Re: Unable to install from DOS

From: Honjo (khonjo_at_mindspring.com)
Date: 07/31/04 

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 15:47:14 -0400

Honjo wrote:

> Pegasus wrote:
>
> > "Honjo" <khonjo@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> > news:410BA592.65007AC9@mindspring.com...
> > > Pegasus wrote:
> > >
> > > > "Honjo" <khonjo@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> > > > news:410B9EBC.C353534@mindspring.com...
> > > > > Pegasus wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > "Honjo" <khonjo@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> > > > > > news:410B92C2.BA168705@mindspring.com...
> > > > > > > Pegasus wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > "Honjo" <khonjo@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> > > > > > > > news:410B8C5F.F4E8D1CD@mindspring.com...
> > > > > > > > > My notebook pc(IBM Thinkpad X20) can not boot from USB CDROM
> > so
> > > > that I
> > > > > > > > > am attempting to install from DOS or executing winnt.exe.
> > Early
> > > > on in
> > > > > > > > > the process I am getting the following message:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > ***************************************************************
> > > > > > > > > Setup was unable to install Windows Boot Loader.
> > > > > > > > > Ensure that your C: drive is formatted and that the drive is
> > not
> > > > > > > > > damaged.
> > > > > > > > > Setup cannot continue. Press ENTER to exit.
> > > > > > > > >
> > ***************************************************************
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > The partition was formatted by FDISK and looks nothing wrong.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Please help.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Kaz
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > You say that you are attempting to install Win2000 from DOS.
> > > > > > > > To me this implies the following:
> > > > > > > > - Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk.
> > > > > > > > - Have a suitably sized FAT32 partition on the hard disk.
> > > > > > > > - Run d:\i386\winnt.exe (where d:\ is the CD drive letter).
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Now if you have a USB CD drive, how can your system
> > > > > > > > recognise it when booting into a DOS session?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Next question: What happens if you copy d:\i386\*.* to c:\i386?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Also: Most Thinkpads have an "Access IBM" button above
> > > > > > > > the keyboard. It can be used to restore the hard disk to its
> > > > > > > > factory condition. Why don't you use this function to reload
> > > > > > > > Windows 2000?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thanks for your response.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The CDROM drive can be made accessible from DOS by using a boot
> > disk
> > > > which
> > > > > > > came with the USB CDROM drive.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > What the message is saying is that there is something wrong with
> > the
> > > > hard
> > > > > > > drive and not CDROM so that copying i386 to hard drive does not
> > seem
> > > > to
> > > > > > > help.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The hard drive which came with the Thinkpad X20 has been replaced
> > with
> > > > a
> > > > > > new
> > > > > > > one.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Kaz
> > > > > >
> > > > > > You did not say what happens when you copy the i386 folder to
> > > > > > the hard disk.
> > > > >
> > > > > There is no problem making directory in the hard drive and copying
> > files
> > > > from
> > > > > the CDROM to the hard drive. There is no xcopy in the boot disk to
> > copy
> > > > i386 and
> > > > > I attemped to use one in W98 startup FD but it did not work because of
> > > > "Wrong
> > > > > DOS version" as an error message said. I do not have W98 startup FD
> > which
> > > > has
> > > > > drivers for the CDROM drive.
> > > > >
> > > > > Kaz
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > I am a little uneasy about your setup - I would really like to see some
> > > > large files copied to c:\i386. There is, of course, no need to use
> > > > xcopy.exe.
> > > > These commands will do just as nicely:
> > > >
> > > > md c:\i386
> > > > copy d:\i386\*.* c:\i386
> > >
> > > Here is what I got:
> > >
> > > A:\>copy f:\i386\*.* c:\i386
> > > File not found - f:\i386\*.*
> > > 0 file(s) copied
> > >
> > > Kaz
> >
> > Mmh. How can you expect to install Win2000 off a CD
> > if you cannot read the source files? I suggest you resolve
> > this problem first, then retry the installation.
> >
> > If you cannot read your Win2000 CD successfully then
> > you could use one of these options:
> >
> > - Buy a $5.00 adapter to install the laptop hard disk as
> > a slave disk in a desktop PC, then copy the CD to
> > the laptop disk.
> >
> > - Create a network boot disk (www.bootdisk.com),
> > then perform the installation via the network.
>
> I have installed OSes with this pc this way many times and I just do not know
> why this is happening now. The error message as in my first post appears to
> indicate that problem is with the hard drive but on the other hand the error
> message above seems to indicate the culprit is CDROM. I am not yet fully
> convinced about what is causing my problem. Any way I wil try the adaptor as in
> your suggestions. I will post the result. Thanks for your follow-ups.
>
> Kaz

I used the adaptor and copied i386 to the hard drive and attempted to start
installation by executing winnt.exe but I got the exact same message as in my first
post. I got a new hard drive and tried the same but again the same error message.

Any further suggestion is appreciated.

Kaz

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