Manifest Parse error....ARRRRGGGG

[Duce]

Hi All

While re-installing XP, and the product key was entered, I got to the point where it stops with the "fatal error" screen which in so many words says I have a manifest parse error from a file that is corrupt (off the cd) So I re-format the disk..bout the 20th time now and everytime I start the installation process...it always goes to that screen, (the one after the product key and the same error pops up. I would have thought that if the disk is formatted that it would start from scratch and not where it left off,(at the fatal error screen. Microsoft site suggests that I try another disk....any other suggestions?
thanks

[pcdoc4christ]

Duce:

Just curious; are you booting from a DOS startup disk and then running the setup, or are you booting from the Windows XP CD?

Also, does the error have the word STOP followed by several numbers or letters?  If so, write down all the numbers and letters and let us know what they are so one of us may look it up and see what Micorosoft suggests.

[Mac]

If you Google for - manifest parse error - you'll get quite a tale of woe. Some of which I don't doubt are true tales concerning "Big Brother's speak-write" AKA the Porn Baron's computer network.

What I often do is to Puritanically hand-wash the offending CD in luke-warm water with a couple of drops of mild soap solution and a soft sponge, then gently dry with a clean linen cloth.

Usually works every time.

If there is a possibility of other (hhmmm) - corruption -  making a copy using data verification usually produces a working XP CD so that the original can be kept safely so as not to get damaged by repeated use.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, not Elliot Ness.

And the copied CD is just like the, um, real McCoy...

[Duce]

Hey guys.. thanks for the quick reply...no...i used the cd to boot of of and no there were no "stop" with numbers attached but what the error message did say was that it could no find the "controls.man file located deep within the I386 dir...so I copied this file onto a flop and before the "screen of death" appeared, I removed the cd and when it asked me to insert, I untilized the floppy and while it was copying the  control file I re-inserted the cd and it proceeded to install the remaining files. So that was good but man...one *censored* of a process getting to that point.

As far as the copying of the original disk, I did give the cd a mild wash before copying and to no avail....whats weird is the file was easily transfered to flop yet unseen during the setup...in any event...thanks again...this is a great site

Cheers

Ivan

[Mac]

Hey guys.. thanks for the quick reply...no...i used the cd to boot of of and no there were no "stop" with numbers attached but what the error message did say was that it could not find the "controls.man file located deep within the I386 dir...so I copied this file onto a floppy and before the "screen of death" appeared, I removed the cd and when it asked me to insert I utilized the floppy, and while it was copying the  control file I re-inserted the cd and it proceeded to install the remaining files. So that was good, but man...one *censored* of a process getting to that point.

As far as the copying of the original disk, I did give the cd a mild wash before copying and to no avail....what's weird is the file was easily transferred to floppy yet unseen during the setup...in any event...thanks again...this is a great site.

Cheers

Ivan

Very clever Ivan. Thanks for the tip! It ties in with this advice.

CONTROLS.MAN

[Mac]

I just thought to say that, if your XP CD does not have SP2, then slipstreaming SP2 with it and burning an XP SP2 CD might cure the problem.

I use AutoStreamer 1·0 or NLite to do slipstreaming with.

Need to be careful with NLite, as you can take too much out.