"This Computer Does Not Have Enough Disk Partitions" Error Message When You Try to Install a RIS Image

When you try to install Microsoft Windows XP on a computer, by using a Remote Installation Services (RIS) image, you receive the following error message:However, you can install Windows successfully when you run Setup from the Windows XP CD-ROM or by using a RIS CD-ROM-based image.

This issue may occur when the following is true:

• The Windows XP installation files where the image is based (the flat, or the backing flat if you are installing Windows XP Service Pack 1 from a non-integrated flat) are the original (or Gold) Windows XP Professional Edition files.
  
  -and-
• The destination computer has a USB flash storage device installed.

On Microsoft Windows Server 2003 RIS servers, this issue can also occur when both the original version of Windows XP (Gold) and Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) images are stored on the same RIS server.

This issue occurs because the Windows XP text mode setup program, Setupdd.sys permits the installation to removable media. This portion of Setup views the USB flash device as a valid installation destination. However, because it is too small for the Windows installation files, Setup is unsuccessful.

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods appropriate to your situation:

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 RIS Servers

Remove the CD-based image (the one created by using Risetup.exe) from the RIS server or rename it so that it appears alphabetically lower than the Windows XP with SP1 integrated (slipstreamed) CD-based image.

When the non-Windows XP SP1 image is removed or renamed, the remote installation is successful.

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server RIS Servers

To resolve this issue, re-create the Riprep image and update the backing flat to Windows XP SP1 (integrated SP1).

Windows XP SP1 contains an updated version of Setupdd.sys that does not consider USB flash devices as valid installation media during the text mode portion of Setup.

To work around this problem, unplug the USB flash storage device before you install the RIS image.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Windows XP SP1 contains an updated version of Setupdd.sys that does not consider USB flash devices as valid installation media during the text mode portion of Setup. Additionally, Windows Server 2003 was updated to allow the original version of Windows XP (Gold) to act as a backing flat for Windows XP SP1 Riprep images. The issue between Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 differs as follows:

• Windows 2000 Server
  When the Binlsvc service searches for a backing flat image on a Windows 2000 RIS server, it checks each folder alphabetically, looking for a match with Ntoskrnl.exe. During this process, both the major and minor versions of the file are compared. Differences between the Gold version, SP1, and later service packs, are identified. Because of this, only an image with the matching service pack level is used. The Windows XP Gold installation files cannot be used as a backing flat for a Windows XP SP1 image.
  
  When you re-create the image to integrate the Windows XP SP1 files, the new updated version of Setupdd.sys is used during Setup.
• Windows Server 2003
  When the Binlsvc service searches for a backing flat image on a Windows Server 2003 RIS server, it checks each folder alphabetically, looking for a match with Ntoskrnl.exe. During this process, only the major versions of the files are checked. This permits the Gold version of Windows XP to be used as a backing flat for a Windows XP SP1 image.
  
  When you rename the Windows XP Gold-based image so that it appears lower in the list, the updated Setupdd.sys file from the Windows XP SP1 installation files is used during Setup.