Messy situation

[kyza92]

I had a boot sector virus and my computer completely messed up on me. I used Cute partition manager which is DOS based, and i booted it from my Flash USB device as i do not have any spare CDs in my house, and my computer cannot properly read disks for some odd reason (and to be quiet frank i dislike working with CDs). I then completely formatted my hardrive, my XP operating system with it. So i have no OS and its all completely DOS based. Now, i copied my sisters i386 file to my USB and opened winnt.exe by booting it from the flash disk. It copied some files to my flash drive. I then restarted my computer, and i got an option to Repair ® or to continue with Windows Setup (ENTER).

Once i agreed to the EULA after entering Windows Setup, a message popped up saying i needed to insert a CD as it could not detect any previous versions of Windows. And yes, i do wish to run my OS off my USB (it is NTFS). Soo, my pc cant read CDs and i dont have the original windows CD anyway, it was all preloaded. Anyway of possibly bypassing the message?

Infact, i tried installing the OS on my USB from my sisters computer, and then putting it on my own by placing the usb into my pc and booting from it, however, it didnt work.

Maybe if i kept the contents winnt.exe unpacked to my USB and booted winnt.exe again, and install it again on my pc? Surely it will detect the OS already installed on my USB that only works from my sisters computer?

I hope i hear a reply soon,

thankyou

Kaya

[mongo66]

See this thread: How to boot/install from USB key.

[Ponch]

If you don't have an XP disc to start with, things might prove very difficult. Also in what you've done, you might have mixed different file versions from two XP systems. Now first you say you want to run the OS from your USB, then you say you will install from the USB, it's not the same, you have to decide, but I don't see any point to the 1st solution.

[Yzöwl]

I'd prefer to see a fuller explanation of the problem myself, at this moment in time however it sounds to me as if the version you're trying to install is an upgrade version and it needs to see the previous media in order to install as an upgrade.

[kyza92]

Sorry for the confusion guys...

Ok, basically i have a boot sector virus, so i formatted my hardrive with cute partition magick. I then went onto my sisters computer, copied her preloaded i386 file, and made my flash disk a bootable device. I then booted off the usb on my computer that needs fixing and executed winnt.exe

I tried to use it to install the windows operating system onto my hardrive (forget installing it on USB, i done some research, too complicated) but it tells me to insert the orgininal CD into my cd drive because it couldnt find a previous version of the windows OS (because it got deleted on format). My CD drive is broken, so i need a way of bypassing this message!

Edited November 6, 2008 by kyza92

[mongo66]

Sorry for the confusion guys...

Ok, basically i have a boot sector virus, so i formatted my hardrive with cute partition magick. I then went onto my sisters computer, copied her preloaded i386 file, and made my flash disk a bootable device. I then booted off the usb on my computer that needs fixing and executed winnt.exe

I tried to use it to install the windows operating system onto my hardrive (forget installing it on USB, i done some research, too complicated) but it tells me to insert the orgininal CD into my cd drive because it couldnt find a previous version of the windows OS (because it got deleted on format). My CD drive is broken, so i need a way of bypassing this message!

I don't think Windows XP can be installed from USB (not without using BartPE or other methods described here). Copying the setup source (i386) to USB and running winnt.exe won't work.

You will need to copy the setup source files (i386 folder + cdtags) to your harddisk and run Windows XP setup from that harddisk.

[Ponch]

it tells me to insert the orgininal CD into my cd drive because it couldnt find a previous version of the windows OS (because it got deleted on format).

Also as pointed out by Yzöwl, that message probably comes from the fact that the files you use (your sister's)are from an UPGRADE ONLY version of XP, and not because the drive is empty at first. Maybe you can bypass that by inserting a WinMe or 2k or 98 or 95 CD. Maybe it will just get you to the next problem.