Solved How to Clean Install Windows with non-bootable Windows CD

[gregrocker]

Drive letters can be different in boot mode than what they are in Windows, so XP might boot up as C if you install it to another lettered partition from boot. Normally there aren't letters there if you are truly installing from boot.

Did you try writing the XP ISO installer using the tutorial I linked for you?

Is it possible you could install to a separate HD with the WIn7 HD unplugged as this is the easiest way to Dual Boot. After install plug back in the Win7 HD, set it first to boot in BIOS setup. Trigger XP HD when needed using the one-time BIOS BOot Menu key.

 

[tjg79]

I've aborted any dual boot install attempts until I resolve my boot problem in Win 7.

The partitions have been relettered and the system won't boot.

I attempted the fix on the following link without success:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ool-how-use-windows-recovery-environment.html

I've got to do some type of repair on my current Win 7 boot path.

See my other thread in this section.

Regards

 

[gregrocker]

Mark Partition Active (using Method Two) the 100mb System Reserved partition (if you have it) or C, then run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times.

You'll notice in Diskpart the partitions are unlettered. This is because drive letters are often not correct when viewed from boot.

 

[tjg79]

When I get to list partition, I get the following:

Partition ###, Type, Size, Offset
Partition 1, Primary, 100MB, 1024KB
Partition 2, Primary, 465GB, 101MB
Partition 0, Extended, 465GB, 465GB
Partition 3, Logical, 465GB, 465GB

My disks are in Intel RST RAID-5.

I selected partition 1 and then typed active.

I'll reboot and then run the windows repair three times.

Thanks

 

[gregrocker]

The RAID could complicate repairs. We see nothing but problems with RAID here. These repairs work 9 out of 10 times otherwise.

When XP is installed or mostly installed it steals Win7 boot until Win7 is restarted using the steps I have you. Then install EasyBCD and add XP to a Dual Boot menu. However it seems like XP didn't finish install, just stole the boot as to be expected.

I would find a USB stick install method which works to complete XP install, to a separate HD if at all possible to make it much easier. Pay no attention to the drive letters shown in boot mode. I would also delete any partition you created for XP and use its booted installer to create and full format its partition.

There are many methods in the search results to try to create xp flash stick installer - Google Search.

 

[tjg79]

Success!

Windows started without error.

Thank you.

I was out of my depth on that one.

After that scare, I think I'll just wait until I can burn a new bootable CD copy of the Win XP iso before I attempt the dual boot install again. The Win XP install defaulted to the non-bootable CD from the USB flash drive after the boot install started. When Win XP rebooted for the first time durning the install, the system had trouble and I think that trouble was between the two versions of Win XP available; the USB flash drive and the non-bootable CD. When I removed the USB and attempted a reboot to continue the Win XP install, I got the first hardware error related to path.

I normally have four 500GB SATA drives, but one was in exchange under Seagate warranty. So, I didn't have my data backed up. I'll wait for the replacemet drive to arrive on Tuesday, before I do any more playing with this system.

Thanks again for all your help.

Best Regards

 

[gregrocker]

With that many drives I would try to find space for XP on another HD, installing it there with all other HD's unplugged. This keeps each OS independently bootable via either the BIOS boot order or one-time Boot Menu key, and avoids many problems.

 

[tjg79]

I was running Win 7 (single boot system) on the RAID-5 (three 500GB SATAs) which showed as the C: and D: drives at 465GB each. I was using the fourth 500GB SATA, non-member RAID disk, as the storage for Windows backups and disk images. I felt data secure with that arrangement. I want a separate disk for the backups and running the Windows Backup with image once a week only gives about three weeks of capacty on that 500GB SATA. So, I'm not inclined to share that drive with a Win XP install. And, I don't want to give up the RAID-5; it's a proven safety net. I've had one drive fail and it was a non-issue. I just subsititued my fourth SATA/backup drive into the RAID-5 like changing a light bulb. I wasn't using the RAID-5 D: drive for anything, so after my disappointment with Win 7 XP mode, I thought that it would be perfect for a dual boot install of XP. If I've got backups and images of C: and D: then I'm not too concerned about problems.

This dual boot attempt was my first attempt and I was doing it to see the issues I would face. When my fourth drive arrives from Seagate, I'm going to do a clean audit install of Win 7 and all programs and then get a good image for future reinstalls before I create the user accounts. Then, I'll do the dual boot install again with all data backed up on the fourth SATA drive and image that disk as well. If anything craps out or bogs down due to whatever, I'll just use the images to start over with a fresh clean install.

Regards

 

[tjg79]

The solution to the original issue on this thread is to burn a new bootable copy of the Win XP CD.

Regards

PS - Installing Win XP with a non-bootable CD and using a bootable floppy to start the install is a method that will likely fail during the Win XP install when the system attempts a reboot after the initial files are copied to the disk. The system won't be able to restart and continue the install if the CD is not bootable.

In the attempt to use a bootable USB flash drive to install Win XP, the system initially booted off the USB flash drive, but demanded a CD be loaded after the start of the install to continue the install process. I don't know the cause of that issue.

