Scenario: Dell GX240 SFF; P4 1.8Mhz 1024RAM Maxtor 120GB HD

Machine purchased @ DellAction.com w/40GB HD, 512RAM and NO OS.

When received, first thing I did when machine arrived was change HD and add stick of RAM.

Next step: hook up to monitor, keyboard and mouse and attempt to install brand new XP Pro OS. (Placed XP OS Disc in CD Drive)

Problem: Computer tries to boot from HD, which I've discovered still has a disabled XP Home OS on it. (when I bought it, I thought it had been formatted/erased & ready)

What I've done/tried: Hit F2 for SETUP, change Boot Sequence to select Boot w/CD.
Hit F12 for Boot Choice (Or whatever it says) and select #2, which is
Boot from CD (Choice #1 is Normal Boot)

What Happens: Message comes up: "Hit any key to boot from CD." I do, it goes black for 30 seconds, then a Message: "INF file txtsetup.SIF is corrupt or missing. STATUS 47872 Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.

And, that's as far as I can go without help.

Question: My present (OLD) machine has XP, which I upgrated to from Win98 almost a year ago. Is there a utility in XP that will create a bootup disc (floppy) which the GX240 will read to start the Format process of the new 120GB HD so that I can proceed with the installation of the new XP OS? Or, if that's not what I need to do next, then I'm trusting some kind dal guru to tell me how to proceed.

ART

Is the Maxtor 120 brand new? If so how can an old XP be on it? Or is that the old 40?

First off while installing XP I would remove all but the drive you are installing to.

If Maxtor is not brand new you can wipe it with MaxBlast:

http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/Ma...&downloadID=57

You can create the 6 floppy boot series here:

How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks

These will take you up to insert the CD.

With a new hard drive; the system set to boot from CD; and a valid XP CD I don't see why it won't boot

Window's setup errors usually occur due to hardware failure. That file is probably not missing or corrupt, but due to a bad memory chip, or a scratch on the CD...dust on the lens...setup is failing.

Jephree wrote:

Is the Maxtor 120 brand new? If so how can an old XP be on it? Or is that the old 40?

Sorry J. I failed to mention that the 120 was purchased used, but I did think it was clean, formatted and ready to accept a new install of an OS. That's why the disabled XP Home is still on it, and I think that's the main reason I can't simply boot to CD and install the new XP Pro OS that I put into the CD Drive. I'll try those links you gave me to get some boot floppies.

Art

Noon on Monday--Update:

Downloaded the six XP Pro Setup Discs you provided link for in your last post/reply.

Used "Setup" to change Boot Sequence to Floppy in GX240

Put in disk #1 of six, which started and completed Setup Install XP by asking for XP CD,

Inserted Win XP Pro CD, hit enter.

Installation began from XP Pro CD with msg about checking for other OS versions

Installation ended abrubtly with the following message:

"The following value in the .SIF file used by Setup is corrupted or missing:

Value O on the line in section [SourceDisksFiles] with key "SP2.cab." Setup cannot

continue. To quit Setup, press F3."

Now what do I do????

Art

What is your XP CD version? Is it just XP Pro or XP SP1 or SP2 Pro? Is it an Upgrade version? Or a full retail?

If you are planning to use the Windows XP setup disks,
make sure you downloaded the correct set of setup disks.


If your have a Windows XP CD with SP1 or SP2, you need to download
the setup disks for use with the Windows XP SP1 or SP2 installation CD.

j,

It says on the lable: Windows XP Professional 1-2CPU OEM Product. It was in original Microsoft shrinkwrap package with KeyCode sticker on the back.

These are the floppies that should work:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...7-4FED408EA73F

If you still have issues here I would run MaxBlast and wipe the hard drive first.

UPDATE-UPDATE 3/14 ll:55AM CST

I was mistaken; the 120GB HD I put in this GX240 is NOT a Maxtor..It's a Western Digital.

Therefore, MaxBlast isn't going to help me format the drive. So, how do I get the Disabled XP OS

off, so the "Boot with CD" command will work??? The setup XP discs all ran to conclusion, allowing

the re-petitioning of the drive, which should have erased the entire drive thus removing that old

version of XP. However, when the 'Insert XP Pro CD" command was obeyed, Installation began from

XP Pro CD with msg about checking for other OS versions but Installation ended abrubtly with the

following message:

"The following value in the .SIF file used by Setup is corrupted or missing:

Value O on the line in section [SourceDisksFiles] with key "SP2.cab." Setup cannot

continue. To quit Setup, press F3." So, I'm still at a dead end. I cannot install XP Pro without doing

something else! but WHAT????

I wish I could say I didn't have any problems at slipstreaming winxp, but I can't. This article is for those who encountered errors.

So, following an article I slipstreamed sp2 in a winxp kit located on hdd. Then I made a bootable cd, rebooted and run the setup. It loaded ok, but a moment later I received a "missing or corrupt file" error. The file was hpt3xx.sys (hpt3xx.sy_) which is automaticaly deleted from the winxp kit by the SP2 setup (using integrate or S: option). Then I tried to force the file into the kit, by copying it in the /integrated sp2 winxp kit. Made another cd and run the kit; this time it passed the error point but later on while installing I got:
----------
The following value in the .SIF file used by Setup is corrupted or missing:
Value 0 on the line in section [SourceDiskFiles] with key "SP2.cab"
Setup cannot continue. To quit Setup, press F3
----------
The kit worked perfectly from hdd but from cd it returned errors. My assumption is that my kit was faulty, the setup files being probably too old. While setup was copying setup files on hdd, it copied also an older txtsetup.sif than the one replaced by sp2.cab

My only advice for those experiencing this error, is to try on a different kit. My bootable slipstreamed cd works perfectly now.

Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks
http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=winxp


NOTE:


If you are planning to use the Windows XP setup disks,
make sure you downloaded the correct set of setup disks.


If your have a Windows XP CD with SP2, you need to download
the setup disks for use with the Windows XP SP2 installation CD.


HOW TO: Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;316941


Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Originally Posted by 1deciple

UPDATE-UPDATE 3/14 ll:55AM CST

I was mistaken; the 120GB HD I put in this GX240 is NOT a Maxtor..It's a Western Digital.

Therefore, MaxBlast isn't going to help me format the drive. So, how do I get the Disabled XP OS

off, so the "Boot with CD" command will work??? The setup XP discs all ran to conclusion, allowing

the re-petitioning of the drive, which should have erased the entire drive thus removing that old

version of XP. However, when the 'Insert XP Pro CD" command was obeyed, Installation began from

XP Pro CD with msg about checking for other OS versions but Installation ended abrubtly with the

following message:

"The following value in the .SIF file used by Setup is corrupted or missing:

Value O on the line in section [SourceDisksFiles] with key "SP2.cab." Setup cannot

continue. To quit Setup, press F3." So, I'm still at a dead end. I cannot install XP Pro without doing

something else! but WHAT????

You can get the Western Digital tools here:

http://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp?swid=1

I would question your XP CD. You say it keeps looking for other versions which raises the question if this is an upgrade CD. You mentioned it was OEM which makes its behavior even harder to trace. Then there is the question of why it will not boot.

Is your CD an SP2 CD? If not then did you download the SP2 floppies?

Again the floppies must correspond to your CD version.