Window XP pro. Install problem

[toolfool719]

Ok, I'm trying to install Windows Xp pro. over the phone (talking them through the install) and here is where we are> We FORMATED and ran FDISK and created a Dos partition and a bootable drive. To run the CD to install XP we ran DRIVE LETTER:\I386\WINNT.EXE and the disk started to run. Then Blue screen came up with this= "Internal Setup error could not find place for a SWAP file. Press enter to exit" or something very similar. I've done some searching and couldn't find anything that helps. Does any one know a fix for this. A little help PLEASE And thanks

 

[sboulema]

you have to boot from the cd to install windows correctly...

 

[allan]

Delete the dos partition. Boot to the XP CD and create & format your partitions from the CD (it will offer you the option to do this very early in the process).

 

[toolfool719]

Sboulema,To boot from the CD (would not run in DOS mode) I typed D:\i386\winnt.exe thats when I got the blue screen and error.

Thanks

<edit> one more thing I already changed the boot sequence in BIOS. (I've been asked that alot ) Thanks again

 

[toolfool719]

Allan, I'll try that, thanks.

 

[Gus K]

I totally agree. Boot off the CD, forget the good old days of DOS disks and Hard Drive uttility disks. Let XP do all the work.

The only exception would be if you are having trouble booting off the CD, you can download a file from MS that will create a six set floppy startup.

 

[lechtard]

When I installed Xp I had to create a dos partition then boot it from the cd .. I would then transform it into NTFS. Without a dos partition it would come up with a warning saying that it could find drive c:

If you already have an OS installed it will let you delete the partition and then it will create a new one .. But from a fresh non partition HD it wouldn't do it for me.

So normally I use the windows 98 boot disk to make the partition then do like I stated above.

 

[Gus K]

It is important that if you plan on using NTFS that you end up with 4k clusters (which is how XP will set up a blank/new HD). Any conversion of Fat to NTFS will leave you with 512b clusters, which make for very sluggish performance in XP (and the need for constant defragging).

You should be able to take a new blank HD, that's identified correctly in the BIOS/post, boot off the XP CD (set first boot device as CDRom in your BIOS), and XP should then ask you to format/partition it. The only exception is if you have a CDRom or CD that won't boot, then you can use XP specific start-up diskettes that can be made from a file that MS provides.

 

[livematrix182]

if you are going to install it from the HD...you need to add the "/b" switch in the command line...but that is only if you absolutly have to..other than that i agree..either download the setup boot disks..or run from cd.