Multiple failures in installing XP Please help!

I have been trying to install XP on my ssd for several days now. What
happens is that the initial setup (txt mode), drive formatting, files
copying to drive works, then when it does its 1st reboot for GUI mode,
Windows cannot find the copied installed files and instead of carrying
on with the setup, reboots in a loop for ever.

I first followed the How To guide in this forum. I tried several times,
and remade the USB key and all the install every time. It didn't work.
I then tried the method explained here:

http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/

It is very long-winded, not straightforward, but invented by an expert
and I had great hope in it. Didn't work.

Then I tried to fix it by modifying the bootloader before the reboot,
using a DOS command through UBCD4 on a USB key. I changed it from

[Boot Loader]
timeout=30
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

to:
[Boot Loader]
timeout=30
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

That did not change a thing.

I then decided to try it my own way by Installing through a DOS command,
I adapted the following:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307848/en-us

by using the DOS utility on MY UBCD4 usb stick, and a second usb stick
containing the contents of the Windows XP CD. The idea sounded good and it
went halfway through, then the laptop started beeping as if it was being
tortured. I did a hasty recovery install of Linpus to check I hadn't killed it
and it is now fine but don't try this at home!

All I'm saying is this: I have followed all instructions to the letter
without any success. At this point, I know that it is the ssd that fails
to pick up the setup files that have been put on it to carry on setup, and
I am far from convinced that spending 40 quid on a USB CD drive will solve
the issue.
I have already submitted this problem several times around this forum and
I can barely believe that after several days, and so many other of us
installing XP on their One, nobody else than me have encountered this issue,
and nobody can tell me what is wrong.
Linpus does not give me access to my networked folders and drives, doesn't
let me play DivX or Xvid, doesn't allow 3G, doesn't have an up to date Firefox
etc - I can go on for ever. And I don't want to go down the long road of learning
how to tweak Linux. I don't really want a heavy and fragile HDD with a large capacity
I won't make use of, so I'd rather stick to the ssd. I am a desperate One owner on the
verge of reseling his laptop. Please guys help me!

 

Do you have two disks listed in the bios setup? if so, disable one of them before carrying on with the install. After a successful insta just enable it again.

I Had the same prob with an eeepc that had one 8gb ssd disk and one 30gb ssd disk.

Anders E

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I took a look at the BIOs: there is an IDE0: which is the built in sdd drive, with a drive serial # and there is an IDE1: followed by a blank. I guess it's one of the SD cards slots, which is empty. I can disable it, but I guess it's because it's empty. So, no, it doesn't work.

I was thinking: I am using TinyXP with SP3 slipstreamed. Could it be the reason why it's not seting up? any thoughts?..

 

Possibly. I believe installing from USB key requires the manual installation files, which is not part of tiny xp unfortunately. Create your own nlited xp but keep the manual installation files.

 

My version of TinyXP does have the manual installation files: I retrieved the last session.ini from it to nLite it, slipstream SP3 and check the box 'keep manual installation files' - then I remade the .ISO. So that is not the problem...