Windows XP Upgrade CD does not prompt anything!!

buildingacomputer

Senior member
Oct 24, 2000
281
0
76
I read all the XP upgrade threads. Apparently, the upgrade CD prompts to insert original Win98/Me/2K CD. But mine doesn't. This is what I did.

delpart.exe (since I was using Win2K)
fdisk and created DOS partition
put in Win XP Upgrace CD
boot the computer
screen says "missing operating system"

I removed XP Upgrade CD and inserted original Win 98 CD, but the computer didn't do anything. Did I do anything wrong? By the way, I do not have floppy drive.

Thanks for your help.
 

Basie

Senior member
Feb 11, 2001
634
0
71
Did you delete the Win2k partition because you had a dual boot with win98? Is Win98 still installed? If not
that might be the problem? WinXP looks for the Win98 install AND THEN asks for the original 98 CD. I
maybe wrong but I think that's the way it works. Did you use the WinXP CD to fdisk and delete Win2K
since you don't have a floppy drive?
 

buildingacomputer

Senior member
Oct 24, 2000
281
0
76
I just wanted a clean install. That's why I did delpart.exe. I did not use dual boot.

I used a bootable CD with just format.com, delpart.exe, command.com, and fdisk.com, in order to wipe out the hard disk.

Must I install either Win 98 or Win 2K before putting the XP Upgrade CD? Is there a better way? I don't want to waste good 30 minutes for Win 98 installation only to replace it with XP. But if I must, please let me know. Thanks.
 

johnjkr1

Platinum Member
Jan 10, 2003
2,124
0
0
If you aren't already, you need to boot directly to the XP disc. Not the boot cd you are using. You should make sure that the cd is the first option in the boot order.
 

buildingacomputer

Senior member
Oct 24, 2000
281
0
76
That's what I did. After FDISKing the hard disk, I booted to XP Upgrace CD after making CD as the first boot device in BIOS. The screen reads MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM. That's it. I removed XP Upgrace CD and inserted Win 98 original CD, but nothing happened. Thank you for your help in advance.
 

tyanni

Senior member
Sep 11, 2001
608
0
76
You are not booting to the CD if Missing Operating System comes up. This is not the message you would get if the CD was correctly booting. Make sure you can boot to that CD in a diff. pc, and check the bios settings again.
 

MrChad

Lifer
Aug 22, 2001
13,507
3
81
If you are booting from a CD, you should get a prompt saying "Press any key to boot from CD..." Press a key and Windows Setup should start up.
 

buildingacomputer

Senior member
Oct 24, 2000
281
0
76
Yes, I am booting from the CD. And the screen says "Booting from CD" and "Press any key....." I did set CD as the first booting device in BIOS. Strange, isn't it? Do I have a damaged (altered) upgrade CD?