setup using network share

[Guest]

Hi,
I want to setup real genuine Windows XP on an old computer without cd-rom
drive.
When I start setup.exe through \\pc2\cdrom$\setup.exe it asks for the
license key, but the package I bought from Microsoft just has a label with
"MEDIA SET CD WINDOWS XPPRO GENUINE ADV DUTCH -2NO KEY" on it.
I know the manual says: "boot from cd-rom", but I have no cd-rom. So making
boot diskettes is no option too.
How can I tell setup.exe I really payed EUR 134,- for it. It's genuine !!
PS. I work for a non-profit/no-butget organisation.
Regards,
Rob

 

[Guest]

A Media Set is unfortunately NOT a licence. You can buy media sets separately
from licences (there are obvious reasons for this situation, if you're
installing 100 computers you need 100 licences but not 100 CDs)

Chances are this will be a corporate version, if so it would need a volume
licence-key as opposed to OEM or Retail.

As for installing on a CD-less computer, my usual approach would be to add a
temporary CD to the secondary IDE cable. Then I would boot from a DOS
floppy with CD support, and do:

D:
CD \I386 (that's letter i)
WINNT

The other, faster, workaround is to put the HD into another CD-capable
machine (Again on the secondary port) and copy the i386 folder's contents
(from the XP CD) to it. This does have the advantage of speed, as you can use
the powerful computer to do the donkey-work of copying from CD, and setup
will run much faster from the HD.

 

[Guest]

Ian,
But why did my boss pay 134 euro to Microsoft just for media. If he went to
a computershop he could have bought 1 CD + license for this amount of money.

I will try to borrow a cd-drive.

Rob