Member Avatar for katokato

i have netbook with 4gb ssd for windows installation.
i need to reinstall it so the documents and settings is on main hard drive (100gb) and program files are also on main drive.

got my xp installation, and I extracted iso into actual folder with winrar, searched for WINNT.sif
i put the following commands under the unattandedgui section: ProfilesDir = D:\
Programfilesdir = D:\
then i took the folder and rebuilt it with imgburn and i got the edited iso to boot.
then when installation came, i chose to install on ssd 4 gig, installation was going good, then reboot, error came saying: setup log file corrupt, please provide more information fatal error. and some other error i forget.
i tried this with two other copies of windows that i had, but it still doesnt work?
how do i modify the windows installation unattanded to change profiles dri and prgoram files dir to different path?

i already read the kb article on profiles dir and it didnt help.

also i think i have to put programfilesdir under [UNATTENDED] not the gui unattanded part.
i will also try to put actual name
but it is so weird that id have to put actual folder name, youd think that it would make an actual directory named programfiles and documents and settings already?

okay i read a guide on how to do it:

i got another iso of windows xp.
extracted it with winrar
looked at the new folder that was extracted, searched for WINNT.SIF
edited with notepad: under the [Unattendedgui]
i put profilesdir = D:\
and programfilesdir = D:\
saved it
went to imgburn
and i built a iso from the folder again
it said i had to get an image from the actual iso, so i mounted the iso(the original one) on a virtual drive, extraced the bootfile and added it into my new project
and then i made the new iso using iso9660(cant remember exact iso format) and joliet
burned the new iso on to disc
booted it in the netbook
reformatted ssd and main drive
reparitioned unallocated space
installed main windows installation to ssd (since i had the winnt edited im thinking that it would place programfiles and profiles on the main hard drive (D:\)
did the normal install
rebooted
got error

i tried everything here and then when i went to install i got this:
setup has failed to install product catalogs.
how do i fix this?
i tried the kb article on renaming catroot2 to catold but it always says access is denied

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by gerbil

Dani AI

Generated

Quick, practical summary tied to the thread: edited WINNT.SIF and rebuilt an XP ISO to put profiles and Program Files on the big drive, then hit “setup has failed to install product catalogs” after the GUI phase. is right to push following Setup’s rules — unattended entries must go in the correct sections and point to real, reachable paths.

Key facts and first checks

  • Put the ProgramFiles location in the [Unattended] part of WINNT.SIF and the user‑profile root in [GuiUnattended]; use a proper folder path (not just a bare drive letter). (pc-erfahrung.de)
  • If Setup is asked to put profiles or program files on a drive/target that doesn’t exist or isn’t formatted, the GUI phase can stall and throw the product‑catalog/signature failure; a common quick fix is to open a command prompt during setup (Shift+F10) and format/create the target volume. (chema.medio.click)

What the product‑catalog error usually means and where to look

  • That fatal message commonly appears when Setup can’t validate or copy catalog/signed files (signature errors, leftover catroot2 data, or damaged install media). Inspect the installation logs (setuperr.log, setupact.log, setupapi.log and Pnplog.txt — either under %windir% or X:\Windows during setup/WinPE) for the specific error code and file name. (itprotoday.com)

Actionable checklist (do these in order)

  1. Boot the modified CD, when the GUI phase starts press Shift+F10.
  2. Check the last 50 lines of setuperr.log / setupact.log in the Windows folder to see which file or code failed. (See Microsoft log locations.) (learn.microsoft.com)
  3. If the target drive is referenced but empty/unformatted, create/format it (this often fixes the catalog error). Example (destructive — back up first):
    format D: /fs:ntfs /q
  4. If you rebuilt the ISO, rebuild it with Microsoft’s tooling (oscdimg / CDIMAGE) or a tool that preserves hidden/system files and the boot image; that avoids breaking catalog/signature metadata. Example:
    oscdimg -u2 -m -h -b"path\boot\etfsboot.com" "path\to\xp_files" "xp-new.iso"

    (learn.microsoft.com)

If logs show signature/catalog file names or specific error codes, post the last ~20 lines of the setuperr.log/setupact.log — that narrows the fix. Following the unattended reference guides (per ) and using a proper ISO tool plus the Shift+F10 log checks will resolve most catalog failures. (pc-erfahrung.de)

Member Avatar for gerbil

Why try to circumvent Setup's rules? Do you like pain and frustration?
You ask why should you give ProgramFilesDir a directory name... well, you do simply because it wants one. And place the commands in their correct sections; when Setup wants something for a stage, it is going to look in the corresponding section.
Here is the guide :
Believe it.

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