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  #1  
06-05-2019, 11:41 AM
Master Tape Master Tape is offline
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I think i've got all the other drivers for other things (ATI AIW card, sound card) So this is all i need now.

I've just built a capture PC running Windows XP Pro SP2, and don't want to connect it to the internet at all. Where can i find all the latest update files, so i can transfer these files from a USB stick to the PC and install. Also should it be the latest updates, or will this bring unwanted stuff like added security bloatware/popups?

And it says i must activate my copy of Windows within 30 days.. how can i do this without having it connected to internet?
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  #2  
06-05-2019, 01:22 PM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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Reinstall windows XP. Since you aren't connecting this PC to the internet there is no need to activate.

During the installation process, you will come across the following screen.



Press the green skip box at the bottom right corner of the screen.

The next screen should look like this.



Under the text that reads "Are you ready to register online with Microsoft?" there are two options.
Select the option that reads "No, not at this time"

If you follow these steps while installing the OS, you shouldn't receive an activation prompt.

Since you already have a Windows XP Profession install disk with SP2, you should be good to go for capture. Service Pack 3 is actively discouraged as it introduces a number of security features that get in the way of analog capture. Do not update beyond SP2.

Since you're doing a fresh install of Windows XP, there will be no bloatware.

Using a USB stick for transferring smallish sized files sounds perfectly reasonable. However, if you want to transfer lossless analog captures, you might want to invest in an eSATA expansion slot. Transferring a 60 GB file via USB 2.0 is not only painfully slow, but is also highly unreliable. I've had USB transfers fail at 80% after an hour and a half. Very frustrating.


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File Type: jpg WinXP Network Step.jpg (287.4 KB, 113 downloads)
File Type: jpg WinXP Register Step.jpg (191.3 KB, 109 downloads)
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  #3  
06-05-2019, 02:57 PM
Master Tape Master Tape is offline
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Ah thank you, i should read more thoroughly! I'll have to take the PC and connect it to the tv in the other room again though, as my VGA to HDMI adaptor isnt showing the boot screen at all (only displays Windows XP itself and the BIOS menu when i enable it)

Unfortunately my motherboard only has 2 SATA ports, otherwise i'd have connected the eSATA port to one of them. The HDD and disc drive occupy those ports, so opening the computer up and taking one out each time i want to transfer a file isn't practical. I plan to buy an external hard drive soon though, to transfer the bigger files.
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  #4  
06-05-2019, 05:00 PM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Master Tape View Post
Unfortunately my motherboard only has 2 SATA ports, otherwise i'd have connected the eSATA port to one of them. The HDD and disc drive occupy those ports, so opening the computer up and taking one out each time i want to transfer a file isn't practical. I plan to buy an external hard drive soon though, to transfer the bigger files.
eSATA and SATA are different connectors.

You use SATA for your HDDs and Optical Drives and are found on your motherboard.

An eSATA is different. In an XP capture PC, one would purchase a PCI expansion card that features eSATA ports. You interact with eSATA ports much like the USB ports on the back of your computer. The data transfer rate of eSATA is exponentially higher than that of USB 2.0.

This is an example of what a PCI eSATA expansion card looks like



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  #5  
06-05-2019, 05:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPMedia View Post
one would purchase a PCI expansion card
There are also brackets with wires that connect to unused SATA ports. SATA and eSATA is the same, aside from the plug shape. The brackets both change the shape, and make the SATA external. Note that the eSATA will only be hot-swappable if that option is in the BIOS (and it often is). eSATA cards have their own chipsets (onboard controllers), and a BIOS setting isn't needed, the cards should already be hot-swappable compliant.

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  #6  
06-05-2019, 05:08 PM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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You might also want to consider purchasing a SATA PCI expansion card. I found myself in a similar position where I only had 2 SATA ports on my motherboard, but it is best practice to have the operating system and the capture files on separate hard drives. The solution: I purchased a PCI expansion card that came with external eSATA ports and internal SATA ports. Now I have 4 available internal SATA ports and 2 available external eSATA ports.

Here is a link to the specific model I purchased.
https://www.amazon.com/Vantec-4-Chan...language=en_US

It was recommended to me by lordsmurf so you know it's a quality piece.
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  #7  
06-05-2019, 06:11 PM
Master Tape Master Tape is offline
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Oh that kind of device is just what i'm looking for. I do have two separate HDDs for the each OS and capture files, i was planning to remove the one connected to the optical drive once i was done with it and plug in the second HDD, but that's a much better solution and save me fiddling about.

