E:\I386\asms problem with installing windows xp home edition service pack 1

The computer is a laptop COMPAQ Armada and the video is a liquid crystal screen. The video card swap is a no-no. In fact video card are not available for this old computer. Thanks anyway.
Yvon

Were you actually intending to install to the D: Drive?
The error message quotes "D:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log".

When the original C: boot drive failed I tried to install to the logical drive D: (I only have 1 huge hard disk drive divided into 2 partitions C: and D:. Now I have 2 Windows XP Home edition Operating systems which I can choose during bootup. If I use the C: drive Operating system I get the error C:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log. If I choose the D: drive Operating system I get the error D:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log with the same results.

CORRECTION:
Both Operating Systems for Drive C: and D: show the same eror message quotes "E:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log. I checked this after I sent the prior comment. E: is the CD ROM Drive letter.

It sounds, from the error message you have given, as though setup is trying to locate an error log ono the CD-Rom Drive which obviously contains a read-only medium and couldn't possibly have had the setup error log written to it.

OK, so you are saying that you have Windows XP installed on the C: and D: partitions of your hard drive.
You stated in your question that setup was aborted after an error message:
>>>
"An error has been encountered that prevents setup from continuing. One of the components that windows needs to continue setup could not be installed. The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error. View the setup log file.
System setup log -(D:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log
Error:
Installation failed E:\386\asms. Error message: The request could
not be performed because of an I/O device error".
<<<

What is NOT clear, however, is whether this is the SAME error message being shown when you try to boot to either partition from the bootloader menu, BUT with the difference now that it is directing you to look for the setup error log on E:\Windows.

You also haven't specifically stated whether you:
1. Booted to the Windows CD to begin the installation or started it after booting to a DOS Floppy
2. Used any switches with the setup command (winnt.exe) IF you started it after booting to a floppy
3. Created this XP CD by slipstreaming an XP Home CD with the SP1 update files or if it is an original CD.

The reason I am asking this is that, when you boot to a Windows XP CD and start setup from there, it will ALWAYS look for and read the setup instructions from a

Whoops, thick fingers hit the return key in error.

...the setup instructions from a file CD:\i386\WINNT.SIF  if one exists.  This setup file can contain a number of custom setup instructions that just MIGHT be trying to write files to the CD.

Reference:
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/19/

Booting to a floppy and running CD:\i386\winnt.exe DOES NOT look for or take setup instructions from winnt.sif, but you could use the approriate options in the command line telling it to use an "Unattend.txt" file with similar content to the winnt.sif file.

Winnt.exe command line options:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/win2k_cmdline_setup.asp

I am just suggesting that if this is a custom CD, then there could be a wrong setting in the .sif or unattend.txt.

The above is just a theory, but it is more likely that you have a damaged CD.  Have you tried to install to ANOTHER completely fresh hard drive using that CD?  I know you said you had cleaned the CD, and that you were sent a replacement CD by Microsoft, but it hasn't been possible to compare the results of the two CD's because the SP2 one is being rejected.

My only logical suggestion is that you format BOTH the C: and D: drives and then try to install from the replacement SP2 CD.  Remove the drive, attach it as Slave in another functional computer, and format the drive partitions from within Windows.

If that's not possible, you can use a Win98se boot floppy to FDISK all non-DOS partitions (assuming both partitions are formatted as NTFS), FDISK /MBR, and then reboot and format the new partitions as FAT32.  During setup you have the choice to convert the partition to NTFS anyway.

The only problem is that either method will destroy all data on the drive.

Have you disconnected all peripherals, including usb flash drives, etc?

