[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 5 2007, 11:57 PM, said:

nForce raid array? Um no...how do i do that? Could that be the problem?

If you don't have any nForce RAID array, there will be no need to integrate the SATARAID driver folder, because Windows XP Setup will detect your S-ATA hdd(s) automaticly.
What you can do is to integrate the SATA_IDE folder of your used nForce chipset package, but this is a PnP and not a textmode driver.

[kunstlerleben]

Actually i found in my bios an option to enable RAID (its disabled atm) - am i meanta mess around with that?

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 12:16 AM, said:

Actually i found in my bios an option to enable RAID (its disabled atm) - am i meanta mess around with that?

No, this would make no sense for you (unless you have more than 1 hdd).
The important task for you is to get a working OS installed. If you would create a RAID, things would get even more complicated than now without RAID.

[kunstlerleben]

Hey - just did a slipstream adding only the SATA IDE folder (using single driver insert in nlite) - and went through xp install - now at point where it should load gui, it comes up with error message saying

"This is not a bootable disk. Please inset a bootable floppy and press any key to try again"

Argh...it refuses to cooperate! What could i try next?

So sorry for taking up your time fernando...

[kunstlerleben]

Also - i may be an id*** for omitting this info - but my pc actually has 2 seperate HDD - one is 250mb, the other 500mb - both SATA - and since i tried messing around all these installs it seems like there are loadsa partitions which show up in the XP install "which HD to install on" window

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 01:06 AM, said:

Hey - just did a slipstream adding only the SATA IDE folder (using single driver insert in nlite) - and went through xp install - now at point where it should load gui, it comes up with error message saying
"This is not a bootable disk. Please inset a bootable floppy and press any key to try again"
Argh...it refuses to cooperate! What could i try next?

If this happens after the first reboot while installation, you obviously have forgotten an inserted floppy disk and have set the floppy drive as first bootable device.
Suggestion:
Remove the inserted floppy disk from the floppy drive and set the CDROM drive as first bootable device within the mainboard BIOS.
After a reboot from your nLited CD the interrupted XP installation should continue.

This post has been edited by Fernando 1: 06 November 2007 - 03:31 AM

[kunstlerleben]

I have no floppy disk drive, and its nowhere to be seen on the boot order...:/

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 01:06 AM, said:

Hey - just did a slipstream adding only the SATA IDE folder (using single driver insert in nlite) - and went through xp install - now at point where it should load gui, it comes up with error message saying
"This is not a bootable disk. Please inset a bootable floppy and press any key to try again"

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 02:19 PM, said:

I have no floppy disk drive, and its nowhere to be seen on the boot order...:/

So the error message was misleading...
Maybe you have inserted a (wrong) not bootable CD.

Please explain what happened. You wrote, that the error message came at the point where it should load GUI. That means, that you could boot off the nLited CD and copy the files during the TEXTMODE part of the installation.
Questions:
1. Did Windows Setup detect your hdd's?
2. Where you able to decide where (which partition) you want to get XP installed?
3. Did you get the error message exactly during the first reboot or earlier/later?
4. Did you hit F6 while rebooting?

[kunstlerleben]

Yes, i did boot off the nlited CD and files were copied during textmode part of installation.
1. yes
2. yes
3. This is JUST after the first restart. You know after its copied over the files, then it says "Windows install will now restart pc in 15 secs or press enter" something like that - it restarts, i see my bios screen, then it goes black and the error message comes up. I usually take out the cd while the bios screen is showing, cos for some reason it boots automatically (ie. doesnt give option to press any key to boot from cd). If i leave cd in there, itll justy goto setup part 1 again.
4. No, didnt hit F6, at any point really. It never gives me option during reboot?

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 03:01 PM, said:

Yes, i did boot off the nlited CD and files were copied during textmode part of installation.
1. yes
2. yes
3. This is JUST after the first restart. You know after its copied over the files, then it says "Windows install will now restart pc in 15 secs or press enter" something like that - it restarts, i see my bios screen, then it goes black and the error message comes up. I usually take out the cd while the bios screen is showing, cos for some reason it boots automatically (ie. doesnt give option to press any key to boot from cd). If i leave cd in there, itll justy goto setup part 1 again.
4. No, didnt hit F6, at any point really. It never gives me option during reboot?

Thanksfor your reply.

Is it possible, that you reinserted the wrong CD while rebooting?
Please insert the correct nLited CD again, restart the computer and look what happens.

[kunstlerleben]

Oh no, i dont think so....basically all i did was take out the cd ater the pc restarted once..im assuming you dont need the cd from that point onwards right? So theres no exchange of cd's or anything...i just take out what i installed with.

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 03:12 PM, said:

Oh no, i dont think so....basically all i did was take out the cd ater the pc restarted once..im assuming you dont need the cd from that point onwards right? So theres no exchange of cd's or anything...i just take out what i installed with.

That was the mistake - the CD is still needed by Windows XP Setup during the GUI part of the installation.

[kunstlerleben]

Oh right - should i make another boot cd then? you see the problem with this cd is that it doesnt give me option of "press any key to boot from cd" - it boots itself automatically, without me pressing anything, and it goes straight to the initial windows setup menu

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 03:31 PM, said:

Oh right - should i make another boot cd then? you see the problem with this cd is that it doesnt give me option of "press any key to boot from cd" - it boots itself automatically, without me pressing anything, and it goes straight to the initial windows setup menu

Before you do anything else, try to boot off the already used CD again and let it inserted until the XP installation has been finished.

[kunstlerleben]

The problem is, it boots off the cd automatically and beyond my control takes me to the beginning winxp setup screen, it asks me which partition id like to install on, again.

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 03:47 PM, said:

The problem is, it boots off the cd automatically and beyond my control takes me to the beginning winxp setup screen, it asks me which partition id like to install on, again.

May be you have to start the installation from scratch, because it was unexpectedly interrupted by removing the OS CD.
Nevertheless you shoould have a look into the BOOT ORDER settings within your BIOS.
First bootable device should be CDROM and second bootable device should be the hdd with the MBR.

[kunstlerleben]

Done that...when i leave the disc in, it just takes me to the setup part 1 straight away after the first restart boot order is already like that.

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 04:27 PM, said:

Done that...when i leave the disc in, it just takes me to the setup part 1 straight away after the first restart boot order is already like that.

That's really weird!
Your CD is bootable, otherwise you would never get the Windows Setup screen.
Is it possible, that any key of your keyboard is blocked or something laying on it? That might be an explanation why you don't see the message "Hit any key to boot off CD" and it's just booting off CD.
If you have a second keyboard, replace your current one and start again booting off CD.

[kunstlerleben]

Unfortunately, i know my keyboards alrite as i have another copy of winxp pro (without any slipstream drivers, tried it and it dont work) where it does ask me to press any key to boot from it. it seems as if the way i made the boot here, it just goes straight away...this is such a saga lol

[Fernando 1]

kunstlerleben, on Nov 6 2007, 04:50 PM, said:

Unfortunately, i know my keyboards alrite as i have another copy of winxp pro (without any slipstream drivers, tried it and it dont work) where it does ask me to press any key to boot from it. it seems as if the way i made the boot here, it just goes straight away...this is such a saga lol

You should be able to get Windows XP SP2 installed without slipstreaming any drivers. Windows Setup is not able to use the slipstreamed nForce SATA_IDE drivers during the TEXTMODE part of the installation.

You may nevertheless create a new bootable CD by burning the nLited ISO file again (with reduced speed).
Another option: Try to boot off your original XP SP2 CD and look what happens.