Sunday 14 December 2008

Installing XP on Old PC!

Since you have another computer and can plug that HDD to it, here is the proper way to do it:

1. Remove the HDD from the old PC, plug it to your other PC and make a partition (e.g. D:\) for the new XP.

2. Put in the XP CD and run the winnt32.exe in the I386 folder with following switches:/tempdrive/syspart/makelocalsource/norebootStart -> Run -> ...\i386\winnt32.exe /tempdrive:d /syspart:d /makelocalsource /noreboot

3. VERY IMPORTANT step if you want the drive letter to appear as C:\ on the old PC:Go to D:\$WIN_NT.~BT\ and delete the MIGRATE.INF file.If you skip this step, your Windows partition will stay as D:\ or whatever drive letter appeared on the other PC.

4. Unplug the HDD, plug it back to the old PC, boot up, and continue the rest of the installation.

Quote:
/makelocalsourceInstructs Setup to copy all installation source files to your local hard disk.

Use /makelocalsource when installing from a CD to provide installation files when the CD is not available later in the installation.

/norebootInstructs Setup not to restart the computer after the file-copy stage of Setup finishes, so that you can execute another command.

/syspartOn an x86-based computer, this parameter specifies that you can copy Setup startup files to a hard disk, mark the disk as active, and then install the disk onto another computer.

When you start the computer onto which you have installed the disk, it automatically starts with the next phase of Setup.

You must always use the /tempdrive parameter with the /syspart parameter.

You can start Winnt32.exe with the /syspart option on an x86-based computer running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Professional. The computer cannot be running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition.

/tempdriveDirects Setup to place temporary files on the specified partition.

For a new installation, Windows is installed on the specified partition.

For an upgrade, the /tempdrive option affects the placement of temporary files only; the operating system is upgraded in the partition from which you run Winnt32.exe.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc782342.aspx