[Midgetman]

Ok, I had a virus which kept my computer from starting so I reformatted it and tried to install XP but apparently the virus did something to the bootsector of my hard drive. My cousin asked some computer experts of his about it and they told me to use the xcopy command to copy the I386 directory from the XP CD to my hard drive after formatting it through DOS. I found a procedure on the Microsoft site to use xcopy. It says to type xcopy CD-DriveLetter\I386\*.* c:\i386\*.* /s /e. Whenever I type this in, however, it tells me that it's a bad command or filename. Please help me out.

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why can't you boot from the cd? Did you try?

[gerryf]

why can't you boot from the cd? Did you try?

[Midgetman]

I do but when I try to install xp after booting from the CD it can't copy a lot of the files. My cousin's friends said that it was probably because the virus did something to my bootsector...

[gerryf]

Unlikely....it is more likely the windows cd is damaged or the the drive is dirty or malfunctioning.

that aside,

did you first create the directory on the c: drive? (i386)

You are using what kind of boot floppy?

What link are you referring to at Microsoft?

[Midgetman]

It's not the cd. I got a new one and it still did the same thing.

I created the directory on the c:.

I'm using a Windows 98 boot floppy.

The Microsoft link is here.

[gerryf]

at the a:\ prompt, type
xcopy /?

what happens?

[Midgetman]

It says bad command or filename

[gerryf]

you don't have the proper boot floppy.

www.bootdisk.com

get a winme boot floppy

[Midgetman]

That's where I got the Win 95 boot disk... I'll try the ME one

EDIT: It does the same for the ME disk...

Edited by Midgetman, 03 June 2005 - 01:36 PM.

[gerryf]

You did this from the A:\ prompt?

Not from within c:\i386 ??

[Midgetman]

Correct.

[gerryf]

and once again

xcopy /?

does not work? (withME)

it works fine on mine...I am trying to determine if you have a bad floppy, or a bad command syntax.

xcopy /? should yield the following screen
:

Copies files and directory trees.

XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W]
                           [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U]
                           [/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z]
                           [/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...]

  source       Specifies the file(s) to copy.
  destination  Specifies the location and/or name of new files.
  /A           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               doesn't change the attribute.
  /M           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               turns off the archive attribute.
  /D:m-d-y     Copies files changed on or after the specified date.
               If no date is given, copies only those files whose
               source time is newer than the destination time.
  /EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...
               Specifies a list of files containing strings.  Each string
               should be in a separate line in the files.  When any of the
               strings match any part of the absolute path of the file to be
               copied, that file will be excluded from being copied.  For
               example, specifying a string like \obj\ or .obj will exclude
               all files underneath the directory obj or all files with the
               .obj extension respectively.
  /P           Prompts you before creating each destination file.
  /S           Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
  /E           Copies directories and subdirectories, including empty ones.
               Same as /S /E. May be used to modify /T.
  /V           Verifies each new file.
  /W           Prompts you to press a key before copying.
  /C           Continues copying even if errors occur.
  /I           If destination does not exist and copying more than one file,
               assumes that destination must be a directory.
  /Q           Does not display file names while copying.
  /F           Displays full source and destination file names while copying.
  /L           Displays files that would be copied.
  /G           Allows the copying of encrypted files to destination that does
               not support encryption.
  /H           Copies hidden and system files also.
  /R           Overwrites read-only files.
  /T           Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does not
               include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes
               empty directories and subdirectories.
  /U           Copies only files that already exist in destination.
  /K           Copies attributes. Normal Xcopy will reset read-only attributes.
  /N           Copies using the generated short names.
  /O           Copies file ownership and ACL information.
  /X           Copies file audit settings (implies /O).
  /Y           Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /-Y          Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /Z           Copies networked files in restartable mode.

The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line.

[gerryf]

or like that., anyway

[Midgetman]

Ok I never got the xcopy to work but I don't need it anymore. We figured out the problem. One of my sticks of RAM went bad. It's working perfectly now. Thanks for trying to help me.