One setup log is: -(D:\WINDOWS\setuerr.log
Error:
Installation failed E:\386\asms: Error message: etc, etc.
Another setup log is: -(C:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log
Error:
Installation failed E:\286\asms. Error message: etc. etc.
One log message is kept on drive C: and the other is kept on Drive D:, both messages are very similar but not identical, thus -(C:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log contains a line that does not appear on the D: log, i.e: "Unstranslatable message. Win32Last Error is 14001"
The answers to your specific questions are as follows:
Q. 1 A. When I choose to boot to the windows CD using the new replacement media WINDOWS XP Home Edition service pack 2 (the only replacement media that Micorosoft has available that is compatible with service pack 1 according to Microsoft) and regardless of whether I boot from either partition C: or D:, windows setup begins, loads the files, notifies that setup is starting windows and then the computer crashes generating the fatal blue screen of death that reads in part: SESSION3_INITIALIZATION_FAILED
blah, blah, blah,
Technical Information:
STOP: 0x0000006F (0xC0000020, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)
B. When I choose to boot to the Windows Cd using the original (legit) installation media WINDOWS XP Home Edition, service pack 1, windows setup begins, loads the files, notifies that setup is starting Windows, starts installing windows, notifies that it will complete in approximately 39 minutes and then generates almost immediately either setup log -(C:\WINDOWSsetuperr.log or -(D:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log depending on which partition I chose from the loader menu as explained above.
C. If I begin the installation without booting to the Windows CD with the new replacement media or the original media it will resume windows setup at the point where it notifies that setup is starting windows, starts installing windows, and generates the above detailed error messages to either C: or D depending on the partition I chose.
The computer has a removable floppy drive A: that replaces the removable CD rom drive. I tried using a Windows XP startup floppy disketter with MS DOS startup and was able to access the command prompt at drive A:, however there is no drive C: or D: and no CD rom drive E: which was removed to make room for the floppy drive A:. I also tried using windows 98 startup floppy disk and windows 98 boot floppy which produces a similar error during windows setup with the option to load i386\asms from a root directory or from A: but neither works. I also tried using Bootable Diskette Recovery Commander from FIXIT both with a floppy and a CD rom when the CD rom drive is installed without success.

Q.2 When I boot to a floppy as explained above the only commands available are those in the floppy in drive A:, winnt.exe is not available anywhere.

Q.3 Both Windows XP home edition, service pack 1 and the replacement media Windows XP home edition service pack 2 were not created but are original OEM CDs purchased from Microsoft. They are not custom CDs and the file CD:\i386\WINNT>SIF does not exist. Neither original CD works. I used the new replacement media with service pack 2 to install the OS in another computer and it worked proving that the media is not a damaged CD as you suggest is likely. I have not tried to install to ANOTHER completely fresh hard drive using the same CD because I do not have another completely fresh hard drive to substitute. However I tested the current hard drive using chkdsk with the recovery console and the hard drive shows no obvious errors. SP2  replacement CD is being rejected the same as SP1 when the computer renews setup installation without booting for the CD and then asks to insert Windows XP CD service pack 1. booting directly from SP2 CD crashes the computer so I cannot install the new replacement CD which will solve the problem.
Your only logical suggestion that I format BOTH the C: and D: drive and then try to install from the replacement SP2 CD is not a practical solution because by formatting I will be lose several thousand dollars of applications in the hard drive.
Further to remove the drive, attach it as Slave in another functional computer, and format the drive partitions from withing windows would require another laptop that would accept that removable drive (proprietary to that laptop). I could format with FDISK (partition C: is NTFS, partition D: is FAT32), however that will destroy all data on the drive.

Yes, I have disconnected all peripherals, including usb flash drives, including the external mouse and operated the laptop with the internal mouse.

I could also buy a new CD rom drive, new hard disk drive and new RAM however the cost is more than the value of the computer and in that case I would rather buy a new computer defeating the purpose of this expert inquire.
Thank You for your extraordinary detailed instructions. Can you thing of any other suggestions?
Yvon

Yvon

DOS does not recognise NTFS partitions, hence the absence of a valid C: partition when you boot to a Win98 boot floppy, but it should have shown your current FAT32 D: Partition as C:

It's a pity that you only have facility for either the floppy or CD-Rom drive to be fitted at any one time, because I would otherwise have suggested using a program like XXCOPY (http://www.xxcopy.com/) from the boot floppy to copy the contents of the Windows XP CD to a folder on your D: Partition and then run winnt.exe to start the installation.  It would be wise to have SMARTDRV.EXE from floppy before copying files or even running the setup command, because it can take ages from DOS otherwise.

The Recovery Console allows use of the COPY command, and allows copying from a CD-Rom to hard drive, but it may fail to copy some files with special attributes like "hidden".
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/bootcons_copy.mspx
Note: Compressed files from the CD are decompressed (expanded) during this type of file copy.

Alternatively, you could temporarily slave the drive in another computer and copy the contents of the XP CD to the D: Partition from within Windows where you can see the files.

Installing from the hard drive rather than from the CD-Rom would have the benefit of being much faster, but the main reason for this suggestion is to eliminate the CD-Rom drive as being possibly faulty.

