install win xp directly

[deepak_vsoni]

i tried to instal windows xp without installing win 98 through dos prompt it asks me to enable smartdrive to fasten the process but i dont know how to enable smartdrive and what is this smartdrive?

[softcd]

I would rather answer How to enable Smartdrive.

In your Windows 98 cd you can find an .exe named "smartdrv.exe". Copy this to the hard disk. Execute this file before starting your installation of Windows Xp.

For e.g. : E:\smartdrv [Enter]

If you execute this twice, you will see a confimation table.

After this start installation of Xp as usual.

( I would appreciate if you post in QnA section next time )

[swatkat]

do this, to install XP (without win98) in DOS prompt:-

1]Boot from a DOS Floppy disk.
2]Go to the folder i386 in the WinXP Setup.
3]type winnt and press Enter.

this should start the installation.....

[hafees]

what is this smartdrive?

In DOS mode there is no DMA. so the writing/reading is not fast.smartdrive does some optimization in hdd reading or writing. it z kind of buffering. instead of writing into the disk, it is written into the buffer (RAM). so it speeds up things. hope u understand.

how to enable smartdrive

just copy the file from Win98 /win me installation disk. File name is smartdrv.exe . and just run it.

then go to i386 folder. then type winnt to start the installation.

[hafees]

An advice:
the next time u make a XP cd, make sure that it is bootable (not by the one which nero offers - that DR DOS shows some errors when installing XP from it. Make a bootable CD by using a Win98/Me startup disk) and the smartdrv.exe is included in it. preferably on a utilities folder.

I recommend these softwares on a Boot CD.

Win XP
Norton Disk Doctor (DOS)
PQmagic for DOS
then the regular utils like

ACD See, WinZip or power archiver, Messengers etc.

[parthbarot]

use simple bootable CD of XP..it includes what is needed to install XP on blank drive ok?

i always use that..

i prefer...make "ghost" (by CDGhost)of Windows folder when u installs XP....bcs its very small upto 900mb i thnk..so ghost can be made & keep it in CD....

so when u wnat to re-install,then format ur system drive & extract that ghost file...it will take less time than XP's install time ok?

what u like...

regards...

[Gaurav]

Hav'nt you guys heard of easyboot("ezbsystems.com") you can make multiOS bootable CD with this powerful software, download size is not more than 3 MB. so just check it out. It solves all your problem of bootable CDs. The software is worth buying you will not regrett your purchase.