Now unfortunateley, I am also one of those unfortunate sods whose only copy of Windows XP happens to be an "upgrade" version...So aside from installing the OS itself, I also have to prove that I have the entitlement to use this "upgrade" version. Normally this would be a simple matter of inserting the CD from an upgradable OS (Windows 98 in my case) into the CD-ROM drive when prompted during installation - But remember what I said above; The system in question has no CD-ROM drive, and it isn't possible for me to install one.

So at around 18:00 last night, I started out on what should've been a relatively simple task: Having no CD-ROM drive, I would have to install an older OS first and upgrade from that. However, things were not nearly going to be anywhere near that easy... :-S

Having an available hot-swap bay in another PC; My first attempt was to take the drive out of the Beetle and insert it into said bay, repartition the drive in an appropriate manner, and copy all of the OS data that I would need to a FAT-16 partition on the drive. I went about this - Taking about 90 minutes to copy all of the relevant OS data from CD-ROM to the HDD - Only to find that the FAT-16 partition that I had created in Windows XP wasn't compatable with the MS-DOS 6.20 floppy that I was using to boot up the Beetle.
So thus fell the first of several possible and completely plausable methods...

My second approach - Noting that any filesystem formatting would have to be done in DOS only - Was to reformat the partition from DOS 6.20, then copy and install Windows 3.11, followed by Windows XP (Which cites 3.11 as a valid upgradable OS) - The OS pathing in this case being chosen with a view of reducing disk usage. However, although Windows 3.11 installed fine (On the second attempt) I tried to run the XP installer...Which proceeded to waste a good 90 minutes copying files from the OS image into some randomly named folder, only to then tell me that "No previous version of Windows NT could be found upon your computer; You do not qualify to use this upgrade product".
Now pardon me if I'm being a slightly demanding end-user here, but shouldn't the OS installer check for any such compliance before performing any form of time-consuming operation?!?!? :-C

So...Attempt number 3 saw me reformatting the drive again and trying to install XP via an install of NT Workstation 4.00. However, after leaving the machine to sit around for a good two hours plus (Whilst WinNT decided to pointlessly copy the same files from one part of the filesystem to another, using an abysmal copying throughput that could be bettered with punched cards!) I rebooted the machine to find that the bloody thing had only gone and not dropped a boot-sector to the HDD and had made the assumption that I had a WinNT startup disc to hand.
And lo...Thus another two f***ing hours was lost straight down the pan... :-C

By this point, I had already been trying to set up this machine for at least six hours, and I didn't fancy wasting another two hours giving WinNT another bash...So out came the copy of Windows 98...A version of Windows that - Though known to be about as secure as Michael Jackson in a childrens home - Is generally reliable enough to act as a stepping stone when having to "double-up" an install in this way. But alas - After spending yet another half hour copying Windows 98 to the Beetle's HDD - It appeared that either my supporting machine had completely f***ed up the copy operation, or Windows 98 was written by some completely lazy c**ts...Whose knowlege of computers extends only as far as how to turn one on and open Internet Exploiter, and who wouldn't know a computer if one fell upon them from a great height! :-O

At the time of writing this weblog on my other machine - A whole seven and a half hours after I started what should've been a 90 minute operation - I still have a Beetle computer with no workable operating system (Bar the MS-DOS kernel, and how am I supposed to watch video on that?), I've spent an entire evening sat in front of two computers for absolutely no positive reason whatsoever, and - Thanks to the understandable rage generated by the continual f***ups of Microsoft's s***ty and completely unmarketable "products" as outlined above - I now have a rather shattered and Bloodied fist from where I slammed it headlong into a wall... :-O
(Well - It was a choice of either harming myself, or going out and venting my rather fatal anger on some poor innocent person...And I'd rather the former than the latter, to be honest! :-)

So...At this moment, I have a SEVERE degree of anger directed entirely towards Microsoft, and I am very much tempted to find whichever of their offices lies within a convenient distance of my own realms, and go show them just how angry I am with them. Steve Balmer - As the current CEO of Microsoft (Bill Gates retired about six months back IIRC) may be a rather big person in both girth and corporate standing...But he sure as f**k isn't any more immune to pain than the rest of us. Dear Gods! I dread to think what would've come to pass if he was within my presence right at this moment, and I had my trusty Sword to hand... :-O >:-)

Thinking along more reasonable lines for a minute:
My first step on sorting this issue out will no doubt be a letter to Microsoft outlining the problems that I have experienced tonight, along with an invoice for the time that I have lost tonight (Which they would be very wise to pay in full without any questions!) and some strong recommendations as to how the more time-consuming functions of their products should be laid out. If they respond to me in full, compensate me for the loss of time and physical damages I have incurred this night, and implement the recommendations that I will make to them, then all will be well...But should they fail to do what I ask of them, then I shall not be held accountable - In any way whatsoever - For my actions, whatever form they may take... >:-@
(Sub-note: Some may point out that most Microsoft EULAs contain a clause that restricts and exempts Microsoft from any consequential liabilities. However, I have my own general and trade policies in place. These policies wholly override any and all corporate policies that clash with them, and also completely annul any form of liability limitation that said policies may try to exert.
As Microsoft have released their products to the public at large for some time now, they have irrevocably fallen under the legislation of my policies regarding software and retail already, and in practice they don't have a single leg to stand on! ;-)

At the moment, Microsoft still have a choice in their future: If they choose wisely, then they'll only have a small compensational payment and some customer feedback to take on. If they choose unwisely however, then a full public release of Windows VII may never materialise. After all, it is rather hard for a software developer to code with his head seperated rather violently from his shoulders... >;-)

Farewell for now...And I pray that no-one else ever has to put up with this kind of s*** in their lives...
+++ DieselDragon +++