get $win_nt$ error on install from setup floppies

[Gary Roach]

i'm trying to install xp on an old laptop machine that doesn't support
booting off cdrom (crazy i know but i want to use xp to test the hardware).
it also has no floppy drive so i copied the setup floppies onto a 500MB
FAT16 partition on the hard drive and copied the boot code from the first
floppy into the boot sector of the partition. it boots fine but i get the
message:

File \$WIN_NT$.~BT\biosinfo.inf could not be loaded
The error code is 18

Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.

googling this message produces no useful hits. anyone know what the problem
is? thanks

 

[Guest]

If you can boot from a DOS floppy with CD support, then type

D:
CD \i386
winnt

(Replace D: with CD letter)

This is far simpler than the multiple-floppy method.

 

[Guest]

Should've added, if no floppy you can SYS the HD partition and copy the DOS
startup-files to it, works the same way.