XP didn't ask for qualifying OS

[jadinolf]

I've hesitated to post this but I need to see if anyone else has ever experienced it.

Last Sunday, I finished what I now call The New Build from Hell.

I installed a retail upgrade copy of XP on my new computer and XP never asked for a qualifying OS. Now, I have installed this OS using this disk many times and I always had to put a Win 95 or Win 98 CD in the drive to show that I qualified for the upgrade.

I was so flabbergasted by this that a tried several installs and never did it ask for an older OS CD.

Anyone here ever experience this? I sure hope so.

edit: It activated with no problems.

 

[pcgeek11]

I've never seen an Upgrade disk not ask for a qualifying OS CD, unless the OS was already installed on the drive. In that case it wouldn't need to see the qualifying CD. Were these bare hard drive installs? It sounds like it wasn't and the qualifying OS was already there on the hard drive.

pcgeek11

 

[Stumps]

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
I've never seen an Upgrade disk not ask for a qualifying OS CD, unless the OS was already installed on the drive. In that case it wouldn't need to see the qualifying CD. Were these bare hard drive installs? It sounds like it wasn't and the qualifying OS was already there on the hard drive.

pcgeek11

I can recall using a few customers Retail Upgrade versions when fixing their PC's and not being asked to insert an earlier windows to complete the install.

I also remember having own a few Win98 and ME retail Upgrades that didn't require another Windows disk.

pretty strange...but hey if it works who cares.

 

[bsobel]

It will search the HD for certain files to pass upgrade, did you not wipe the drive?

 

[jadinolf]

Well, this is why I hesitated to even ask.

This disk was used many times to reformat and install XP on one of my computers which I scrapped out. It always asked for an earlier OS. This time (several attempts) it did not.

Yes, a quick format was done before install.

Oh well, another mystery of life.

Thanks, all.

 

[phile]

Quick format merely modifies the file allocation table, without destroying any of the data. Perhaps, the Windows installer is able to find certain qualifying files even after a quick format. You could experiement by doing a normal format, next time around.

-phil

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: phile
Quick format merely modifies the file allocation table, without destroying any of the data. Perhaps, the Windows installer is able to find certain qualifying files even after a quick format. You could experiement by doing a normal format, next time around.

-phil

Sounds like a good idea and I thank you.

It is possible that I had never done a quick format before. Just don't remember.

 

[Nothinman]

Quick format merely modifies the file allocation table, without destroying any of the data. Perhaps, the Windows installer is able to find certain qualifying files even after a quick format. You could experiement by doing a normal format, next time around.

No, that would require Windows to do some filesystem forensics work in their upgrade path and that's not going to happen. And the only difference between a full an quick format in MS terms is a badblock check, if you're sure the disk is fine there's no reason to do a full format.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Quick format merely modifies the file allocation table, without destroying any of the data. Perhaps, the Windows installer is able to find certain qualifying files even after a quick format. You could experiement by doing a normal format, next time around.

No, that would require Windows to do some filesystem forensics work in their upgrade path and that's not going to happen. And the only difference between a full an quick format in MS terms is a badblock check, if you're sure the disk is fine there's no reason to do a full format.

Well, that ends that theory.

That's why I call it the new build from hell.

 

[Nothinman]

That's why I call it the new build from hell.

Ah, and here I thought you named it that just because you had to use XP...

 

[cubby1223]

If XP sees a previous installation of Windows on the hard drive, even if you do a format and install of XP, it knows to skip the upgrade check.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

That's why I call it the new build from hell.

Ah, and here I thought you named it that just because you had to use XP...

:laugh:

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: cubby1223
If XP sees a previous installation of Windows on the hard drive, even if you do a format and install of XP, it knows to skip the upgrade check.

Yes, but how did it see it and why has it never happened before?

 

[Nothinman]

I think he means if the previous OS is there when you boot the disk but format the partition as part of the installation process.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
I think he means if the previous OS is there when you boot the disk but format the partition as part of the installation process.

I see.

 

[pcgeek11]

Like I said in the first post..

pcgeek11

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
Like I said in the first post..

pcgeek11

Well, pcgeek11, I just realized that this was a two HDD system. I only formatted the master drive.

Could that explain what happened?

 

[vo]

Is the slave drive data only ?
I've seen people using the old drive (with system files in there) as a slave drive when add a new drive

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: vo
Is the slave drive data only ?
I've seen people using the old drive (with system files in there) as a slave drive when add a new drive

Thanks for asking. Both drives were out of a computer that I had scrapped out to build this one and the slave drive had a mbr from that computer. That drive had programs from the previous computer. After XP was installed, the drive was wiped.

Could that be the reason that it didn't ask for a qualifying OS?

We'll solve this problem yet.

 

[supaidaaman]

i just reformated my first computer build with my winxp upgrade cd. The first time i installed it it asked for another disk (i put in win 98)....but this time around after a HD wipe it never asked for me to put in a previous disk!

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: supaidaaman
i just reformated my first computer build with my winxp upgrade cd. The first time i installed it it asked for another disk (i put in win 98)....but this time around after a HD wipe it never asked for me to put in a previous disk!

Interesting. Thanks for the information.:thumbsup:

 

[pcgeek11]

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
Like I said in the first post..

pcgeek11

Well, pcgeek11, I just realized that this was a two HDD system. I only formatted the master drive.

Could that explain what happened?

If you have a hard drive in the PC and it has the required system files it will not ask for the qualifying OS CD. Regardless of what drive has them.

As for some who said they wiped the drive and then rebooted and the upgrade didn't ask for verification I gotta call BS on that. If you boot from the Upgrade disk and wipe the drive from there and continue with the install it probably will not ask for verification.

Clean drive + Upgrade disk = asks for verification CD.

Drive with system file + Upgrade disk = No request for verification CD.

pcgeek11

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: pcgeek11

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
Like I said in the first post..

pcgeek11

Well, pcgeek11, I just realized that this was a two HDD system. I only formatted the master drive.

Could that explain what happened?

If you have a hard drive in the PC and it has the required system files it will not ask for the qualifying OS CD. Regardless of what drive has them.

As for some who said they wiped the drive and then rebooted and the upgrade didn't ask for verification I gotta call BS on that. If you boot from the Upgrade disk and wipe the drive from there and continue with the install it probably will not ask for verification.

Clean drive + Upgrade disk = asks for verification CD.

Drive with system file + Upgrade disk = No request for verification CD.

pcgeek11

So, Windows found something on the slave drive that said it didn't have to ask for a qualifying OS? If so, that makes sense because the drive would have had a mbr on it and a bunch of program files.

 

[pcgeek11]

^^^ That would be my guess.

pcgeek11

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
^^^ That would be my guess.

pcgeek11

If I had explained that at the beginning, the mystery would have been solved sooner if, in fact, that was the reason.

Thanks all.