Worthwhile reads:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/

I haven't been able to find many definitive details about your stop error 0x0000006F in Microsoft's Knowledgebase, apart from this one:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/w2kmsgs/1216.asp (Win2K)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/153742/en-us (WinNT and 2K)
but there are a few in google that I found in combination with the SESSION3_INITIALIZATION_FAILED message, eg:

http://www.techimo.com/forum/t135371.html
http://www.hojohnlee.com/hacks/2006/06/20/winxp-session3_initialization_failed-installation-fix/
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1081142214

The common vein seems to be bad CD-Rom Drives, although I'm still looking:
http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?q=0x0000006F&l=en&OtherSite=&mkt=en-US&FORM=QBMA

Does your computer need to install any special drivers in Text Setup Mode by pressing the F6 key during setup? ("Press <F6> to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver").  For this you would normally need to insert a floppy containing the drivers.

Excellent suggesions. It will take me a few days to review this new set of suggestions. Probably until 10-10-06. It is possible that the Fat32 partition was changed by me sometime back to NSFT but now I am not sure. I got 4 computers and I am loosing track of what I did to each one.
I cannot try the recovery console until next Monday 10-9-06 because I get access to it only when I use the original CD Windows XP home edition ver. pack 1 and I left it at my summer home. I seem to remember however that I already tried to copy the i386\asms files using the COPY command and it failed. I was able to copy them using another computer to a CD-RW which did not do me any good since I have no access to the C:\ drive or the D:\ drive from DOS.
I like your suggestion to slave the drive to another computer and copy the contents of the XP CD to the D: drive. In order to slave the drive to another computer I need to locate a compatible computer that will accept my particular removable hard disk drive. Maybe the laptop drive could be slaved to a desktop computer using cables but I do not have the facilities or the knowhow to do that. Buy maybe a repair shop could do it. I will attempt this over this weekend. I think I know a repair shop that also may have a compatible computer which will allow me to do what you suggest and also I should be able to exchange the removable CD rom drive to determine whether it is defective. In which case I could simply install with the substitute CD rom drive from the replacement media XP CD without having to copy the XP CD to the D: drive. However if one alternative fails, the other might work. That will allow me to test both the hard disk drive and the CD rom drive and allow me to decide what to do with reasonable expense. I will be in touch to let you know what I was able to accomplish.

 Finally I do not need to install any special drivers in Text Setup Mode by pressing the F6 key during setup. I see the message every time I try setup and by now I have almost memorized the complete sequence. Microsoft suggested that there might be a problem with RAM memory, however I am skeptical. I am at this point more inclined to believe it is a defective CD-rom drive particularly because of your findings about the STOP error. Thanks.

Hi Yvon
The suggestion about possible problems with RAM memory is a regularly given one because memory errors can show themselves in all manner of different ways.

There would be no harm in running a memory test, even if just to eliminate it as a possibility.  The one I use is the Microsoft  Windows Memory Diagnostic
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Right-Click > Save Target As: http://oca.microsoft.com/en/mtinst.exe

Running mtinst.exe gives you two choices:
1. Create a Boot Floppy that loads its own operating environment and runs the memory tests automatically
2. Extract an *.ISO image file that can be loaded into most CD-Burning applications to create a bootable CD that does the same thing as the floppy.

Just boot the affected computer to the floppy or CD and press the "T" key to togle it from standard tests to extended ones.  The tests will continue to run until paused or stopped, and will show the results.  P pauses the tests and allows you to use M to set advanced options, and C resumes the tests.  X exits the tests and restarts the computer, but you have to remove the floppy or CD quite quickly.

You can get adapter connectors that allow you to connect a laptop hard drive to a standard IDE cable in a desktop.  Any decent repair shop would have an adapter, and there would be no sense in buying one if the only working system you would have access to would be at a repair shop.  Be sure to stress to anyone messing with the machine that you have vital data on the hard drive.  In fact, I suggest that you back up all data that cannot be replaced or reinstalled at this stage before going any further.

Bill

This Saturday I am taking the computer to a repair shop. Thanks for the tip on checking RAM and the advice to protect the hard disk drive and back up the content. Will keep you informed.
Yvon

The repair shop was able to copy the contents of the WINDOWS XP CD Home Edition serv. pack 2 to the root directory of the D: drive. accessed the D: drive during setup after the error occurs using SHFT F10 . (I cannot access the folders of the D: drive from the recovery console or run the D: drive files from the recovery console although the recovery console commands such as CHKDSK and COPY work fine).

I ran winnt.exe from the D: dirve, and the following error is generated:

16 bit MS-DOS Subsisten
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe-winnt.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\config.NT
The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows
applications. Choose 'close' to terminate the application.

