XP Install: install can't carry on after 1st reboot - Help!

I managed to make a bootable USB key with an install of XP on it but
Setup copies the files, then reboots the drive - i make sure it boots again from the USB stick and select GUI setup, but it doesn't go anywhere in the install, I catch a glimpse of the light blue installation sreen saying 'setup is being restarted', then it looks like a windows start, then I get the error message: 'a write operation was attempted to a volume after it was dismounted. I have only one partition that the Windows install USB stick formatted in FAT32. I am so close to getting XP installed after a week of trying, this is very frustrating: can you help here somebody?

 

I'm not sure, but I think you should boot from hd after the filecopy?
But I've only made install from cd-drive, and that's the way to go then, first boot from cd and filecopy, next reboot from hd.

 

Well, according to the Guide provided in the How To section that I followed to the letter , it has to be restarted from the USB key then install should be through GUI rather than the txt based. I have tried what you suggest anyway and it doesn't do anything... Someone must have had this kind of problem, come on guys...

 

simbeb did you solve this problem? I'm experiencing the same thing.

I have tried (many times) to reinstall win xp on my Aspire One using a flash drive. I have also tried (many times) to reinstall xp using a cd drive. Either way, the reinstall hangs after the 1st reboot. I followed the instructions at WindowsReinstall.com:

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppr ... llpage.htm

Each time after Setup completes the first phase and re-boots the machines, the window logon appears and then the machine locks up. The installation doesn't continue (although the logon screen remains) and the machine will only turn off by holding down the on/off switch to a count of 8 or 9.

(Along the way, in the beginning, in the middile, and now, I've tried to invoke the Acer Recovery Console by pressing alt-F10 but didn't do anything at all.)

Is there a solution to this problem?

 

This is the exact same problem I am having. The windows screen just keeps going with the bars moving from left to right. I have since tried to install and/or use a live boot linux distro (ubuntu and xubuntu) and it just shuts down at the start of the loading screen there.

Has anyone been able to fix this? I have a few days left before I can't send it back... so if anyone knows how to fix it that would be awesome.

Nate

 

I don't know if we are having the same problem, but on my side, I solved it a long time ago: you need to boot 3 times, each time with the USB stick in:
1st time in text mode
2nd time in text mode again
3rd time in GUI mode

The 4th time it boots is a normal bbot into your newly installed XP. On the web guide I was using, I think it forgot to mention that the 2nd boot was again a text mode one, and that's why I was not getting anywhere...

Hope that helps...

 

I don't think I tried booting twice in text before going to GUI, although I tried just about everything else multiple times. (The "official" directions say text then GUI). Unfortunately it's too late for me to try that technique myself. Last week Acer agreed to take back the unit and see if they could fix it or replace it. It's at their shop in Temple, Texas and I'm (anxiously) waiting for its return.

In the meantime I'm wondering if this tip helped NateWagner?

 

I got the same and managed to circumvent it.

I have an XP SP2 with SP3 slipstreamed with nLite. Also, I slipstreamed all of the hotfixes that "Windows Updates Downloader" helped me to collect from MS.

The problem is within one of these hotfixes. As soon as I created a new setup from scratch (XPSP2 -> SP3, *no hotfixes*, slipstreamed all drivers from Acer, added tweaks, removed components / other drivers, etc) it worked.

So the thing to remeber is to not let nLite slipstream the hotfixes. Now I am currentlý re-installing and this time some of the hotfixes are included. So far so good, the setup is runninge nicely.

 

To install XP with a flash drive I use "WinSetupFromUSB". Worked great for me. Copies all the XP files to the flashdrive and even helps fix the "won't continue install after the first reboot" thing:

http://myeeeguides.wordpress.com/2008/1 ... ash-drive/

You need to reboot 3 times. The boot menu that WinSetupFromUSB installs on the flashdrive guides you. It's all explained in the link.


Hope that helps.