albirez

Hi Rad, Here is the file list in my C:\Windows\Driver Cache\i386\ 04.08.2004 13:00 63.174.124 driver.cab 29.09.2005 00:35 134.272 halmacpi.dll 09.10.2004 00:48 262.400 http.sys 19.01.2005 05:26 451.584 mrxsmb.sys 20.04.2005 00:54 14.592 ndisuio.sys 29.09.2005 19:27 2.138.624 ntkrnlmp.exe 29.09.2005 19:28 2.059.776 ntkrnlpa.exe 29.09.2005 19:28 2.018.304 ntkrpamp.exe 29.09.2005 19:28 2.182.528 ntoskrnl.exe 16.03.2004 10:58 136.960 portcls.sys 27.08.2004 22:57 39.552 processr.sys 04.08.2004 13:00 18.782.319 sp2.cab 05.11.2005 01:55 48.768 stream.sys 20.04.2005 20:30 52.736 wzcsapi.dll 20.04.2005 20:30 474.624 wzcsvc.dll Obviously, you are missing driver.cab, which seems to me to be a very important, if not the most important file (before I merged both i386 folders, Windows installation complained that driver.cab was missing, and at reboot I got the same error message as you). Maybe you should search for driver.cab in the original Vaio installation of your machine (possibly after a fresh restore of the initial installation). You might also try a driver.cab from another source (all "regular" XP install CD's have a driver.cab in their i386 folder, but I'm not sure it is the same as on Vaios, or even from one Vaio to another). Regards Albi

Hi, Here is a trick that worked with my Vaio VGN-TX3XP/B, but which will probably work also with other Vaio's - see the following (German) link: http://www.pcwelt.de/forum/ihre-meinung-zu...recover-cd.html In addition to the "normal" i386 folder present on most laptops (on my Vaio, it was under C:\Windows\i386), newer Vaio's have a further i386 folder under "Driver Cache\i386" (on my Vaio it was under C:\Windows\Driver Cache\i386, but the location may differ somewhat from model to model). You need to put the complete content of both 1386 folders into a new i386 folder, and then build the Windows install CD from this new i386 folder. It seems particularly important that you get the file driver.cab (present in "Driver Cache\i386"). If you build your install CD using only the first ("normal") i386 folder, Windows will complain during installation that this file is missing, and at reboot, you get the message described in your post (I experienced exactly the same as you). In other words, it seems that Sony has split the i386 folder into two parts (only the devil knows why ;-), and that you have to join them again to build a working installation CD. After this, installing Windows worked like a charm on my TX3XP/B. Actually, I made an unattended install under DOS (booted from a CD), with the files from the installation CD in a folder on the D: partition (you need to have C: and D: formatted as FAT32). But there is no reason that it should not work when you install directly from the CD (e.g. if you want to format your partitions as NTFS). I'd be glad to know if it worked for your Vaio too. Regards Albi