I ran winnt32.exe from the D: drive and I installed WINDOWS XP CD Home Edition serv. pack 2 on the C: drive.
I still have the D: drive partition that still crashes with WINDOWS XP serv. pack 2 and appears to be useless. If I activate windows in the D: partition (if it can be done) does it replace the installation I did or does it become a second operating system for Windows XP Home edition service pack 2.
Thank you.
PS. I increased the point value to 300.
Yvon

Yvon

Did the technician also assist you to copy out all essential data files from your current installation of Windows to some other safe backup eg. a CD or a flash drive?  If not, then you still run a risk of losing files by attempting to reinstall Windows.

I don't quite understand what stage you are at now.  You said:
"I ran winnt32.exe from the D: drive and I installed Windows XP Home Edition SP2 on the C: drive".
"I still have the D: drive partition that still crashes with Windows XP SP2 and appears to be useless".

From this I can only assume that you somehow have the ability to start the computer up into Windows, or the WINNT32.EXE setup program should not have run.

The setup file WINNT32.EXE is used for installing Windows while WITHIN Windows Mode (32-bit mode, hence the "32" bit in the file).  Yes, I know that sounds strange, but it would commonly be used to upgrade a previous operating system like Windows 98 to Windows XP when run from within Windows 98.  It is also often used to create a "setup source" (ie. all the setup files to the hard drive) that can be used later even if the hard drive is then placed in another computer.  You see, winnt32.exe can be used with a lot of different options, and one of those is to check whether the current operating system is able to be upgraded to Windows XP.

So the reason for the error message at the first installation attempt is because Winnt32.exe cannot be run in 16-bit "DOS Mode".  In other words you were not in Windows when you run the WINNT.EXE command.  The setup file to install Windows XP when booted into DOS (eg. a boot floppy) is WINNT.EXE, and that shouldn't run in Windows, and the "Recovery Console" is not really a DOS Environment, hence the error message.

So, you can see why I am puzzled by what you have described.
Did you run WINNT32.EXE from the "Recovery Console"?

I presume that the repair shop did not reformat the D: Drive to NTFS, so it should still be FAT32.
That being the case, a standard Windows 98 boot floppy will be able to "see" your D: Partition and the files on it, but it will refer to it as C: because is is the only partition being seen.

I suggest you create a Windows 98se boot floppy on any computer by downloading and running the following file while there is a blank floppy in the drive:
http://www.nerdlabs.org/bootdisks/diskimages/wboot98se.exe

Boot to the floppy (choose WITH or WITHOUT CD-Rom support when asked to choose - it makes no difference)
When it stops at the A:\> Prompt, try and locate the WINNT.EXE file amonst the CD contents copied to the D: Drive by the repair shop.

I have to say that copying the Windows XP CD right into the root of the D: partition wasn't the best choice the repair technician could have done.  It would have been better to have first created a new folder on the D: Drive and copied the CD into that (eg. D:\WINXP\<files and sub-folders>).

So, try and change to the D: partition (which will be seen as C: by DOS) by just typing   C:   at the A:\> prompt.
If it can do this, then it should show the C:\> Prompt.
Now try and change directory into the I386 folder using the command:      CD  i386
If it now shows the prompt as  C:\I386> you should be able to run the WINNT.EXE command.
make sure the file is in place first by running the following command:

DIR /a-d /o-n /b /p win*.exe

This should show a list of files named WIN???.EXE in reverse alphabetic order, and pause after each screenful with a prompt to continue.  In fact, the ONLY files it should show are WINNT32.EXE and WINNT.EXE.  If you see WINNT.EXE, then try running the setup command:   WINNT

This should start the installation and get to the point where you choose what partition to install to, and whether you want to wipe the drive for a clean install or run a "repair" install.

The following is a good guide with screenshots:
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxphome/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm
The only difference is that it starts off by assuming that you have booted to your Windows XP CD instead of running WINNT.EXE from hard drive files.

Note: Doing a "repair install" like this CAN lose user-created files, although in most cases they will not be affected.  But bear in mind that your "My Documents" folder MAY end up in a NEW User Profile if you enter different details at the last stages of setup.

Follow the guide above BUT choose the SETUP option (ie. Press <Enter> at the 4th screenshot down)
DO NOT choose Recovery Console!
Hopefully it will detect the existing installation as shown in the 1st Screenshot in Part 2 of the guide, and repair it.

