QingCai

YES! it's about the third time I am telling you that! YES. Actually Dell's CD's (and also hardware and BIOS) have been a nightmare for years! It's NOT "easy". Here are some hints/resources: http://reboot.pro/5655/ (additional to the already given link: ) Basically you have a non-standard source, and the only way out is to make it "standard". BUT it's not "difficult" either: you will just need some time and patience. As explained in the given links, often integrating a Service pack "fixes" the Source. jaclaz Hi jaclaz, sorry has kept you frustuated. Actually I did listen to you about the source problem, and I've tried to slipstreamed the source. I found out that my copy of source is Windows XP SP1 OEM. I spent this morning download SP2 and integrate it into the source. And I reformat, prepared another USB-stick, and reboot. Though, it still come back with the same thing. I'll research the information you gave and try to work on it. Another working week start, will have to put this slow. Merry Christmass~

Hi there, I have just tried with WinSetupFromUSB 1.0.7 beta, but it came back with the same problem, which is: "Setup cannot access the CD containing the WindowsXP installation files..." The steps I've done: 1) Format the USB-stick using RMPrepUSB in the programme. 2) Prepared the USB-stick from the copy of \I386. 3) Reboot and go into TXT mode. 4) Quick format the hard disk into NTFS. 5) and.... the error message came out. Might it be the problem of my xp source? How can I validate my xp source? The computer is from Dell, would the manufacturer has changes setting in the source?

[This post was deleted because it's the same reply as the previous one. I've accidentally submited twice]

Thanks for the reply. After reading your reply, been spending hours on the net trying to understand all the professional terms... they are very technical for me. I came across one post that ilko_t mention about [setupData] in TXTSETUP.SIF file. And he did mentioned by changing something in SETUPDD.SYS file made that entry ignored. I don't understand much about this, but it seems that the problem of "where to get the setup file" already been considered when the program is designed? I read about PE, but it's really more complicated. It says need an Installation CD to make a LiveBoot image... which is hard because the computer didn't come with installation CD.

Hi ilko_t, jaclaz, Thanks for the reply. Today I tried to reinstall WindowsXP using WinSetupFromUSB 0.2.3, but it came back with the same problem when I used USB_MultiBoot.cmd. Yes, it is exantly same as what I mentioned in the first post, the system came out with error message "Setup cannot access the CD containing the WindowsXP installation files" after Step 1. Here I explained what steps I have done: 1) As I mentioned, the computer I intend to reinstalled had been formatted but I kept another copy of i386 folder elsewhere. 2) I copy that i386 folder (WindowsXP) and paste it in another computer running Windows7. 3) I ran WinSetupFromUSB 0.2.3 4) I plugged in USB-stick and format it using RMPrepUSB button in the program. 5) Then I prepared the USB-stick by clicking "Go". 6) Everything done, I plugged that USB-stick to the computer I wish to installed WindowsXP and swtich on the computer. 7) The computer is Dell Inspiron 600m, I pressed F12 and select to boot from USB-flash drive. 8) I came to the menu with selection "WindowsXP Setup + First and Second parts". 9) I proceed with the steps. 10) The system ask me to agree on the term & condition for Windows, of course "I agree". 11) I came to the page showing drive and partition of my computer. I chose drive C: and continue. 12) I select to "Format as NTFS FileSystem (Quick)". 13) After the formatting, the exactly same error message came out, it reads "Setup cannot access the CD containing the Windows XP installation files. To retry, press ENTER. If you are not successful after several tries, quite Setup. Then,to restart Setup, copy the Windows XP installation files to your hard disk. To quit Setup, press F3". -----Everything is the same as I used USB_MultiBootBoot.cmd. The WindowsXP just didn't installed itself from the USB. It doesn't help even I used WinSetupFromUSB 0.2.3. Do this have to do with my source of XP? ANYHOW, thinking that the program might work different way, I press F3, reboot the computer and continue with Step 2 - GUI mode part of the setup. As I selected Step 2, the menu of Boot.ini came out. I chose the first selection, "Continue setup from Disk 0 Part 1". It came with hal.dll error. OKAY. There are more instruction, that I should tried other selection if this error came out. I tried the next entries, "Setup from Disk 0 Part 2". It is the same, came back with hal.dll error. I kept on trying on next entries, Disk 0 Part 3, Disk 0 Part 4... etc However, all attempt start from Disk 0 Part 3 onwards came out with error message as below: "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardward configuation problem. Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware. Please check the windows documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information". So, I did not success to reinstalled the Windows. Is there any steps I have done wrong that causes all this problem? What can I do to make everything works OK? Thanks...

Yes , I mean you are posting here, so you do have another computer where you can prepare from scratch the USB device using this method: Try using the "stable" 0.2.3 AND NOT the 1.0 beta7 version on first attempt. jaclaz Hi there, thanks for your reply. I have downloaded WinSetupFromUSB 0.2.3 but I have no idea how to continue from where I am now. I have a bootable USB-stick which prepared by using USB_MultiBoot.cmd. If I ran WinSetupFromUSB 0.2.3, it'll formatted the USB_stick and all data inside will be gone. I need that copy of Windows because I have a product key for that copy of windows. Also, how to prepared another USB if my hard disk with that version of Windows already formatted? Please correct me if I am wrong. I am thinking that, I need to use back the same source of Windows, from that same computer, because I need to use back the same product key. Now that computer hard disk is formatted, the data is in the USB-stick, developed using USB_MultiBoot.cmd. I am not sure how to continue with WinSetupUSB 0.2.3. However, I did make a copy of c:\i386 folder of that windows in another removeable hard disk. Can I use that as XPSOURCE? Further information, the Windows I tried to reinstalled is Windows XP. Now, I am using my another computer which running Windows 7. If I copy that c:\i386 folder (Windows XP), and prepared it with WinSetupFromUSB 0.2.3 using computer which are running Windows 7, will it give any problem?

Hi ilko_t, no I didn't. I first found out the USB_MultiBoot.cmd method from a youtube video, from there I traced the post in msfn.org. Now I have formated my hard disk, can I still tried other pinned topics?

Hi there, I've encountered this one problem after following steps in "How to install XP from USB". Windows didn't install itself after I boot from USB_MultiBoot.cmd. It says "Setup cannot access the CD containing the Windows XP installation files. To retry, press ENTER. If you are not successful after several tries, quit Setup. Then, to restart Setup, copy the windows XP installation files to your hard disk. To quit Setup, press F3" The steps I have completed until this stage are: 1. I have formatted my USB-stick using PeToUSB. 2. I have completed steps "1, 2 and 3" in Main Menu of USB_MultiBoot.cmd 3. I have selected from Boot Menu "1. Begin TXT Mode Setup Windows XP" I did edit the boot.ini to solve the hal.dll problem. I did this because when I first came to Main Menu, I read it too long and it auto select to selection number "2". And the hal.dll Error came out. And I edit the boot.ini to what have shown in the post I mentioned. After I edit Boot.ini, reboot, and chosen "1. Begin TXT Mode Setup Windows XP", the process can be continue without problem. I followed the screen, and format the disk in FTFS FileSystem. After the format completed, the "Setup cannot access the CD containing the Windows XP instabllation files" came out. From what I read from the post, it should start automatically, and install it from the USB-stick, right? Now, I have my hardisk formatted, and the windows cant install. I cant restart anything process because the comptuer hard disk is blank. Please advice me what can I do now? Thanks.