Install XP SP2 from local hard drive

[john.peeler]

I have posted in other topics issues with the ASMS folder inside the
i386 directory. Perhaps a simple question can resolve the whole thing,
and tell me I just have a whole batch of bad master CD's from MS. Has
anyone successfully copied the entire i386 directory from a original
(not slipstreamed) Windows XP Professional w/SP2 CD to the local drive
on a client PC and started the install from the i386 directory on the
local drive?

The above method (which worked with Windows XP Professional SP1) has
always been our prefered choice when building images, especially with
remote laptop users who may need to repair their OS installation, but
who always lose every CD restore they may have.

Thanks.

 

[george]

inline,

I have posted in other topics issues with the ASMS folder inside the
i386 directory. Perhaps a simple question can resolve the whole thing,
and tell me I just have a whole batch of bad master CD's from MS. Has
anyone successfully copied the entire i386 directory from a original
(not slipstreamed) Windows XP Professional w/SP2 CD to the local drive
on a client PC and started the install from the i386 directory on the
local drive?

Yep, never had any problems doing that, in fact it's basically the only way
I do these installs; copy the lot to local disc (xcopy on the command prompt
or copy past entire CD with Explorer) and start install from there. (reg.
Sourcepath nicely points to where it can find additional stuff afterwards.).
Did them with PRO non SP, SP1 and SP2
Not the foggiest idea what's up with that ASMS folder structure.
No great help, I know, but at least a confirmation it works as expected.
george

 

[john.peeler]

Thanks for the confirmation, George. I follow this process for the
same reasons to build our desktop and laptop images, but these events
with three different CD's, on two different test machines in my lab,
left me puzzled and wondering if I had missed the announcement of
another great XP "feature". I'll see if I can borrow a MSDN CD
from one of our developers to confirm the I386 copy works on my two
test systems, and see if I can get another CD shipped to me from MS.
What OS are you using to drive the XCOPY from the command prompt?

Thanks again,

-John

 

[george]

I have used win98 boot diskette and same version xcopy.

george