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tanker27 · Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:26 am

OK I have finally had time to sit down and work on my HTPC using a shuttle SN27P2.

Long story short. I have everything listed on QVL but here is my problem:

I can install Windows XP, I can add the key and set the PC name and Admin pass. It then goes to setting up windows. when its about 95% through it asks me to provide the path for some dll's. Odd, i thought. So when I go to point it back to the D: which is the CDROM, its no longer there! It got disconnected. Frack!

So okay I skip what its asking for and it the install finishes. I boot into Windows for the first time and it boots No problem. HOWEVER, I am missing some "key" components. IE is not there (no biggie I use FF) the basic networking is not there, I have no default wallpapers, infact the dekstop looks like windows 2000.

I have tried 2 different XP disks that are valid and the same thing. I have also tried windows Media Center and it does the same.

Shuttle's Help is crappy so I turn to you guys. Is there a jumper that I need to set? Is it something stupid like setting the CDROM to master?

Damn I really want to get this up and running while I have time off or it will sit and collect dust.

So help! (Come on PerfectCR You built a lot of shuttles!)

Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:37 am

Without fixing the problem, you may be able to work around it by copying the XP CD to a directory on your harddrive before doing the install.

Shintai · Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:38 am

Try F6 at setup and add a controller driver.

tanker27 · Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:37 am

I have tried the F6 thing, the only drivers it installs are SATA raid drivers.

As far as copying the CD to the HD, How would I go about that without having windows install over the folder?

Vrock · Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:49 am

I've had this problem in the past, and I traced it to a faulty CD-ROM drive.
Swap out the optical drive and see if that helps.

Vrock · Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:52 am

tanker27 wrote:
As far as copying the CD to the HD, How would I go about that without having windows install over the folder?

You'd have to either boot to a command prompt and do it using xcopy I think, or hook the drive up as a secondary drive to a working computer and copy the files thru Windows. Either way just name the directory you copy the files to something like C:\XPINSTAL and you won't have to worry about windows overwriting it.

*edit: here's instructions on using xcopy32 to clone a drive, should work for copying a CD-ROM too.

http://forum.pcmech.com/archive/index.php/t-3412.html

Shintai · Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:54 am

What about a 512MB USB stick btw, that might work or if your BIOS supports bootable USB devices you can make a bootable USB stick with Windows CD.

Vrock · Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:58 am

Shintai wrote:
What about a 512MB USB stick btw, that might work or if your BIOS supports bootable USB devices you can make a bootable USB stick with Windows CD.

I use a Hewlett-Packard program called Drive Key to make bootable sticks. I use them instead of floppies. He could use one to boot to a command prompt if he got hold of some bootdisk files.

tanker27 · Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:03 am

Hmm I will try all of this......

1st I will swap cdrom drives......Damn its such a good drive, I would hate if its bad. Its a Lite-on 16x DVD R/RW

Vrock · Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:11 am

tanker27 wrote:
Hmm I will try all of this......

1st I will swap cdrom drives......Damn its such a good drive, I would hate if its bad. Its a Lite-on 16x DVD R/RW

I had a Samsung DVD/CD-RW combo drive that I was trying to install Half Life 2 off the 5 CDs. Everytime it got to a specific file on disc 3, it would give me a read error and crap out. Swapping in a Pioneer drive did the trick.

If you are getting the same exact read errors at the same point in installation using multiple install CDs, I would bet that there's a problem with the optical drive. Maybe the IDE controller on the motherboard doesn't like it, maybe it's just a faulty drive....dunno.

tanker27 · Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:50 pm

Woot! Swaping CD drives worked. I went out an bought an LG 16X DVD R/RW with Lightscribe. I have always wanted one...Not that I might not ever use it.

Anyways Windows Media Center installed just fine and updated. Now to get software in and set for my HTPC.

Vrock · Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:48 pm

Glad it worked.

lex-ington · Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:35 pm

tanker27 wrote:
Woot! Swaping CD drives worked. I went out an bought an LG 16X DVD R/RW with Lightscribe. I have always wanted one...Not that I might not ever use it.

Anyways Windows Media Center installed just fine and updated. Now to get software in and set for my HTPC.

That is exactly why I keep a spare DVD-ROM in the closet.

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