Need advice - clean install over network problems

[Guest]

Am clean installing XP Home SP2 on an old Dimension 4500S. The CDROM is not
working and can not read data CDs, so I am attempting to install over an XP
Home based home network by sharing the CDROM from another computer. Install
started fine.. deleted old Windows XP Home install as preperation for
installing new O/S. As you can guess, everything went fine, until it tried
to read the networked CD after it just deleted all the network setup
information.

All knowledge base articles say I should have a boot floppy with a network
client, similar to a RIS disk. Since XP Home does not come with RFBD.exe, am
looking for suggestions on how to create a floppy that has network stuff on
it so the computer can continue to have network access to copy the new O/S to
the now bare drive.

 

[WM]

If you have a copy of Pro available, go to http://www.nu2.nu - build
yourself a copy of BartPE (effectively WinPE) and start setup from there.

 

[Ice-wizard]

Update to close out the thread:

I was finally able to get the O/S loaded. I had to find a spare CDROM and
replace the one in the computer. Then, booting from the boot floppies I
downloaded (because I did not have the proper CDROM driver), I was able to
complete the operating system load and install all the DELL stuff.

Have not tested the 4500S CDROM in another computer yet, but it seems that
it is dead, so have ordered a replacement, as well as some extra RAM because
128MB just doesn't cut it...the computer is slow as hell. Ebay saves the
day again. $31 for the CDROM and RAM (with shipping).

Thanks for your attention. A fine mixture of perserverance and perspiration
always saves the day.