problem installing NTL(Virgin Media) Broadband

[venture]

I have acquired a second hand PC with Windows XP Home Edition pre-installed + Service Pack 2.However,no installation CD or Restore CD came with it.Firstly,is there is way re-installing XP without a CD as i believe there is 'image' somewhere within I386 directory if there is how do i access it and make a copy and re-install it.Also the PC came with a built in Ethernet Card i tried to re-install NTL(Virgin Media) Broadband using the CD installer and error message came stating ' Malfunctioning Adapter - disable it or remove it ' I did this,rebooted and Windows XP sensed it ok with no problems and tried again to install Broadband but same error message popped up again.Installing on my previous Windows 98SE PC was simple !.Am i doing something wrong with XP or are there more hidden setup routines i need to know.Please advise anybody.

[punky]

to the forum!

I have moved your post out of the articles section (which is reserved for reference articles) into the main forum, which is for queries and help.

[Marge]

Do you use a Cable Modem or STB for your BB conx ?

[DocDutch]

Venture.

If you have a standard modem just keep that switched off for around 5 mins, plug in the XP machine via ethernet and then boot up the modem again.

this normally works for me.

[xpod]

You could try making yourself a bootable slipstreamed XP/SP2 cd from those XP setup files if thats what they are.There will be a WINNT.EXE & WINNT32.EXE in there along with 5 or 6 thousand other files if it is the right ones.

Thats the best way if you can manage it i think,theres loads of howtos out there.Just google "slipsreamed XP/SP2 cd`s"
You can also copy the i386 directory to a cd normally and with the help of a 98 bootdisk(or similar) reformat the drive,copy the i386 directory onto your newly created partition and run the WINNT.EXE from there.

Thats how i ended up doing things on our very first pc last year anyway.I was actually a complete pc noob at the time so i barely knew the differnece between a DLL & a LOL and just had to learn as i went.
It was also the used XP from a friend though and of course it was in a right old state(hence the reason she bought new probably)

By time i eventually managed to re-install the thing though it was already too late......my attentions were elsewhere