Windows XP with SP3 won't boot

[mikep56]

Hi All,

I have used nLite to successfully create bootable install CDs with Windows XP Pro SP2 in the past. I have then used Nero 6.6 to burn the files to a bootable CD using the boot.bin that is supplied with Nero.

I have tried to do the same with Windows XP Pro SP3, but have had no luck. The CD is bootable, but it shows prompts for Caldera DOS, and ends up showing an A:\, which is for the floppy drive still on this PC.

Now I haven't done this for quite a while, and I don't remember there being any tricks to doing this. I am sure that the boot.bin file is the same because I created the CD on the same machine as I did the Windows XP Pro SP2 CD.

Is there some setting that I changed in nLite that is causing this?

Regards,

Mike

[johnhc]

mikep56, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure you run nLite only once against the same source and integrate only one SP. I would suggest that you try using nLite to burn your CD. Have you considered a virtual system (VirtualPC, VirtualBox, VMware Server - all free). It seems to be the best way to get past these startup problems and prevent many coasters. Enjoy, John.

[mikep56]

Hi Johnhc,

I am not home now,when I get home tonite I will attach the last session.ini. Like I said, I have used this before, but this is the first time with SP3. Maybe I changed a setting somewhere, I don't know.

I will attach tonite.

Thanks for the prompt response.

Regards,

Mike

[johnhc]

mikep56, after thinking about it a few minutes, I think you booted the floppy. If you have a disk in your floppy, remove it and try again. Enjoy, John.

[mikep56]

Hi johnhc,

After reading some more stuff about this, I thought the problem was with the boot.bin file that I was using to make the CD bootable. This is the file that my WXP with SP2 bootable CD uses. My thought was that maybe SP3 is drastically different enough that it needs a different boot.bin. This sounded kind of odd, but I was tired of burning coasters. So I downloaded microsoftcorporation.img, burned a CD, and VOILA...it boots and runs fine.

Go figure that out!

Anyway, thanks for your help!

Regards,

Mike

[Ponch]

I have then used Nero 6.6 to burn the files to a bootable CD using the boot.bin that is supplied with Nero.

Why change your method when it was working ?

Your error is that you make a "bootable CD" with Nero instead of just burning the ISO "as image". The iso is bootable, it is not meant to be "added as file" on a bootable cd (that boots Caldera DOS) as you probably did. Check your Nero for the "burn image" menu.

[mikep56]

Hi Ponch,

I changed my method because when I changed over to SP3, it was no longer working. I have burned nlited SP2 CDs with Nero and used boot.bin with no problems many times. Only when it wasn't working the same with SP3 did I change my method.

Regards,

Mike