XPPRO network install from DOS

[Kev]

Hi

I have created a network boot disk and an unattended network install
folder.

I can boot from the floppy and connect to my share, but when I run the
winnt.exe, I get a critical setup error regarding swap file. The hard
disk is formatted as NTFS.

Can anybody help?

Thanks in advance

Kev

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi

I have created a network boot disk and an unattended network install
folder.

I can boot from the floppy and connect to my share, but when I run the
winnt.exe, I get a critical setup error regarding swap file. The hard
disk is formatted as NTFS.

Can anybody help?

Thanks in advance

Kev

If you start the WinXP setup process from a DOS boot then your
target partition must be FAT/FAT32. If you only have an NTFS
partition then you must boot your machine from the WinXP CD.

 

[Kev]

If you start the WinXP setup process from a DOS boot then your
target partition must be FAT/FAT32. If you only have an NTFS
partition then you must boot your machine from the WinXP CD.

Hi

Originally it was a fat32 partition, but I got the same error. So as a
test, I got a recovery console up from the XPRO install media(CDROM) and
formatted it as NTFS. Still no change though!
Do you think it could be a memory problem?

Kev

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi

Originally it was a fat32 partition, but I got the same error. So as a
test, I got a recovery console up from the XPRO install media(CDROM) and
formatted it as NTFS. Still no change though!
Do you think it could be a memory problem?

Kev

The problem could be related to your network boot disk. I would
try a straight installation from the WinXP CD to confirm this
suspicion.

 

[Kev]

The problem could be related to your network boot disk. I would
try a straight installation from the WinXP CD to confirm this
suspicion.

The CD works fine, but I'm sick of doing CD installs and want to do
unattended installs now with the service pack already installed.
The boot disk works fine if I use ghost and clone machines that way, but
then there is no uniquenes.

Kev

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

The CD works fine, but I'm sick of doing CD installs and want to do
unattended installs now with the service pack already installed.
The boot disk works fine if I use ghost and clone machines that way, but
then there is no uniquenes.

Kev

It seems you have already found your answer: There is an incompatibility
between your network boot disk and the WinXP installation process.
Try a different network boot disk, e.g. from www.bootdisk.com.

 

[Patrick J. LoPresti]

Originally it was a fat32 partition, but I got the same error.

Pegasus is correct; you must use a FAT16 or FAT32 partition. The
"unable to create swap file" error means that winnt.exe is unable to
write to your C: drive. It is not a memory error.

Are you sure you formatted the FAT32 partition?

What version of MS-DOS are you using? Versions prior to 7.xx did not
understand FAT32 partitions. You might try a FAT16 partition instead.

Or you can use a boot disk which is known to work. My favorite is the
one from <http://unattended.sourceforge.net>, but I am a little
biased.

- Pat

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I was using a boot disk created with the boot diak creator packaged with
Powerquest drive image. It puts DRDOS on the floppy. Like I said it's
worked with Ghost before. Could this be microsoft creating
incompatibilities so we're forced into using their software? I really
hate that!

Kev

In computing, as everywhere else, there is a natural evolution.
DOS supports FAT, with a limit of 2 GBytes per partition.
Windows 98 supports FAT32, with a much higher limit. Are
you suggesting that Microsoft should have stuck to DOS,
with its inherent limitations, so that your DRDOS boot disk
can access all partition types?

These days we cannot possibly survive with 2 GByte partitions,
hence FAT32 is an absolute necessity. Perhaps it's time you
upgraded your DOS boot disk to something that supports FAT32,
but then nobody is forcing you . . .

 

[EvilCraftKnife]

Pegasus is correct; you must use a FAT16 or FAT32 partition. The
"unable to create swap file" error means that winnt.exe is unable to
write to your C: drive. It is not a memory error.

Are you sure you formatted the FAT32 partition?

What version of MS-DOS are you using? Versions prior to 7.xx did not
understand FAT32 partitions. You might try a FAT16 partition instead.

Or you can use a boot disk which is known to work. My favorite is the
one from <http://unattended.sourceforge.net>, but I am a little
biased.

- Pat

I was using a boot disk created with the boot diak creator packaged with
Powerquest drive image. It puts DRDOS on the floppy. Like I said it's
worked with Ghost before. Could this be microsoft creating
incompatibilities so we're forced into using their software? I really
hate that!

Kev

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You seem to be offended that I criticised microsoft. Sorry!
It's just annoying that it's so difficult to get an os installed from a
remote server when it really should be a piece of cake!

Kev

I am not in the least offended by your reference to Microsoft. I do
not work for them, I never have and I never will. I just found your
wording curious: Accusing Microsoft of "forcing you" into using
their software when talking about a change that just about everyone
one else thought was well overdue!

About the OP's problem: Installing WinXP is indeed a piece of
cake, as he admitted in one of his replies. Problems arise when he
tries to install WinXP with tools that cannot recognise his hard disk.
It's like trying to tighten a slotted screw with a Philips-head screwdriver.
Use the right tool for the job and things work just fine!

 

[EvilCraftKnife]

In computing, as everywhere else, there is a natural evolution.
DOS supports FAT, with a limit of 2 GBytes per partition.
Windows 98 supports FAT32, with a much higher limit. Are
you suggesting that Microsoft should have stuck to DOS,
with its inherent limitations, so that your DRDOS boot disk
can access all partition types?

These days we cannot possibly survive with 2 GByte partitions,
hence FAT32 is an absolute necessity. Perhaps it's time you
upgraded your DOS boot disk to something that supports FAT32,
but then nobody is forcing you . . .

You seem to be offended that I criticised microsoft. Sorry!
It's just annoying that it's so difficult to get an os installed from a
remote server when it really should be a piece of cake!

Kev

 

[Patrick J. LoPresti]

I was using a boot disk created with the boot diak creator packaged
with Powerquest drive image. It puts DRDOS on the floppy.

DR-DOS requires a special driver to access FAT32 partitions. See
<http://www.drdos.net/faq/#p2_2>.

So you either need to load that special driver, or use a version of
DOS which understands FAT32, or use a FAT16 partition. The FAT16
partition will be limited to 2 gigabytes, but you can convert it to
NTFS and extend it after Windows is installed.

- Pat
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/