Error Installing Windows

I am reinstalling windows XP Pro on my Dell laptop. Also I dont have the original dell disks that came with the computer, but a Windows CD and a boot disk the i downloaded from microsoft.

I decided to reformat my computer and start fresh, as I have done before, I cleared the partitions and did everything normal and right, and it seemed to all be going ok. Then it goes to finish setup and I get this error.

E:\WINDOWS\system32\presetup.cmd - FILE NOT FOUND!
E:\WINDOWS\system32\setupORG.exe - FILE NOT FOUND!
(setupORG.exe ->Original windows Setup.exe)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
POSSIBLE CAUSE:
1."Preset.cmd" not exist in the i386 folder in UXPCD
"setupORG.exe" not exist in the i386 folder in UXPCD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. Check your "txtsetup.sif" in the i386 folder on UXPCD
---Txtsetup.sif---------------------------
[SourceDiskFiles]
setupORG.exe=1,,,,,,,,2,0,0 ; must exist
prestup.cmd =1,,,,,,,,2,0,0 ; must exist
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SETUP ABORT


I have tried to boot from the install or recovery disk, but no matter what I do, I always end up back at this spot, I cant get the option to reinstall windows or anything. I also cant find any way to get a command prompt to maybe manually get things fixed in there. Any help on how I can get my computer would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!!

Sarah

Edited by sallygirl, 17 February 2007 - 12:23 AM.

Actually, I had that same error popping up about 30 minutes ago. The problem is the cd drive itself. As for me, i was using a dvd-rom drive that was on an old computer. Well I placed a newer drive in there and everything went smooth. Sorry to hear you are on a laptop, because that will make it harder for you to try a different drive....maybe if you have a 1-2GB Flash drive, you could install from that...but with my expirience it was the drive. The only thing other than that i could recommend is to do a full format on the drive (not quick). But even that seems a bit futile.

I will have to go out and buy a flash drive, its worth a try. Do I put the boot up disk i dl'd on there? In the meantime how do I do a full format on the drive? When I turn on the computer I have the option of going into setup or a one time boot menu and booting from the internal HD, a cd, Cardbus NIC, Onboard NIC or Diagnostics. Thanks!

What you will have to do is once you get the flash drive, place all the windows XP Cd files onto the flash drive. Then you will reboot your computer and enter the BIOS Setup (usually by pressing Delete key, F1 or F2 (Sometimes F10)). This will bring you to your CMOS BIOS. In the menus you will find BOOT SEQUENCE. Set the first boot device to USB-HDD. Some BIOSes have this feature. Upon saving your changes, once it reboot, you will be asked if you want to boot from CD (even though its a flash drive). Press any key and this will take you into the Windows Setup. From there you can delete any partition on the drive and once you select the drive to install to, it will ask you to format the drive. Select "Format using NTFS file system". This will format the drive, then copy the install files.

Could I set it up and use an external hard drive? Would I have to clear everything on that drive first?

You could yes.

It seems the problem may have been with the disk all along instead of the computer itself. When trying to copy the disk to the HD it couldnt copy a certain file, saying it was missing or corrupt. So I think I may have found my problem. My next step I guess is, buying a new copy of windows, or just take it to a computer repair shop and have them install it on the computer since it has the sticker. Thanks for helping though, I really appreciate it!