Continue until prompted to remove the boot floppy and just press <Enter> to restart the computer when you see the red countdown bar (4th screenshot in Part 4 of the guide).

I do hope this works this time.

If successful, I would urge you to do the following at some point in the near future:

1. Copy ALL essential files and personal settings to another disk eg. CD, DVD, external USB Drive, USB Flash Drive, or some other backup that is OFF your computer.

2. Follow this guide:
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxphome/sp2installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm
and do a NEW installation to the C: Drive and allow it to format the C: Drive as NTFS.

3. Restore your backups.

It sounds as though you have ended up with a PARALLEL installation of Windows XP on your D: Partition.  One way to tell is if you see a prompt asking you which Windows installation you wish to boot into after the repair installation is completed (hopefully) successfully.

Bill

Yes, all the data files were backed up.
I have the ability to start the computer into windows in what appears to be a totally new installation running from the C: drive.
When I start the computer I have a choice of 3 operating systems. All 3 choices are WINDOWS XP Home Edition. Choice 1 starts windows setup at the point 39 minutes into the "installing windows" then requests insertion of Serv. Pack 1 and then generates the same old error: I386\asms. Inserting Serv. Pack 2 generates the same error. Choice 2 accesses the new WINDOWS XP installation that I installed from the D: drive copy of the CD-ROM serv. pack 2. Choice 3 generates an error reading:
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\WINDOWS\system32\config\system. You can attempt to repair this file by starting windows setup using the original setup CD-ROM

Booting directly from service pack 2 start windows setup, loads the files from the CD, setup is starting windows, & it crashes with the blue screen of death SEESION3_INITIALIZATION_FAILED; STOP: 0x0000006f, etc. etc. that I mensioned in previous comments.

Booting directly from service pack 1 starts windows setup, load the files from the CD, setup is starting windows, & then gives you 3 choices: press ENTER to set up Windows XP; press R to repair Windows XP installation using the recovery console; or quit set up without installing Windows XP by pressing F3.

Pressing R examines the disk configuration, and accesses the recovery console which gives 3 choices:

1: C:WINDOWS
2: D:\WINDOWS
3: D:\WINDOWS1

Selecting 1: C:|WINDOWS and entering and a blank as administrator password allows you to access C:\WINDOWS.

Selecting 2: D\WINDOWS generates an error:
The system registry does not appear to have an active ControlSet key. The system registry may be damages. If your system is currently not starting correctly, you can try restarting it with the Last Known Good Configuration[does not work!] or you can try repairing the installation of windows using the setup program's repair and recovery options [I tried this but instead of repairing I tried to install windows to a different directory i.e.: D:\WINDOWS1 which obviously did not work as I explain below.

Selecting 3: D:\WINDOWS1 and entering a blank password for the administrator takes you to D:\WINDOWS1 [I created d:\WINDOWS1 when I tried to install serv. pack 1 to a directory other than D:\WINDOWS during the setup program to set up WINDOWS XP by pressing ENTER instead of R (repair) trying not to overwrite D:\WINDOWS that I thought contained serv. pack 2.

From all this I believe that the only fully working partition is C:\WINDOWS not D:\WINDOWS nor D:\WINDOWS1

In answer to your questions:
1. Both the C: & D: drive are NTFS. I was wrong before. Long time ago I had changed the D: drive to NTFS. The repair shop did not reformat the D: drive

2. I was able to see and access the full D: drive with the directories and all the files copied from the CD-ROM to the root and was able to execute both the WINNT.EXE file which failed, and the WINNT32.EXE which installed WINDOWS XP by using the SHFT F10 AFTER the setup error E:\I386\asms had occurred during the resumption of windows setup (see the last line of Microsoft Article ID: 311755. I think this installed WINDOWS XP serv. pack 2 to the C: drive using the D: drive as if it were a CD-ROM.

If I am correct then booting to the floppy in the B: drive with windows 98se is unnecessary. Furthermore I have access from this new installation of WINDOWS XP serv. pack 2 to all the files and directories on the C: and D: drive and an external B: flopply drive that became operational after I installed WINDOWS XP.

This does not seem to be a PARALLEl installation but an original installation into the C: drive through WINNT32.EXE. If so then I do not need to run WINNT.EXE unless this later procedure upgrades with the original applications. The present installation starts from scratch and forces me to reinstall the original applications.
If, right then my only problem is what do I do with D:\WINDOWS and D:\WINDOWS1 that are not operational? Thanks,
Yvon

Thanks, I appreciate your help and I am accepting your solution
Yvon