I will tell you how to get
the updates, how to integrate them into your own CD, etc.. That way you are
better informed about your options when it comes to the Windows Updates.
Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy
What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx
You can download all updates and burn them to CD..
You can download each update manually - based off the KB Article number,
etc. That way you can back it up/burn a CD of them in case you need them or
use them to keep a slipstream/integrated (updated) Windows XP CD.
How to use the Windows Update Catalog
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323166
(In order to use the Windows Update Catalog, you must use IE to get the
patches..)
Windows Update Catalog
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/en/default.asp
(In order to use the Windows Update Catalog, you must use IE to get the
patches..)
Creating an Integrated Installation
http://snipurl.com/el43
Integrate software updates into your Windows installation source files
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828930
Really customize your CD..
http://unattended.msfn.org/
Produce an up-to-date XP Distibution CD
http://xpcreate.com/
AutoPatcher
http://www.autopatcher.com/
AutoStreamer
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562
You can see the critical (security and other) patches released for a given
month using the following:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms##-***.mspx
At the end of this line you see "ms##-***.mspx" .. If you simply replace ##
with the two-digit year and the *** with the three character month
abbreviation, you will see the list of "critical" and "important" patches
for that month (since it only happens once a month usually, if you check by
the second Tuesday (wait until afternoon) of each month - you should be
fine) - note that future months will not work.
As an example...
December 2004's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms04-dec.mspx
March 2005's patches..
None released.. so that one will fail...
May 2005's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms05-may.mspx
July 2005's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms05-jul.mspx
Once you get on the page with each month's list of patches.. You can go to
the related KB articles and grab the appropriate files from there.
