Can Windows XP be installed without a previous version of Windows installed?

[GarbMan]

I have tried from a DOS prompt and it is a no go. It says it must be installed in Windows. Who wants to install another version of Windows, just to get XP? What a pain!

 

[bsobel]

Boot from the CD.
Bill

 

[SPB]

LOL. Sorry. IT would appear that the version of XP that you have is designed for upgrading a current install of windows, be it 95,98,me, etc.. There is now way to do it withought at least having another version of windows on cd. That is to say that I have heard that you can fool the install into thinking that you have windows installed. When the upgrade finds no os on the hard drive it will ask you if there is another location that it should look, at that point you insert the -windows98- disc and tell it to look there. Never tried it myself but have heard that it works. Best bet, go and get a full version of the OS. Upgrades are never a good idea, if something happens and you need to reinstall you have to install the original and then the upgrade wich extends the time that it takes to complete the reinstall. GL

 

[ivwshane]

Upgrading to XP without any OS is possible and I have done it before (pretty much as described above). I'm not quite sure why you are trying to install windows from a DOS prompt but you need to set your bios to boot from cd first, insert winXP cd and reboot.

 

[Slogun]

Upgrade OS disks have all the files contained on full install disks. The difference is the upgrade disks are programmed to ask you to prove you are a prior Microsoft OS owner by asking to look at an eligible OS disk.

You can do a clean install with any version of any mocrosoft operating system disk.


Yes guy, boot from the CD after enabling the boot from CD drive option in the bios.

 

[Alex]

what i did was format my hd, boot from a windows ME disk and then, using the XP cd, go into a i386 or something directory (hard to miss) and then theres a setup in there thats for DOS

 

[Slogun]

Yes I386 is the folder on the Windows XP disk that contains the cab files (installation files).
I copied that folder onto my D drive so that if I am ever installing a program that would need files from the WindowsXP CD, i can just point it there for the files it needs instead of finding and inserting the WinXP CD.

 

[GarbMan]

Thanks! I will check into all these things. I have seen where there is a Windows® XP Professional Utility Setup Disk at Microsoft's web site. I wonder if there is a way using it?

 

[chickendinner]

driver.cab funny, i think so

 

[rbV5]

from DOS: x:\i386\winnt.exe, boot with DOS floppy, don't forget to copy smartdrv.exe to the floppy, type smartdrv at the prompt and start the install with "winnt".

 

[GarbMan]

It will be the weekend before I get a chance to try these things. Thanks again!

 

[JW310]

<< from DOS: x:\i386\winnt.exe, boot with DOS floppy, don't forget to copy smartdrv.exe to the floppy, type smartdrv at the prompt and start the install with "winnt". >>


That's the way I've done it, and the way to do it, in my opinion. Don't forget the part about smartdrv.exe, though, otherwise the install will seem to take forever.

JW

 

[GarbMan]

I'm really new at this. Can someone tell me where the smartdrv file is?

 

[acidvoodoo]

is this possible if u used an XP recovery cd? because i'm getting a new system soon that will come with XP, and i'd like this older system to evolve from 95 (shudder), but being a recovery cd it might not work first off, could i just burn myself a copy but edit parts of it or what?

 

[GarbMan]

I could not get it to boot to the CD, even though I change it in my bios setup. The I386 is working great and is stalling now. You guys are great! Thanks for taking the time to help me! God bless you all!

 

[RMajere]

when installing from dos you DO NOT want to run setup. that is the windows based setup. you want to go into the i386 directory and type winnt. That will install the OS.

 

[Max Power]

I was wondering if this(clean install from upgrade xp cd) was possible also. I will probably go this route, saves $100.

 

[corkyg]

Absolutely, yes! As long as you have a qualifying Windows CD on hand that the XP installer can "sniff." Been there . . . done that! Just had to show my XP Pro upgrade my original Win98 CD when the time came . . . use the browse function to find it.

 

[jamnjk]

I've found that when the installer asks for your 'upgrade' cd that if I just point the browser back to the same install cd (XP in this case) that it will continue with installation.
This has worked many time for me w/ MS products (in fact can't think of a time when it hasn't).