splendid

I made an unattended XP Home OEM (SP2) CD slipstreamed with MS Windows media Player 10 and critical updates. However, in the middle of installation of Win Media Player, a message appeared saying that the System Restore had been turned off and I had to press OK button to continue beating the purpose of the unattended installation. The switch I used for Win Media Player was “/q”. How do I bypass the message? Also the critical updates do not show in Add or Removal Programs in Control Panel. I know they were installed because subsequent Windows Update did not list them. Your help on these matters will be appreciated.

Sounds like RAM problem. Replace the RAM (if you have only one), or take out one at a time to find the culprit (if you have more than one).

1. Run CHKDSK /R from Recovery Console 2. If this does not work, Refer to MS KB Article 307545 or http://tinyurl.com/7ptt

What about installing updates in a current Windows XP that does not have updates?

I'd like to get information (or instruction) on how to ctreate a batch file to install MS critical updates. Let's say I downloaded all MS updates in a folder. What options do I have to install all of the updates at once without rebooting the computer?

1. Forgot to install chipset (IDE) driver. 2. Spyware 3. HD is crashing. 4. memory leak

Thanks to XtremeMaC, I finally resolved the problem. When I connected the USB 2.0 External HD, Device Manager listed it as USB Storage Device with a yellow question mark. I let Windows find the driver. I then clicked on View Hidden Devices and saw a yellow question mark on Unknown Device. I let Windows find the driver and it did. Now I can delete, create a partition and format the HD without any problem. Thanks guys.

XtremeMaC, I will try your suggestion. IcemanND, it is basic not dynamic.

The Maxtor HD is fine. When I connect it directly, I can partition and format it.

I can add a driver letter but i cannot format. When I reboot, the driver letter disappears.

Sorry about a typo. USB Enclosure shoud be ST-2312B2.

The USB2.0 External HD was working fine until SP2 was installed. In device manager, there was a yellow question mark on USB device. I let Windows update the driver and the yellow mark disappeared. Now the drive letter is gone. I deleted the partition. I could partition it only after I rebooted. And still no drive letter. I could not format (NTFS) the HD. I tried the device on another computer with SP2 with the same problem. I tried it on a computer with SP1 and it worked fine. I did BIOS flash. It got Via chipset 4-in-1 V5.1 installed. Windows update was performed. Tried USB2.0 driver from Constar. Any idea or recommendation? USB Enclosure: Constar ST-2322B2 HD: Maxtor 120GB CPU: AMD64 3000+ RAM: PC3200 512MB MB: MSI K8T Neo-Fis2r Video: EVGA GF-FX5500 256MB Windows: XP Home OEM

No. OEM, Retail, Upgrade, and Corp Product Keys do not mix. If he has an OEM Product Key, you have to install unattended OEM. You can make a slipstreamed OEM (with Service Pack and hotfixes) with YOUR Product Key and install Windows XP. After the installation is done, run "Sysprep -reseal".

As for your intention, you can make a complete unattended installation with appropriate Product Key and at the end, run "Sysprep -reseal". This will reset the Product Key and others. When your friend turns the computer on, he must put his Product Key.

Corp is for volume license and does not require Activation.