My desktop already has an eSata port on the front, so i just need an additional two SATA ports inside. Though if it has LS seal of approval i probably should go for it, and all PCI sata expansion cards around now might not be compatible with an XP machine?
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  #8  
06-05-2019, 09:40 PM
Sergei316 Sergei316 is offline
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With skipping the XP registration, doesn't XP require activation in 30 days?
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  #9  
06-05-2019, 10:13 PM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergei316 View Post
With skipping the XP registration, doesn't XP require activation in 30 days?
Yes, that is my understanding.
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  #10  
06-06-2019, 07:15 AM
Master Tape Master Tape is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergei316 View Post
With skipping the XP registration, doesn't XP require activation in 30 days?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JPMedia View Post
Yes, that is my understanding.
Ah, so then reinstalling XP would be pointless then if i still have to activate it?
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  #11  
06-06-2019, 07:19 AM
Sergei316 Sergei316 is offline
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There are ways to bypass the activation. You have to make some registry tweaks to get it to work. The MS XP activation servers are inactive.
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  #12  
06-06-2019, 07:26 AM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Master Tape View Post
Ah, so then reinstalling XP would be pointless then if i still have to activate it?
Hold up, language misunderstanding. You will NOT BE ASKED TO REGISTER IN 30 DAYS if you follow my steps above.
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  #13  
06-06-2019, 08:39 AM
Sergei316 Sergei316 is offline
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Now I am confused . If you skip the activation XP will ask to register with MS for 30 days. After 30 days XP locks you out. I have tried skipping the part above and it still asks for activation with MS. Maybe I am doing something wrong.
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  #14  
06-06-2019, 09:03 AM
Master Tape Master Tape is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergei316 View Post
Now I am confused . If you skip the activation XP will ask to register with MS for 30 days. After 30 days XP locks you out. I have tried skipping the part above and it still asks for activation with MS. Maybe I am doing something wrong.
Yes, was about to post the same thing. After skipping that screen, this one comes up..

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  #15  
06-06-2019, 09:33 AM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Master Tape View Post
Yes, was about to post the same thing. After skipping that screen, this one comes up..

Gotta attach the image to your post.

In the advanced reply mode, click "Manage Attachments"

A box will show up with 5 attachment slots. Click on one of the attachment slots and you'll be asked to find the file you'd like to upload. Then upload the file.

The file will appear in the "Attach Files" section under "Additional Settings." Right click on the file and select "copy link address."

Then in the message composition window click on the picture button. You'll be asked for a URL. Paste the URL you copied from your attachment below. Make sure to clear out the "http://" that appears in the insert picture window before pasting your URL.

Your picture will then appear in your post.
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  #16  
06-06-2019, 10:14 AM
Master Tape Master Tape is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPMedia View Post
Gotta attach the image to your post.

In the advanced reply mode, click "Manage Attachments"

A box will show up with 5 attachment slots. Click on one of the attachment slots and you'll be asked to find the file you'd like to upload. Then upload the file.

The file will appear in the "Attach Files" section under "Additional Settings." Right click on the file and select "copy link address."

Then in the message composition window click on the picture button. You'll be asked for a URL. Paste the URL you copied from your attachment below. Make sure to clear out the "http://" that appears in the insert picture window before pasting your URL.

Your picture will then appear in your post.
Oh i see.. Hopefully it goes through this time



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  #17  
06-06-2019, 10:26 AM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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The image went through!

Okay. The screen you're seeing during installation is different than the one I see during installation. You said you have an install disk with Windows XP SP2. Perhaps this screen was changed between the original release of Windows XP, Service Pack 1, and Service Pack 2.

This is a theory, but if you reinstall using a base Windows XP install disk that doesn't come with service packs, you might be able to avoid this specific activation prompt. Then install SP1 and SP2 after installing base WinXP.

Send me a private message. I'll send you something that will help.
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  #18  
06-11-2019, 09:09 AM
JohnCaldwell JohnCaldwell is offline
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One tip - Windows XP is not AHCI-native (a standard governing how the motherboard talks to hard drives), and unless you install a specific chipset driver during installation - via floppy disk, of all things - you’re going to have to try very finicky methods to update the driver post install. I’m fairly knowledgeable and gave up after a few hours of booting into BSOD, restoring, and trying again.

All that means is that the computer defaults to ‘ATA’ mode, which doesn’t really mean much other than the fact that SATA drives aren’t hot swappable anymore. Net net, just means you need to turn off the computer before disconnecting the drive.
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06-11-2019, 02:39 PM
JPMedia JPMedia is offline
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What other hardware are you using? At no point in my XP build did I need to load drivers via Floppy Disk.
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06-11-2019, 03:44 PM
JohnCaldwell JohnCaldwell is offline
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It gets into the weeds fast, but a Dell XPS 410. It shipped with vista, and an intel ICH -8 south ridge controller (back when we had southbridges). It’s the part that talks to the hard drives. That part supports the ATA protocol or the AHCI protocol, the latter being newer and supporting not swapping and offloading disk scheduling into the hdd’s Controller. Unfortunately the spec wasn’t finalized when XP launched, and MSFT never built it into XP (Vista and forwards have it).

If you want to use AHCI (including SATA hot swapping) you need to install the drivers during installation or figure out a slightly tricky registry hack to install later. Because Microsoft, the only media you can use to load the southbridge driver is a floppy disk.

Or you can do what I did and switch the BIOS to use ATA. Makes it easier, but you lose hot swapping and some scheduling advantages (only really material if server-level of Drive access). Most computers of the XP era didn’t support AHCI at all, hence the lack of an issue.

If you try to boot or install XP awhile AHCI is enabled and don’t have the driver available via floppy, it’ll BSOD until you downgrade to ATA in the bios.
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