FAQ for How to Create Windows XP Setup CD for a Windows-Preloaded System
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ for How to Create Windows XP Setup CD for a Windows-Preloaded System
This page lists answers to frequently asked questions about the guide How to Create a Bootable Windows XP Setup CD/DVD on a Preinstalled Windows System, which allows you to create a Windows XP setup CD from a computer system that has Windows factory-installed. If you arrived here looking for the guide itself, please read the article instead.
Can I create a Windows XP Setup CD that doesn't require me to re-activate Windows after installing?
It all depends on flavour of XP that you have currently installed. To avoid re-activation, your existing Windows system must have the following files:
- c:\windows\system32\oembios.bin
- c:\windows\system32\oembios.dat
- c:\windows\system32\oembios.sig
- c:\windows\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\oembios.cat
Copy the files into the c:\XPSETUP\i386 (if you're following my folder naming system from the article), and carry on making the ISO as per normal. If all goes well, after you install, you won't have to re-activate Windows. But note: you will still need the Windows licence key, or you won't even get past the installer.
Before you ask, these files tie a particular Windows XP setup disk to a specific machine. That means that your setup disk can only be used successfully for the machine you created it from. The files are the reason why when you buy a computer with Windows preinstalled from a computer vendor, you don't have to activate Windows.
When I tried to Install Using the Windows XP Setup CD, why does it keep telling me to put the Setup CD into Drive A:?
This error occurs when the installer cannot find the appropriate WIN51* files mentioned in the article. Go back to the article and carefully follow the instructions to create all the necessary WIN51 files.
Why is the ISO for my Setup Disk larger than the size of a CD? How do I shrink it down to size?
The manufacturer of your computer probably placed additional files into the i386 folder. These may be the drivers for your computer, and may also include some additional applications (which you may have been trying to get rid of in the first place). Since I don't have access to a computer with such a modified i386 folder, I cannot give you the steps for eliminating any excess garbage the ISO may have acquired.
Does the process work for Windows XP Media Center Edition?
Not as far as I know. If you happen to have XP Media Center Edition preinstalled, and manage to create an XP setup disk for it, please let me know how it's done.
My computer doesn't have a c:\i386 folder. Can I use the one found in c:\windows\i386?
As stated in my article, no.
Why do I get the error "Cannot find file c:\w2ksect.bin"?
Return to the article and follow ALL the steps meticulously. You missed one step - the one where c:\w2ksect.bin was created. As you read the article, look out for the word "w2ksect.bin".
Why do I get an error saying that NTLDR cannot be found?
If you get an error telling you that NTLDR is missing, your CD was not made correctly. Make sure that you have followed all the steps of the process correctly, from including all the correct files to meticulously following the ImgBurn procedure. If you're not sure where you might have gone wrong, start from the beginning again. Make sure you do not skip any step.
Why do I get the error "'C:\XPSP2' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file"?
See the sentence 'For the purpose of this tutorial, I will assume you saved it as C:\XPSP2.EXE, that is, in the root folder with the filename "XPSP2.EXE"' in the article.
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