unable to install xp pro

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paolo
  • Start date Start date
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Paolo

I am unable to install windows xp pro on packard bell laptop. the cd is new
and starts in another laptop, so cd rom drive should be ok. it is set to boot
from cd rom drive.

but on this lapto where i am trying to install xp, linux ubuntu installs
fine. laptop used to have both xp home and ubuntu in dual boot. hard drive
was repartitioned and reformatted.

i am lost. can anyone help?
 
So where does the install problem start? Do you get the message "to boot cd
press any key..." if so what happens? We need a bit more information.
 
the cd just wont start. cd is new and works in aother computer
Click to expand...

This suggests that the CD boot disk for the other PC was
adapted beforehand for that PC, but not for yours i.e. was
not made to boot laptops of a different make.
 
Paolo said:
I am unable to install windows xp pro on packard bell laptop. the
cd is new and starts in another laptop, so cd rom drive should be
ok. it is set to boot from cd rom drive.

but on this lapto where i am trying to install xp, linux ubuntu
installs fine. laptop used to have both xp home and ubuntu in dual
boot. hard drive was repartitioned and reformatted.

i am lost. can anyone help?
Click to expand...
So where does the install problem start? Do you get the message "to
boot cd press any key..." if so what happens? We need a bit more
information.
Click to expand...
the cd just wont start. cd is new and works in aother computer
Click to expand...

Assuming the CD drive in the system is a good one and that the BIOS is set
so the system in question is to boot from the CD first...

Scratched CD and/or not _quite as good_ of a CD Reader?
 
It is possible that the boot order isn't set correctly or the CD-Rom drive
is faulty. Can you boot any other bootable CD's with it?
 
boot order is correct. otherwise I wouldn't be able to boot from linux Cd
either.

cd rom drive works. it reads linux cd.

cd is not faulty. i have actually 2 different and legal copies. both start
and work in other laptop.

this is why i dont understand
 
Paolo said:
boot order is correct. otherwise I wouldn't be able to boot from
linux Cd either.

cd rom drive works. it reads linux cd.

cd is not faulty. i have actually 2 different and legal copies.
both start and work in other laptop.

this is why i dont understand
Click to expand...

Let me state what I said again...

Just because your CD drive is reading one CD or another does not mean it
will read the CD you have. Not all CDs and CD drives are created equally.
Your CD drive could well be just slightly out of alignment (laser) and the
Windows XP CD in question could have just the right flaw that makes it
unreadable by said hardware. I know - sounds astronomical - happens a lot.

It's great you have proven the CD is good.
It's great you can boot off other CDs in that drive.

My suggestion is to create a new bootable Windows XP CD burned on the same
media batch your *nix CD is. You may even want to just integrate SP3 and
some post-SP3 patches into it while you are going to the trouble. In an
hour or less you should have a CD that will be as recognizable to the system
as any *nix CD you say it now boots from.

If it still fails - then we have other issues we can look into (given your
newly burned CD will boot on other systems as well.) At this point though -
I'd go with this simply-tested theory... Personally.
 
Paolo said:
hey Shenan, created cd and it starts ok, but then prompts me to
insert floppy....
Click to expand...

This Windows XP CD you had - was it a Retail/OEM/other?
How did you burn the new copy and ensure it was bootable (what method?)
 
Why don't you just create a copy of your retail CD? Why are you going
through the hassle at the link you provided. That process is used to create
a bootable CD from a non bootable source and is the reason that you are just
arriving at a request to insert a floppy. Your Windows XP OEM CD is not copy
protected so you can launch your favorite third party CD burning software
even if it is CDBurnerXP Pro as listed at the tacktec link. Then use the
Copy CD function. Pop your original disc into the drive, let the software
copy it to the cache, insert the blank disc and let the copy finish. When
done the finished disc should be the same as the original.

Shenan makes a good point in that you could create a slipstream with SP3
integrated using nLite. I've done this many times and it works well. However
you need to know how to properly burn the resulting .ISO file to disc.
 
Coping the CD doesn't work, have tried with different progarms. the .ISO file
seems the only thing the cd rom drive can read.
 
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