Missing ASMS Missing During XP Install`

[MayDay]

Having (Yet more!) problems with an XP Home (SP2) installation.

I've been having quite a few problems with this laptop, so I decided to do a complete reinstall. So far, I've formatted the hard drive, and gone through the "Collecting Information", "Dynamic Update" and "Preparing Installation" steps of the installation.

This is where it stops and throws up an error stating "THe file 'asms' on Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 CD is needed. Type the path where the file is located....." now, i've looked this up on the Microsoft Knowledge base (Article 311755 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311755)), that prooved to be a waste of time, nothing on the page worked. I've tried swapping the disk out for another installation disk, copying the asms folder from another disk onto a key drive, still nothing.

Has anyone come accross this before that knows how to work around it, I really am at a loss, I've no idea what to do next?

Thanks in advance.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

That doesn't sound like a complete reinstall if something is asking for files.

If you have a pre SP-1 or SP-2 cd of XP, it would install fully and THEN you would install the service packs without any prompts. If you have a post cd including any of the SP's, it would not have to ask...

It sounds like you are trying to reinstall Windows from withing Windows. If so: Save all files you want to back up and then...

Reboot to the XP cd and do a full install that involves reformatting the drive. Do NOT choose to boot to the hard drive or do a repair install, you want the full, with format options.

[MayDay]

Thanks for the reply Ted.

I've tried booting from the the hard drive, it just says resuming setup and goes back to the same point in the installation. Trying to boot from CD, it just did the same thing, so I went into the BIOS and disabled booting from everything except the CD, the screen goes black and no a "No Operating System Found" message flashes at the top of the screen.

The installation was originally done by booting from CD, formatting the hard drive (There were two options, quick or long, I chose the long format) and going through the normal installation procedure. Everything about the install goes fine until it gets to the "asms" not found error.

[malcore]

Seems it may be a problem with reading from the cd-rom. As per the following page, which offers a number of different methods to try. Could be as simple as not inserting the cd until it is asked for by Windows.

http://www.nocrash.com/ncbbs/msgs/1075.shtml

Or you could just do this (http://www.iol.ie/~krakowangus/winnt.htm).