How To Install XP Pro without a CD-ROM?

[Guest]

Greetings,

I have a ThinkPad A22p notebook without a functioning CD-ROM.

Is there an approved way to install XP Pro in the absence of a CD-ROM? (I
have an XP Pro install CD.)

I tried removing the drive, put into a external USB2.0 caddy, and copied the
contents of the XP Pro install CD to a file called "install".

Booted via a W98SE floppy and navigated to the install folder where I ran
winnt.exe.

This started the install but when the system went to reboot I kept getting a
"Ntldr missing" error.

What I finally did was used a parallel CD drive and started the install from
there. This worked fine until a STOP command objected to the address of the
driver I had installed at the point of "F6 to install SCSI , RAID or other
drivers".

So I took the drive to another A22p I had with a working CD-ROM (unit
overheats and so can't take the full time of installation), where the
installation completed. Then I put the drive back into the original A22p.

Huge PITA, is there a simplier way?

Many thanks,

Matt

 

[Alec S.]

Is there an approved way to install XP Pro in the absence of a CD-ROM? (I
have an XP Pro install CD.)

Yes there is.

I tried removing the drive, put into a external USB2.0 caddy, and copied the
contents of the XP Pro install CD to a file called "install".

A file? Do you mean compressed file, or ISO file? Or, do you mean a directory?

Booted via a W98SE floppy and navigated to the install folder where I ran
winnt.exe.

That's the method. Check the command line options.

This started the install but when the system went to reboot I kept getting a
"Ntldr missing" error.

You probably missed some of the installation files. Try creating a folder and while in Windows, copying the contents of the root of
the CD to the folder, including any and all read-only, system, and hidden files. Also, check the command line options to set paths
accordingly. You could also try using a response file (usually used for unattended installs).

What I finally did was used a parallel CD drive and started the install from
there. This worked fine until a STOP command objected to the address of the
driver I had installed at the point of "F6 to install SCSI , RAID or other drivers".

Get the latest driver and make sure you're selecting the XP driver from the floppy (not 2000/2003/etc.)

 

[Guest]

A file? Do you mean compressed file, or ISO file? Or, do you mean a directory?

Yes, a directory (sorry about that).

That's the method. Check the command line options.

Can you please spell out what command line options I should be checking with
this method?

You probably missed some of the installation files. Try creating a folder and while in Windows, copying the contents of the root of the CD to the folder, including any and all read-only, system, and hidden files. Also, check the command line options to set paths accordingly. You could also try using a response file (usually used for unattended installs).

I thought I had. What I did was "Explore" the WXP Pro install CD, did a
"select all", then copy and pasted to the folder I'd made on my 2.5" drive.

Is there a better way to ensure I grab all the necessary files?

When you say "check the command line options to set paths accordingly". What
exactly do you mean?

Get the latest driver and make sure you're selecting the XP driver from the floppy (not 2000/2003/etc.)

I thought I had. It's an old MicroSolutions, BackPack, Bantam
PCMCIA/Parallel CD-ROM drive. MicroSolutions is out of business, but there is
a 32-bit driver at their service site, plus a nice little utility that
recreates the "manufacturer's disk". This is what I used when at the "F6"
point of the install.

The stop code I received was something like: BP32DRV4.SYS address FC3F42E5
base at FC3F4000, if that makes any sense.

So to summarize then, the method I employed was, in essence, correct:
1) Copy the entire contents of the WXP Pro install CD to the 2.5" drive.
2) Put the drive in the notebook. Boot from a floppy and navigate to folder
where I place the contents of the CD.
3) Run winnt, being careful to check the command line options.

Would it be possible for you to layout the appropriate command line options,
etc. at each point?

Thank you so much for your help Alec,

Mathtew

 

[Alec S.]

Can you please spell out what command line options I should be checking with
this method?

Try including the source option. So for example, if you copied the install files to x:\winxp, you would use this:

winnt /s:x:\winxp

root of the CD to the folder, including any and all read-only, system, and hidden files. Also, check the command line options to
set paths accordingly. You could also try using a response file (usually used for unattended installs).

I thought I had. What I did was "Explore" the WXP Pro install CD, did a
"select all", then copy and pasted to the folder I'd made on my 2.5" drive.

That _should_ be fine. Does the file copy phase of the installation seem to be successful?

Is there a better way to ensure I grab all the necessary files?

Although there shouldn't be any hidden or system files on the XP CD, still it's a good idea to make sure that you have "view hidden
files" enabled in the Folder Options applet in the Control Panel.

When you say "check the command line options to set paths accordingly". What
exactly do you mean?

The source option as above.

