BartPE/ISO problems on Dell Optiplex sx270, Can't install Windows XP Options

[Stressed]

I'm trying to fix up some Dell Optiplex sx270s. The machines don't support booting from a USB CD, and require a Dell proprietary CDDrive. However, they do boot from USB keys

I've managed to install and boot BartPE to a 1GB CF card, however, I think something went wrong when creating the ISO (about 230MB) there's no winnt32.exe or anything on the flash card so I can't install windows from that. I had a quick look around the forums and it doesn't seem to come up. No errors or warnings came up during the compile.

Also, I can mount a USB CDROM drive once the ISO copied to the RAMdisk, however, if I try to install windows from that I get the error "No valid system partitions were found". Even though I've formatting the whole drive as fat32, or splitting it into 3 partitions, with the primary one being NTFS.

Can someone help please?

[jaclaz]

I'm trying to fix up some Dell Optiplex sx270s. The machines don't support booting from a USB CD, and require a Dell proprietary CDDrive. However, they do boot from USB keys

I've managed to install and boot BartPE to a 1GB CF card, however, I think something went wrong when creating the ISO (about 230MB) there's no winnt32.exe or anything on the flash card so I can't install windows from that. I had a quick look around the forums and it doesn't seem to come up. No errors or warnings came up during the compile.

Also, I can mount a USB CDROM drive once the ISO copied to the RAMdisk, however, if I try to install windows from that I get the error "No valid system partitions were found". Even though I've formatting the whole drive as fat32, or splitting it into 3 partitions, with the primary one being NTFS.

Can someone help please?

What is the question?

Running a PE or Installing an XP from USB?

Check here:
http://www.msfn.org/board/install-windows-usb-f157.html

Most probably this is what you want to do/need:
http://www.msfn.org/board/install-xp-usb-a...sb-t121446.html

If you just want to install XP, any of these should do:
http://www.msfn.org/board/31-t120444.html
http://www.msfn.org/board/install-xp-usb-t111406.html

jaclaz

[Stressed]

I'll take a look at those links, cheers.

The problem I'm having is that I can't install XP - the BartPE booter has no setup files for XP, and trying to run an XP CD on a USBCD drive while booted with BartPE gives me an error saying it can't find a valid partition



edit

http://www.msfn.org/board/install-xp-usb-a...sb-t121446.html
Ok this link seems to have everything I need, however, I can't follow it at all, and seems to refer to steps that aren't even there.

I'm sick of this PC, I can't even to get network installs to work as the intel driver I need isn't in Bart's network booter

This post has been edited by Stressed: Oct 17 2009, 08:36 AM

[jaclaz]

Well, it's a complex thing to do and needs a complex series of steps to be taken.

They are all there, but it will take you some time to digest it.

jaclaz

[Stressed]

Well, it's a complex thing to do and needs a comlex series of steps to be taken.

They are all there, but it will take you some time to digest it.

jaclaz

It's OK. I found an old 2.5IDE-3.5IDE adaptor, so I'm in the middle of installing Windows using another PC. It's no wonder Dell get so much grief.

Thanks