ilko_t

How many partitions do you have on the internal disk? Were they created in advance? Using what software? Did you delete all and recreate them? Do you have data on them you want to keep? Did you start the second part of Setup, the GUI mode, from the internal disk or the USB disk? If you start now the USB stick do you get to the menus as before, PLoP, Windows Setup etc. etc. ?

Please read carefully and attach the appropriate log file:

Not quite sure what option 1 and 2 would be. Please add the following files to a zip archive and attach it with your next post:1) From USB stick menu.lst and winsetup.lst 2) from program directory- winsetupfromusb.log, if you have used the program after you added that source old logs are cab compressed and moved to \backup folder. Find the relevant ones. What version of the program did you use?What drive letter did the USB stick have when Setup displayed disk and partitions? Attach winsetupfromusb.log file, read above for details.

You need to browse for the parent directory of I386, not I386 itself. I386 is not a valid complete source path itself, there could be other important files in its parent directory, i.e. $OEM$, BTS' OEM, Service Pack tag files etc. etc.

Which instructions? Here are several, in this subforum, there are thousands, on internet... Which means? Provide details, "WinXP NTFS formatted" does not reveal any usable details, apart from the clues that you formatted under XP and used NTFS. There are external tools for formatting USB sticks, they have names and options. There is built-in partitioning/formatting tools in XP, they do not work for making bootable UFD, unless it's seen as a fixed disk and you did set an active partition.

Please read in your source (~LS\I386\EULA.TXT) and only if you agree with the terms put this in ~BT\winnt.sif, data section: EulaComplete="1"

Check in Program directory\winsetup\files\PyronSetup\I386 if setup.ex_ exists. Most likely an antivirus program either deleted it or doesn't let copying it. Download fresh copy of the program or turn off your antivirus. Details: and below.

Delete BOOT.INI, rename BOOT.101 to BOOT.INI and try again. Have you ever used this stick for another installation? What version of the program do you use? Are those file from the USB stick? And BTW, you'd better be using the latest versions, 1.0 beta7 currently.

Can you post contents of boot.ini on the USB stick root?

@mihaipricop82 Thanks, good to know. This is workaround, many people will get scared of that window and may even close it, just out of curiosity, can't make it permanent solution. It'd be nice to know what the true reason is behind this behaviour. You have attached txtsetup.sif from your source folder, I need the one in the small ISO file in \WINSETUP folder. Can you zip and attach it? What hardware are you playing on? @ctp9 CD/DVD setup differs from USB, there are cheats, there are workarounds, there are external programs to help. Microsoft never supported install from USB for NT5 family, nor the setup process is well documented and customizable in this light. Even Vista/7 family using Microsoft own tool experience troubles when installing from USB, although USB setup apparently has been kept in mind. Anyway, there is something in nLite which breaks the whole game, clean source works, remember? You'd have to figure out what that is. My wild guess is one or more of the following: -Removable Storage service -Secure Digital host controller -Smart Cards -Command-line tools

@ctp9 Try to figure out what is going on while slipstreaming updates and where it gets broken. Once you get it working let us know if there are any other issues. In other words- lets first step on a firm ground, then start exploring around. About program options- you can't really go wrong here, the most important options are in RMPrepUSB and BootIce and are related to whether USB disk will boot on a particular machine. You are well past that point.

I'd try with an unmodified source. Haven't seen similar report in this subforum, it's unlikely to be because of installing from USB. You could try PLoP boot manager, if it works you will get full USB 2.0 speed when loading drivers. If does not work and your BIOS supports USB boot at USB 1.1 speed then you have to wait until USB drivers are loaded and initialized. In any case, 10 minutes seem too long for the initial part, how many drivers have you integrated? You may want to get rid of drivers you'd never use.That is what I am using (isn't that what the program uses by default?). I just load the modified source folder, press "GO", and the final result that I get tends to use the PLoP manager each time... (which is still slow as hell). Program does not use PLoP by default, it has a separate boot menu entry which has to be selected manually, once you go back to the same menus select First part of setup etc. etc.You may also try formatting in other file systems and see if that speeds up a bit loading, but I guess there won't be a significant difference.

