I know that XP can be installed from USB key, however, I don't know the specifics (and will need to find them eventually as I didn't get the optical drive when I bought my Mini 9).  One place you might look, even though it isn't an official Dell site, is http://mydellmini.com.  They tend to have very good information from the little I've read on the site.  A Google search for installing XP via USB key should also give you useful information.

Hey Larry!

Thanks for the suggestions but have now used all evening trying to find a way but without luck. Tomorrow I'll call technical support but if the same guys answer the phone when I called them earlier today, they won't even know what a Mini 9 is....  (that was not a joke, seriously they had no clue)

You might try using the name Inspiron 910. :emotion-2:

Probably a good idea. :emotion-2:

Anyway, after a day of trying to fix the 1½ XP installation machine, it has now died (almost) completely on me. After the XP splash/logo screen, the screen goes black and the boot process stops....

If i try and boot from the installation cd (I have brrowed an external cdr drive), it says something about a missing/defect file "hal.dll" in the system32 Windows folder. I have tried copying a new file from another XP machine but that didn't change a thing...

So the machine is rendered useless and I have to wait untill Monday with calling technical support.... :emotion-7:

Has anyone had any luck with this? I am using LANDesk Provisioning to deploy Win XP Pro, I can use the Dell OEM XP SP2 CD fine and it will deploy. However when I use the Dell OEM XP SP3 CD, it comes up with the "NVRD32.sys could not be found" message. I have tried different CD's and its the same error.

I have used WinPE to boot the machine up and the file has actually been copied successfully, but upon reboot it says file missing.

No additional RAID/SATA drivers are required, and we are not using any nVidia hardware.

Any ideas?

This file is a chipset driver and needs to be installed via F6 Floppy during initial install.

No the file is already on the CD and is getting copied to the HDD as part of the provisioning script.

It works fine if you install direct from the CD, without using provisioning. However the SP2 CD works both ways, provisioning and direct from the CD.

XP can be installed from "WIN9X" MSDOS

Best way is to format bootable WIN9X DOS Flash key and copy the entire for XP to the disk

Then Boot and format the hard drive Fat32.

You will need FDISK and Format  etc.

Theres a patch to win9x Fdisk for drives bigger than 64 gigs.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263044

You will need Fdisk and Format and Himem.sys and emm386.exe and smartdrv.exe and xcopy.exe and xcopy.mod etc.

You  make a bootable flash key with Fdisk and format with config.sys having Device=Himem.sys

Then Fdisk and format the C: drive.

then   xcopy the xp cd contents onto the hard drive.

Once this is done you have a bootable C:

Make sure that Himem.sys gets lodaed for the config.sys on the C: drive

Then Boot C: with Win9X dos.

Then Run Smartdrv.exe

then run smartdrv.exe  /X

Then goto C: under I386  and run WINNT.EXE /S:C:\I386 /T:C:\

It will then "install" xp

It would be a GOOD IDEA to have copied the C:\DELL and C:\DRIVERS directorys onto the flash drive before trying this as you will need

the software stored in those directories

When XP is fully installed you can remove the WIN9X dos by converting c: to NTFS

with CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS

 During the initial black screen of  Windows is detecting hardware you will have to hit F6 and have a floppy diskette

or location on C:\ where the NVIDIA storage/chipset drivers are.

 Systems Operating systems
 Inspiron 910  Aka Mini 9
Vostro Notebook A90
 Microsoft Windows XP

Intel (R) Mobile Chipset
Release Date: 9/4/2008
Version: 8.7.0.1007, A00 
http://ftp.us.dell.com/chipset/R192574.exe

Realtek ALC268 HD Audio << return to results
Release Date: 10/23/2008
Version: 5.10.0.5688, A01
http://ftp.us.dell.com/audio/R197392.EXE

Dell Battery Meter/Wireless Select Switch
Release Date: 9/10/2008
Version: 0.0.0.3C, A00
http://ftp.us.dell.com/app/R192569.EXE

JMicron JMB385
Release Date: 10/23/2008
Version: 1.00.19.04, A02
http://ftp.us.dell.com/chipset/R200081.EXE

Dell Wireless 5530 HSPA Mini-Card
Release Date: 1/15/2009
Version: 5.2.1045.43, A00
http://ftp.us.dell.com/comm/DELL_WIRELESS-5530-HSPA-MINI_A00_R198215.exe

Creative Labs Intergrated Camera
Release Date: 9/4/2008
Version: 1.00.03.0720, A01
http://ftp.us.dell.com/input/R193480.EXE

Synaptics Synaptics TouchPad
Release Date: 9/4/2008
Version: 11.1.22, A00
http://ftp.us.dell.com/input/R192597.EXE

Atheros Wireless LAN
Release Date: 9/4/2008
Version: 7.6.0.239, A01 
http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R197264.EXE

Realtek LAN RTL8102EL
Release Date: 10/23/2008
Version: 5.698.0701.2008, A01
http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R197393.EXE

Intel Graphics_Media 945GSE/GM965
Release Date: 9/10/2008
Version: 6.14.10.4926, A00 
http://ftp.us.dell.com/video/R192572.exe

No the file is already on the CD and is getting copied to the HDD as part of the provisioning script. It works fine if you install direct from the CD, without using provisioning. However the SP2 CD works both ways, provisioning and direct from the CD.

Did anyone find a resolution for this?

How do you install without using provisioning? Also what exactly is provisioning?

Thanks...

--Daniel