Installing XP pre SP to Dell Mini 9

[steve_stewart]

Hi all

Trying to migrate my Dell Mini 9 (8gb SSD) from ubuntu to XP using nLite.

My copy of XP is retail from an old PC which has long sinced ceased to work and the disc I have is pre any of the issued Service Packs (SP).

From a series of forums I've managed to use nLite to create a slipstream version of Xp up to SP3 with all subsequent hotfixes applied.

The subsequent ISO image burned to a CD and placed into my external CD drive I can quite happily get through the install process until I reach the point I need to input the Product key which SP3 now insists is invalid.

A few forum searches later and I'm thinking it may be easier to boot from the original XP CD and update manually after I've installed and re-activated XP. I'm now encountering another problem in the form of as I reach the point Windows has loaded drivers and is entering setup (where you assign the partition you'd like to install XP to) I get a Stop error (7b) which, after further web searches, seems to be a device driver issue and suggests at the start of the install process press F6 and from a floppy drive install the relevant OEM drivers. Of course, this being a netbook (or modern PC for that matter) I don't have a floppy drive.

Can anyone offer any assistance as to how I might get my perfrectly legit copy of XP which I bought (albeit some years ago) and now want to use on to my Dell?

I'm wondering if SP1 or 2 can be slipstreamed to avoid the stop error and will allow my Product key? I can then re-actvate XP and update to SP3.

Any other suggestions are gladly welcome.

If I've missed any important deets, please let me know.

Regards,

Steve

EDIT: apologies...just thought this may not be best placed in the nlite Forum but maybe XP? Please let me know if I should move?

Just to clarify....I created my slipstream XP CD on an XP host machine (as opposed to Vista). Not sure if this makes a difference.

Edited April 10, 2009 by steve_stewart

[cluberti]

2 things:

1. a product key that works on RTM will work on SP3, so if it's complaining about your key it's one of two things - one, your original source was OEM and you're using a retail key (or vice versa - neither will work on the other media type), or it was likely blacklisted by SP3. Assuming you did buy it retail, you should have the COA sticker that came with it and the product key - I'd call Microsoft and get a new key that works, as yours appears to have been blacklisted. If you're using an OEM key on a retail install, or a retail key on an OEM install, it won't work.

2. Using nlite to slipstream SP3 and updates is probably a good idea, as well as make sure the drivers for your laptop for XP are integrated as well (to avoid the 7B bugcheck, which is "INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE".

[johnhc]

Steve_stewart, to emphasize cluberti's point, please open SETUPP.INI, probably in your I386 folder of your CD, and post the value of the Pid. One of the really nice features of nLite is to allow your to install text mode drivers for your machine without using F6 or a floppy. You need to find the proper text mode driver for your machine and DL it. When you have extracted it, open the folder and you should see (among others) an .inf file and and a txtsetup.oem files. Point nLite (Driver section) to the .inf and you're good to go. Now, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.