Which version of the program did you use?When exactly do you see that message? How far the GUI mode goes? What's the exact error message? Have you examined the setup log files once in GUI mode? http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc977211.aspx http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/installation2/what-log-files-does-windows-xp-create-during-installation-.aspx In addition, there is %systemroot%\winsetup.log created by setup.cmd in 1.0 versions of the program. You could try PLoP boot manager, if it works you will get full USB 2.0 speed when loading drivers. If does not work and your BIOS supports USB boot at USB 1.1 speed then you have to wait until USB drivers are loaded and initialized. In any case, 10 minutes seem too long for the initial part, how many drivers have you integrated? You may want to get rid of drivers you'd never use.

I have attached them in this post. In winsetup.log there is: CDDRIVE U: - srcpath \??\U:\WINSETUP\XPpSP3\ sourcepath = "\??\U:\WINSETUP\XPpSP3\"Setup.cmd, before start of GUI mode found USB drive and files at U: as it should be. You mention USB drive letter D in the error message. Are both from the same install? If yes- at start of GUI mode setup changed drive letters when reenumering USB devices, U: gets lost, path to setup files is broken, installer complains and aborts, just a theory. Can you try again? In E:\WINSETUP\XPpSP3\I386\setup.cmd change rem start /min "USB keep mounted work arround, do NOT close!" pushd %CDDRIVE% to start /min "USB keep mounted work arround, do NOT close!" pushd %CDDRIVE%

I'd use latest available version, currently 1.0 beta7. Don't get scared away because of the word beta. It's mostly beta because it's not bundled with docs, installer, etc etc. Only if disk/partition size is 2GB or less. Let the program decide this. The radio button is to FORCE detection of one or another, in most cases one does not need to touch this at all.

Can you zip and attach the following three files- winsetup.log from \windows directory on the hard disk and WInSetupFromUSB.log in program directory. If you used the program after the build the old logs are cab compressed in \backups folder, just find the relevant one, and txtsetup.sif from the small ISO file in \WINSETUP folder on the USB disk.

You are confusing me Does everything now work as expected?

@Cosmin3 Thank you for trying to help and contribute. All we are eager to see some detailed report and continue from there As you can see from the replies, the usual helpers tend to go a bit off topic as they are somehow idle and it's down to you to switch us to a full speed mode

Can you list all the errors with any other relevant details? Maybe in a new thread, as this one is already quite lengthy.

How did you format the USB disk? Using what program and options?Any reason to use an old and outdated version of the program? The latest version is 1.0 beta7.

The one used by setup is in ~BT folder. No idea why yours differ, should not, in your source you should have a single one in I386 folder, and this one is used by the program and copied to ~BT folder. Did you make changes after the USB drive was prepared?

Is a product key supplied in winnt.sif? Is it in the correct format? Is it valid? A lot of keys were blacklisted as of SP3. Double check. Almost, with a few exceptions in 0.x.x versions, but the product key part is just as same as from a CD. Starting with version 1 unattended settings are fully covered and not changed, except one- autopartition, which is set to no (0) because Setup may screw up the USB drive.

To answer anyway: 1) Try the modified ntdetect.com 2) In BIOS switch SATA mode to IDE if you have similar option or integrate the appropriate mass storage driver(s). Please, do a little search before asking questions, this has been answered numerous times, at least check the pinned FAQs topic.

Good, next time pay attention what the screen says and provide details, so you can be helped

@donpham What does the error message say? Is there an error code, something like 0x0000007B? Did you check FAQs thread? And please, refrain from quoting lengthy posts just to ask a simple, unrelated to other posts question, use ADD REPLY button.