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Windows XP media center edition installation

I am trying to reinstall Windows XP Media Center Edition after installation of a new motherboard. I am using the CDs I got when I bought my system in 2005 - two CDs. I have got part way through the second disk when it has asked me for files that are not on the CD. They are allegedly part of Service Pack 2, which I don't have.

I managed to find a couple of them in another Windows system I had access to, but it has stuck me on oobedisk.htm.  Nowhere.

THe MS Tech Forum says that I should go back to the first disk, which is SP2. Apparently that has worked for some poeple. Not for me. I found another tech blog that went through an extremely complex capture of SP2 - but could not put it onto a disk because the file structure is deeper than a CD could handle (I don't know any of this) - he managed to put it onto another partition of his drive, and recopied, and reinstalled etc etc - and it worked. BUt he found oobedisk in Service pack/i386. I have looked there in another system and found nothing.

So: I am stalled at 3 in the moring a disk and a half through an installation, with a lot of reinstallation of programs in front of me - IF I can get WP installed.

Where do I get oobedisk.htm?

Thanks
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Wayne Barron
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>>  it has asked me for files that are not on the CD   <<   very strange, as carzkiss posted, it shouldnot..
is the mobo the same? or did you use another model ?
maybe you are using the RESTORE CD's ?
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johndgregory

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Thanks for the suggestions.

The installation process didn't ask for the first disk back - nothing indicated that the first disk was an SP2 disk - but I put it back because of what I found online. Files were still missing. I eventually figured out that I could 'cancel' and it offered me the chance to install without the missing files. I'm hoping that I can go online (once I figure out what my wireless card is and find a driver for it etc) and maybe try Windows Update to complete the Service Pack that has missing files.

I am missing these files:
oobedisk.htm
compact.wmz
Revert.wmz
PLYLST(1 - 15).wpl

How badly do these matter? Can I run my system without them, pending an update?

I have downloaded SP2 for IT people, i.e. for use on more than one computer, to the one I am now using (clearly not the one I am doing the installation on...). I may be able to find those files in there and move them over on a disk. Does that sound reasonable?

I take it that the Slipstream SP3 mentioned by carzzkiss would have to be downloaded to this machine too, and then put on a DVD as described above.
Nobus, I should have mentioned (but it's very late in Toronto) that on the C: drive there are already two installations of Windows - but not fully functional ones. They were put on before we found the original installation disks that came with the computer - not Recovery disks as such.  I was trying to add the new, authorized XP, in preparation for deleting the others. I have backed up all my files to an external hard drive, and also have a partition D: drive.

Would that make a difference to what files the installation program could find on the disks?  I could try to delete the two old Windows installations and just booting the bare computer from the CD drive ... or I could try to add the missing files as described in my last note.
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Well, both experts are saying what I take to mean 'do a clean install', i.e. on a drive that does not have other OS on it.  

I have two hard drives - a C: and a D:.  All three (!) XPs are on C:.  that's the one I want to clear and use for the new installation from the master CDs.

If I do what carrzkiss suggested and 'delete' the C: drive then recreate it, what will happen to my D: drive? I don't want it to turn into the C: drive after the deletion of the one I have, before I recreate it. (I don't think this will happen, but I'd rather not have it happen accidentally.)  

The D: drive is used for storage only - it does not have an OS (at least there is a folder called Windows on it, showing no content - 0 MB).

If I go with my new XP into the My Computer portion for the C: drive and just delete the folders showing the old Windows OS (they all have a different name), would that make it clean enough for an install?

Should I get to the DOS command prompt and hit 'format C:'?  Presumably that would clear out all three OS, including the one I did last night, and then I would simply reboot from the first installation CD.

Or will I have enough choices when I just put the installation disk directly into the computer without touching the current setup, knowing that my choice will be to recreate the C: drive?


BTW I don't know what carrzkiss means by "black DVD".

I don't find the instructions for the Slipstream application very easy to follow, I guess partly because it's written as if one was downloading it and using it on the same machine, not another one.

disconnect all other disk drives during the install -  then nothing CAN happen to them !
 reconnect them later...
i suppose he meant BLANK DVD
I was persuaded by both experts that I had to do a clean install, so I deleted the C: partition and recreated it. This left the D: drive intact (it may be a separate physical drive.)  Then the installation from the CDs worked smoothly - no missing files.

I think the two experts should share the points here - with many thanks for the speedy responses.  I went to bed frustrated and got up to good advice that worked.

I may have some issues with restoring some files from backup, but that's a different question with separate points.
ok see ye !
The basic fix was simple.  A couple of the alternatives might have been less so, though probably manageable. But the speed and responsiveness of both experts were fabulous!
"black DVD" = "blank DVD"
That was written at 4:03 AM
A little tired on the typing.

Glad you are up and running.
Have a good one.
Carrzkiss