Cant Read Boot Disc

^I dont understand what you mean...

Im just posting the error it gave me...

Sorry to bump, but...*bump*...

The problem is your trying to install windows in the third partition. Windows doesn't like to be installed past a certain boundary on the hard drive. Install it on the first partition, or better yet, install from an SP2 slipstreamed disk (instructions here)
Note that you still won't be able to install to the third partition with an SP2 disk, but you won't have to partition the hard disk either.

Okay that worked but now when it gets to the other part of installing Windows it says that theres a Data Error, says F:\i386\asms is missing...

Ive tried two different XP discs...

So Raven Michaels, are you running XP, SP2? Why 3 partitions? Install XP on the 1st partition. Try booting on a Windows 98 boot floppy and type FDISK and view your existing partitions, and make sure they are active. You are making things a lot more complicated than they have to be!

Im running SP1...

Raven Michaels said:

Im running SP1...

Click to expand...

Upgrade to SP2 as soon as you can... SP2 is safe now for all systems running XP. Of course, you can't right now because you have no operating system being recognised...

Why 3 partitions?????

Cause SP1 or whatever only can work with Hard Drives under 137 gb and mines 300...

Boot disk

Raven Michaels said:

^I dont understand what you mean...

Im just posting the error it gave me...

Click to expand...

You named it,"Can't read "boot disc"
describe it.(boot disc) is what i meant.
Re posting the error,
What exactly are your problem(s) you want corrected ?==================
But this doesn't seem to be XP or you wouldn't have a HD size error.
Partitions aren't in any order like 1 2 3.It's C D E.
Mine are called Local disk (C Movies (D) and Music (E)
Windows should automaticly have been C: What is it ?
Anyway the drive letters can be changed with XP and possibly other OS.
What drive letter is Windows now ?
You have never stated this is XP ! Just SP1.
Right click My Computer/Propertys.Does it say SP1 ? and What else ?
==========================

Raven Michaels said:

Cause SP1 or whatever only can work with Hard Drives under 137 gb and mines 300...

Click to expand...

So update to SP2. Just run Windows (Microsoft) updates and it will be done automatically. There is no reason now, to be afraid of XP, SP2

zipperman said:

You named it,"Can't read "boot disc"
describe it.(boot disc) is what i meant.
Re posting the error,
What exactly are your problem(s) you want corrected ?==================
But this doesn't seem to be XP or you wouldn't have a HD size error.
Partitions aren't in any order like 1 2 3.It's C D E.
Mine are called Local disk (C Movies (D) and Music (E)
Windows should automaticly have been C: What is it ?
Anyway the drive letters can be changed with XP and possibly other OS.
What drive letter is Windows now ?
You have never stated this is XP ! Just SP1.
Right click My Computer/Propertys.Does it say SP1 ? and What else ?
==========================

Click to expand...

Im past the problem I had up there...

And Im trying to install Windows on a Hard Drive that has nothing else on it, I cant upgrade to SP2 with the Microsoft Updates...

"...but now when it gets to the other part of installing Windows it says that theres a Data Error, says F:\i386\asms is missing..."

^Thats my prob now...

That might be a damaged Windows cd.Best i can add,if your following the
proper steps to install This unnamed OS.
All this upgrade and SP2 has nothing to do with installing.
You add these after.

""...but now when it gets to the other part of installing Windows it says that theres a Data Error, says F:\i386\asms is missing..."

The directory i386 should always be on the boot drive. This boot drive should be C, not F... delete the hard drive partition and start over. Let the Windows install CD do this. Just select "Install a fresh copy of XP". The install disc will partition (NTFS) and format, then it will begin the XP install, hopefully on the C drive

Why can't you update to SP2? Can't validate your copy of XP?

F is the disc drive. Isnt it suppose to be getting the files from the disc?

And I cant update to SP2 cause I have to actually have Windows on the computer to be able to go the update thing, and I dont, thats what Im trying to fix...

Ok, I'm sorry to have to say this, but there are way too many people in this thread right now who don't know what the hell they are talking about and/or are posting answers BEFORE reading the original post.

The drive letter that the OS is installed on is irrelevant. The partition order (1, 2, 3...) IS.
\i386 is a directory on the WinXP install disk, NOT the system drive.

Now, to get to the problem at hand...

Sounds like you have a damaged install CD. Try cleaning both disks, and see if you can copy files from the CD to a folder on the hard drive (on an already running system, of course.) If your system stops at a bad file, try the other install CD and pull the files you're missing. But make sure that ALL the files get to the folder.

If you can successfully copy all the files to a folder this way, then you can burn a new install disk and try your install again.

Remember that you still need to install on the first partition, and if you install with a slipstreamed SP2 disk you can have larger partitions if you so desire.

EDIT - Nevermind got it...

I've never seen this type of error from a XP install disc. The disc has to be damaged or there's a serious hardware fault or failure in this computer.

And gavilan,
don't be so quick to judge posts from others. You do not know it all!

Raven Michaels said:

Okay, on both CDs something in the i386/asms folder is messed up and wont copy...

Click to expand...

I am getting the impression that it's not the CD Drive or the discs... Set the computers bios to failsafe defaults and remove any unnecessary hardware like USB cards, modems, sound cards and AGP video cards if you have a PCI based video card or on-board video to set up

Its fixed now...

Is there anyway to combine the partitions after Windows is installed and upgraded...

What was the fix? You can use a program like Partition Magic to combine the partitions after Windows is installed

Sp1

Raven Michaels said:

Im running SP1...

Click to expand...

First you have to install XP before it runs.
What do you mean by that.?
What type of hard drive is it ? Is it a sata ?
Please answer my questions.Why are you ignoreing them ?