I thought I had. It's an old MicroSolutions, BackPack, Bantam
PCMCIA/Parallel CD-ROM drive. MicroSolutions is out of business, but there is
a 32-bit driver at their service site

Yes, it says it supports XP so that's good. But when you get to the list of drivers present on the floppy, it will list everything
it can find, not just the devices that are compatible/installed or the OS being installed. Make sure to select the right device and
OS.

plus a nice little utility that recreates the "manufacturer's disk".

You don't actually need that. All you really need is to extract the folders containting the drivers to a floppy. In this case, you
would copy the BPDriver and BPFinder folders from pnp407d.exe (it's an exectuable archive) to A:\. Of course if the utility is
designed to create the disk to be used to install the drivers at install-time, then that's fine too.

The stop code I received was something like: BP32DRV4.SYS address FC3F42E5
base at FC3F4000, if that makes any sense.

It means that the bp32drv4.sys driver file (from BACKPACK Driver 4.17.00) caused an error. I take it that this occurs sometime
after Windows has copied the files and is in the graphical phase of installation right? Do you have the driver sucessfully
installed in Windows? Are you sure you need to install it at install-time; can you leave it and install it after Windows is
installed?


When you say you boot from the floppy, do you mean into DOS mode? What does it say when you type VER? Try this instead: format a
floppy disk from within Windows (right click the floppy drive in Explorer and select Format.), selecting the "Create an MS-DOS
startup disk" option. Then copy the folders I mentioned to the floppy root (A:\). Now reboot with the floppy in the drive, and let
your system boot from that. It should bring you to DOS 7.1. Now go to the install folder and install XP. (You could also try
running setup.exe instead of i386\winnt.exe, it will do some checks first.)

 

[Guest]

Alec: Try including the source option. So for example, if you copied the
install files to x:\winxp, you would use this: winnt /s:x:\winxp

Ok, I understand. This command explicitly instructs DOS to run winnt from a
specific location.

Alec: That _should_ be fine. Does the file copy phase of the installation
seem to be successful?

Yes, the copy phase of the installation was successful.

Alec: [MicroSolutions BackPack Driver] Yes, it says it supports XP so that's
good. But when you get to the list of drivers present on the floppy, it will
list everything it can find, not just the devices that are
compatible/installed or the OS being installed. Make sure to select the right
device and OS. You don't actually need that ["manufacturer's disk"]. All you
really need is to extract the folders containing the drivers to a floppy. In
this case, you would copy the BPDriver and BPFinder folders from pnp407d.exe
(it's an exectuable archive) to A:\. Of course if the utility is designed to
create the disk to be used to install the drivers at install-time, then
that's fine too.

Alec: It means that the bp32drv4.sys driver file (from BACKPACK Driver
4.17.00) caused an error. I take it that this occurs sometime after Windows
has copied the files and is in the graphical phase of installation right? Do
you have the driver successfully installed in Windows? Are you sure you need
to install it at install-time; can you leave it and install it after Windows
is installed?

Yes, the stop error occurred after the files were copied by install. It
happened about half way through the graphical phase of the installation.

No I’m not certain! I first tried running the install with the CD hooked-up
via the PCMCIA and the install reported back something like “can’t find
BackPack on parallelâ€. That’s when I remembered the CD-ROM can be run via
parallel. So I hooked it up parallel and went to find the driver, and did the
F6 load. Now that I think about it I didn’t try running the install, with the
CD-ROM hooked up via parallel *without* loading the BP driver. It could be
that Windows has an appropriate driver and that I don’t need the BP driver at
all!

Alec: When you say you boot from the floppy, do you mean into DOS mode?

Yes, into DOS mode.

Alec: Try this instead: format a floppy disk from within Windows (right
click the floppy drive in Explorer and select Format.), selecting the "Create
an MS-DOS startup disk" option. Then copy the folders I mentioned to the
floppy root (A:\). Now reboot with the floppy in the drive, and let your
system boot from that. It should bring you to DOS 7.1. Now go to the install
folder and install XP. (You could also try running setup.exe instead of
i386\winnt.exe, it will do some checks first.)

Ok. Perhaps what I should do is create two disks. One as you mention above;
plus a second without the two folders (in case Windows doesn’t need the BP
drivers).

So to summarize, here’ the routine I’ll follow next time.

The Routine:

1) Place target HDD into the external drive caddy, format to Fat32. Then
create a folder called “winxp†(or similar).
2) Ensure that "view hidden files" is enabled in the Folder Options applet
in the Control Panel. Copy contents of Windows XP Pro install CD to the new
folder on the target HDD.
3) Create a bootable diskette by Windows by right clicking the floppy drive
in Explorer and selecting Format, selecting the "Create an MS-DOS startup
disk" option. Create a second bootable diskette and then copy over the
BackPack driver folders.
4) Hook up BackPack CD-ROM via parallel.
5) Boot with floppy 1. At the command prompt type: winnt /s:c:\[winxp]
6) If Windows can’t find the CD-ROM try booting with the 2nd floppy.
7) At the command prompt type: winnt /s:c:\[winxp]
8) At the F6 option point to A drive.
9) OPTION: try running step 5 above with setup.exe instead (performs some
checks).