Regards

 

[gregrocker]

Try another USB flash method. There are quite a few in the search results I linked for you.

 

[tjg79]

Try another USB flash method. There are quite a few in the search results I linked for you.

I may do that, but not with WintoFlash. That's got red flags now for me due to the SSA.exe fail to copy. It must be on the bootable USB flash drive, but not the Win XP CD. When I started the Win XP install from the flash drive, Windows then demanded the CD. So, it's understandable that it wouldn't load. Its reference must have been loaded into memory from the bootable USB flash drive.

I just did a search on what the SSA.exe file is and it's not part of Windows. I just searched my system and it's not to be found. I searched the USB flash drive with the Win XP "bootable" installed by WintoFlash and I don't see the file, but if I open up the txtsetup.sif file with notepad on the bootable USB flash drive, I see it referenced. I'm not done checking into this issue, but I suspect it's something loaded by WintoFlash and it's suspicious.

 

[tjg79]

I just searched my registry for a SSA key and the search didn't turn up any results.

A Google search indicates it's related to USB flash installs and it shows up on the WintoFlash forum as an error issue.

Malware concealed during the USB flash OS install process???

It's getting to the point that there are very few "free" utilities you can download and trust.

 

[gregrocker]

Did you use Win2Flash to write the stick. I thought you said you were using another method?

 

[tjg79]

Did you use Win2Flash to write the stick. I thought you said you were using another method?

Yes, I ended up using the WintoFlash program to make the bootable USB Flash drive even though I initially passed on the download.

My first experience on the WintoFlash website was a bad one due to all the crapware that tries to trick you into downloading with WintoFlash. There was also some confusion between "Win2Flash" and "WintoFlash;" I thought they were two different programs.

I read several articles about creating a bootable USB flash drive and several referred to WintoFlash. So, I eventually downloaded the file and used WintoFlash to create the bootable USB flash drive. My ESET Smart Security 6 internet security program was giving warnings about an unsafe website when I started the initial download, and was blocking the ads that attempted to display while I was running the program.

 

[gregrocker]

As I said earlier there is some kind of spyware in the download now according to the site I linked you which offers an alternative app to use. This should be able to be avoided by choosing carefully to deselect it during install. Since you said you weren't going to use it earlier I didn't focus on that. Now that you say you used it I would System Restore to just before it was run, then install and run SUPERAntiSpyware to root out any spyware. Do not accept SAS trial or allow it to Start with WIndows unless you buy it.

Edit: I see that I already advised you to take these precautions above before you said you weren't going to use WInToFlash. Did you do them as advised? Why not?

 

[tjg79]

As I said earlier there is some kind of spyware in the download now according to the site I linked you which offers an alternative app to use. This should be able to be avoided by choosing carefully to deselect it during install. Since you said you weren't going to use it earlier I didn't focus on that. Now that you say you used it I would System Restore to just before it was run, then install and run SUPERAntiSpyware to root out any spyware. Do not accept SAS trial or allow it to Start with WIndows unless you buy it.

Edit: I see that I already advised you to take these precautions above before you said you weren't going to use WInToFlash. Did you do them as advised? Why not?

Yes, I use SUPERAntiSpyware Pro everyday. I paid for the full program license with lifetime subscription several years ago. I didn't detect anything from the download or install. That's probably due to the fact that my internet security program, ESET Smart Security 6, didn't allow anything to download. I've scanned everything with ESET SS 6, SAS Pro and Windows Defender.

I didn't do a system restore, but I did do several complete disk clean-ups by deleting the prefetch files, running Windows Disk Cleanup with system files option and running CCleaner with registry cleaner.

 

[gregrocker]

But using WinToFlash didn't create an XP installer that worked in the end, correct?

I agree that burning the CD is the best choice, but if you try any of the other methods linked let us know if one works.

 

[tjg79]

But using WinToFlash didn't create an XP installer that worked in the end, correct?

I agree that burning the CD is the best choice, but if you try any of the other methods linked let us know if one works.

WintoFlash didn't create a Win XP installer that worked for me the one time I used it, but I can't rule out that I didn't do everything correctly. I would need to duplicate the XP install failure to confirm I was doing everything correctly before I could say it doesn't work. From reading what's available on the web, it appears to work for some people. I don't know if those people are real or shills for WintoFlash.

If I try anything else, I will definitely post the results here for the record.

Thanks again for all your help. That Win 7 non-boot due to hardware after failed Win XP dual-boot install attempt was scary.

Regards

 

[gregrocker]

You're welcome. Win7 failure to boot after XP Dual Boot install or attempt is to be expected. XP steals its boot until repaired, or added as a Dual Boot using EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required)

Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

 

[tjg79]

Install XP from USB, the easy way with Sandisk Cruzer! - Install Windows from USB - MSFN Forum

Install XP from USB, the easy way with Sandisk Cruzer!

I may give this a try, because I have an 8GB Sandisk Cruzer Micro.

Regards