XP Repair stuck asking for SP2 CD

[LURKER]

I've done several XP "Repair" procedures several years back and those experiences left me feeling confident in
performing the procedure. This time, I am feeling like I know nothing. Something new has been introduced into the
game, probably through the updates.

I need to Repair a 2005 Dell Dimension with XP-Pro that was bought used. Hard drive has been replaced and there is not
service partition on it, and I have no CD provided with the system.

I do have a gold XP Pro OEM Original CD, label says "Includes Service Pack 2 Version 2002" I installed it several
years ago when I replaced the motherboard and processor on an e-machine, so I know it is good and has a good key.

I see these files on the CD:

E:\>dir
Volume in drive E is VRMPOEM_EN
Volume Serial Number is 67AC-C9EF

Directory of E:\

08/04/2004 07:00 AM 110 AUTORUN.INF
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> DOCS
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> DOTNETFX
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> I386
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 34,301 README.HTM
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 1,314,816 SETUP.EXE
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 85,792 SETUPXP.HTM
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> SUPPORT
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> VALUEADD
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 10 WIN51
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 10 WIN51IP
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 10 WIN51IP.SP2
7 File(s) 1,435,049 bytes
5 Dir(s) 0 bytes free

Using this CD to Repair the Dell, all seems to be going well until I get a prompt to insert my Service Pack 2 CD....
and I do have one.

After I insert the CD and click OK, new popup window tells me it needs file asms. I see that folder asms is in folder i386.

To shorten the story, and the remake of SP2 CD (which does have the i386 folder), I am perplexed why I was asked for the
SP2 CD. And now, why does it not use it when I insert it?

How do I get around this?
Every time I reboot the machine, it comes back to the same place.

Carl

 

[Daave]

I've done several XP "Repair" procedures several years back and those
experiences left me feeling confident in performing the procedure.
This time, I am feeling like I know
nothing. Something new has been introduced into the game, probably
through the updates.

I need to Repair a 2005 Dell Dimension with XP-Pro that was bought
used. Hard drive has been replaced and there is not service partition
on it, and I have no CD provided with the system.
I do have a gold XP Pro OEM Original CD, label says "Includes
Service Pack 2 Version 2002" I installed it several years ago when I
replaced the motherboard and processor on an
e-machine, so I know it is good and has a good key.
I see these files on the CD:

E:\>dir
Volume in drive E is VRMPOEM_EN
Volume Serial Number is 67AC-C9EF

Directory of E:\

08/04/2004 07:00 AM 110 AUTORUN.INF
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> DOCS
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> DOTNETFX
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> I386
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 34,301 README.HTM
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 1,314,816 SETUP.EXE
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 85,792 SETUPXP.HTM
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> SUPPORT
08/04/2004 07:00 AM <DIR> VALUEADD
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 10 WIN51
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 10 WIN51IP
08/04/2004 07:00 AM 10 WIN51IP.SP2
7 File(s) 1,435,049 bytes
5 Dir(s) 0 bytes free

Using this CD to Repair the Dell, all seems to be going well until I
get a prompt to insert my Service Pack 2 CD.... and I do have one.

After I insert the CD and click OK, new popup window tells me it
needs file asms. I see that folder asms is in folder i386.
To shorten the story, and the remake of SP2 CD (which does have the
i386 folder), I am perplexed why I was asked for the SP2 CD. And
now, why does it not use it when I insert it?
How do I get around this?
Every time I reboot the machine, it comes back to the same place.

You should be using a Dell-branded Windows XP Pro CD, which is at the
SP2 - not Gold - level. (There should be no need to install a Service
Pack Upgrade CD at any point during a Repair Install.)

Hopefully, you can borrow one; they are fairly common. If not, you
should be able to create your own, using the slipstream method. Many
people have reported success with Nlite:

http://www.nliteos.com/

You can also perform the integration manually. However, since you are
using a branded-OEM CD (Dell) rather than a generic OEM CD, there may be
a few quirky issues. This page should help, then:

http://vbdotnet.home.comcast.net/~vbdotnet/XP_SP2.htm

But now that I think about it, although my suggestions are a good
learning exercise, if you obtain a used PC, you should always wipe it
clean anyway. That's what I really think you should do. And make sure
you install SP3! Remember: If you do perform a Clean Install using a
Gold-level CD, you need to install SP2 (or SP1) before you install SP3.
Then again, you could create your own SP3-level Dell-branded
installation CD using the slipstream method.

 

[GTS]

Are you running this as a new installation or a repair installation?

In any case, see
"The file 'Asms' on Windows XP Professional CD-ROM is needed" error message
when you install Windows XP"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311755

Using a generic OEM CD is OK, but you may have to do phone activation. A
Dell XP CD would be preferable.

 

[LURKER]

You should be using a Dell-branded Windows XP Pro CD, which is at the
SP2 - not Gold - level. (There should be no need to install a Service
Pack Upgrade CD at any point during a Repair Install.)

Hopefully, you can borrow one; they are fairly common. If not, you
should be able to create your own, using the slipstream method. Many
people have reported success with Nlite:

http://www.nliteos.com/

You can also perform the integration manually. However, since you are
using a branded-OEM CD (Dell) rather than a generic OEM CD, there may be
a few quirky issues. This page should help, then:

http://vbdotnet.home.comcast.net/~vbdotnet/XP_SP2.htm

But now that I think about it, although my suggestions are a good
learning exercise, if you obtain a used PC, you should always wipe it
clean anyway. That's what I really think you should do. And make sure
you install SP3! Remember: If you do perform a Clean Install using a
Gold-level CD, you need to install SP2 (or SP1) before you install SP3.
Then again, you could create your own SP3-level Dell-branded
installation CD using the slipstream method.

Thanks... good information. I am recovered now. I don't have a Dell branded CD new enough to have the networking and
video drivers for this model (Optiplex).
I tripped over a neat tool to recover the boot image file from the Microsoft XP PRO CD:
ISOBuster from http://www.smart-projects.net/. I used that image file for the slipstreamed CD.

 

[LURKER]

This was a Repair.

I still don't know why my network driver became dysfunctional. I guess it is related to the OEM CD instead of a correct
Dell CD.

Yes, I had to do phone activation because I had could not log in to install the Network Driver until I finished
Activation. That really sucks.

Carl