Does that capture everything you suggested I do Alec?

Here is one more question:

I will have to format the HDD as Fat32 because the DOS floppy boot can’t see
NTFS formatted disks, so I can’t navigate to run the install.

Is there a way to create a boot disk that can read NTFS formatted target
drives and still complete the install routine?

Many thanks for your help Alec.

Matthew

PS You can't believe how impressed I am by your going to the microsolutions
site to investigate their drivers and such. Awesome! You're fantastic!

 

[Alec S.]

No I'm not certain! I first tried running the install with the CD hooked-up
via the PCMCIA and the install reported back something like "can't find
BackPack on parallel". That's when I remembered the CD-ROM can be run via
parallel. So I hooked it up parallel and went to find the driver, and did the
F6 load. Now that I think about it I didn't try running the install, with the
CD-ROM hooked up via parallel *without* loading the BP driver. It could be
that Windows has an appropriate driver and that I don't need the BP driver at
all!

Actually, what I mean is to not use the CDROM at all. Install Windows from the files on the drive, then when Windows is up and
running, connect the CDROM and when it asks for drivers, point it at the driver folders.

I will have to format the HDD as Fat32 because the DOS floppy boot can't see
NTFS formatted disks, so I can't navigate to run the install.

Is there a way to create a boot disk that can read NTFS formatted target
drives and still complete the install routine?

Yes, there's NTFSDOS from Winternals, but the demo is read-only (which should be fine). There are others as well but they are also
commercial.

PS You can't believe how impressed I am by your going to the microsolutions
site to investigate their drivers and such. Awesome! You're fantastic!

I wouldn't be able to help as well if I hadn't.

 

[Guest]

Actually, what I mean is to not use the CDROM at all. Install Windows from the files on the drive, then when Windows is up and running, connect the CDROM and when it asks for drivers, point it at the driver folders.

Yes, I understand; my mistake I was focused on my backpack issue when I
wrote up my little "routine".

Yes, there's NTFSDOS from Winternals, but the demo is read-only (which should be fine). There are others as well but they are also commercial.
Gotcha.

I wouldn't be able to help as well if I hadn't.

Well you've been great. Thank you for all your help. I've documented
everything so when I have to reinstall again to this machine (or another with
a CD-ROM) I'll have the information at hand.

Best regards Alec,

Matthew

 

[Guest]

Of course I meant to say, *without* a CD-ROM

 

[Alec S.]

running, connect the CDROM and when it asks for drivers, point it at the driver folders.

Yes, I understand; my mistake I was focused on my backpack issue when I
wrote up my little "routine".

Thank you for all your help. I've documented
everything so when I have to reinstall again to this machine (or another with
a CD-ROM) I'll have the information at hand.

So then it worked? You were able to install Windows, and install the drivers after?

 

[Guest]

So then it worked? You were able to install Windows, and install the drivers after?

Well . . . I haven't tried it yet! Here's what I mean, at the beginning I
posted my problems and mentioned how:

"What I finally did was used a parallel CD drive and started the install from
there. This worked fine until a STOP command objected to the address of the
driver I had installed at the point of "F6 to install SCSI , RAID or other
drivers". So I took the drive to another A22p I had with a working CD-ROM
(unit
overheats and so can't take the full time of installation), where the
installation completed. Then I put the drive back into the original A22p."

What I was doing with this post was trying to find out if there was an
easier way to avoid the problems I encountered. The answers you provided say
there is, and so I documented the routine for future use. I'm sure I'm going
to have to reinstall windows again on this machine.

I'm very gratefull for your help. In fact my nephew is going hit a similar
problem, and so I've sent him off the routine distilled from our discussion.
We'll see how he makes out.

Best regards Alec,

Matthew

 

[Alec S.]

Well . . . I haven't tried it yet! Here's what I mean, at the beginning I
posted my problems and mentioned how:

"What I finally did was used a parallel CD drive and started the install from
there. This worked fine until a STOP command objected to the address of the
driver I had installed at the point of "F6 to install SCSI , RAID or other
drivers". So I took the drive to another A22p I had with a working CD-ROM
(unit
overheats and so can't take the full time of installation), where the
installation completed. Then I put the drive back into the original A22p."

What I was doing with this post was trying to find out if there was an
easier way to avoid the problems I encountered. The answers you provided say
there is, and so I documented the routine for future use. I'm sure I'm going
to have to reinstall windows again on this machine.

I'm very gratefull for your help. In fact my nephew is going hit a similar
problem, and so I've sent him off the routine distilled from our discussion.
We'll see how he makes out.

Sure thing, let me know if it doesn't work.