xp install from dos....

[sLIVER]

Am I a dummy? I was running an xp install from dos by running the d:\i386\winnt. The system starts the setup - then hangs as it's copying files.

Is it possible to install a clean install this way, or am i being silly.

[WebHead]

You can do a clean install from DOS of XP. If you have the upgrade version, then you'll need an original 95, 98, ME, or 2000 Windows CD handy (depending on which version of XP you bought.) If you have a full install version, then you only need your XP CD.

[sLIVER]

Uh...i understand the difference between 'full' and 'upgrade'....Am i running the 'full' way properly, or am i missing a switch or something...

P.S. I did notice that it does continue the install...this may be all in vain.

[WebHead]

I would say to not type "setup" from the DOS prompt. Instead boot off the CD drive. I just did a clean install of it for the first time today, and it worked out pretty smoothly.

[sLIVER]

I would boot from the disk, but it wasn't working...therefore i am installing from dos (ME boot disk).

[WebHead]

I tried that earlier and it didn't work. I was helping a friend install it, and he was trying to use this custom 98 boot disk that we've been using for years now. You sure you can't boot from the CD? Or maybe you can just install ME and then upgrade it. Other than that, I don't have anything else to add.

[sLIVER]

It seems to be working...i copied install files over, and it did as for a file once. I found the file on the cd and pointed setup there and it's still continuing. I think it's gonna make it.

[Ya_know]

I had a problem with a win2k install some time ago it would lock up in the same place every time. Turned out that my video card was not supported by 2k. I replaced it with one that was, and the setup continued where it left off.

Just a thought if you still have troubles...

[jmatrix]

I tried installing xp pro from dos without any luck. First I copied the I386 file to a new formated partition and tried to run the winnt32.exe. The message came up that xp cannot be installed from dos. The 2nd try was from dos but directly from the cd...same message that xp cannot be installed from dos. This is a full version disk. What gives?
Paul

[naka-pako]

jmatrix,
use winnt.exe instead of winnt32.exe when installing from dos....d

[sLIVER]

My install worked. It was on a slow machine, and I guess it seemed to stop...I successfully installed from dos using the winnt.exe in i386.

[Zrizi]

The problem is that the clean install from dos takes a long time and even a very long time on slow machines, that makes many people think it got stuck.
the trick is just let it do the job.
i've pentium3 800 and I had been waiting for about 1.5 hours until the installation showed signs of life.

[ShadowKing]

I would use Windows XP Setup Boot disks.

Which can be found <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-GB;q310994" target="_blank">here</a>.

[dknk]

The big thing in speeding up the install from a dos boot disk is to make sure "smartdrive" is running. If you make a Win98 boot disk, copy smartdrv.exe to your floppy from the windows\command folder.
Add this line to your autoexec.bat file:
smartdrv.exe
Your dos install will go much faster.
I installed XP Pro from a W98 boot disk using smartdrive on a K6 450 and was finished in 45 mins.

[WebHead]

The PC I was working on the other day, did a clean install, without doing anything special to it, pretty quickly. Finished in about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes on a PIII 1ghz w/ 512mb ram. But that seems like a good thing to know (about the winnt.exe file). I just booted from the CD, but I guess that way works too.