Windows XP install (No Dvd/Cd drive)

Anti · 23-08-2009 12:03pm #1

Hi guys,

Ive been trying to get ubuntu onto my new netbook, but am having no luck at all. So ive decided to throw win xp back on it. Usually this would be straight forward, pop in the cd and boot from it and install. No such luck as this netbook has no cd/dvd drive. I have a older copy of XP here on cd with SP2. Following a guide ive managed to build sp3 into the iso package, and made another of just the original cd.

No problem is, no matter which guide i follow online i can not get XP onto a usb key, ive gone through each guide multiple times and it always fails at some point.

Anyone here know a guide which actually works and can point me in the right direction.

The pc im doing this on is a windows vista 64bit ultimate setup, and im going to be putting XP on a samsung NC20 netbook.

Thank in advance.

mp22 · 23-08-2009 12:31pm

http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=1CILVKWHISNDDQE1GHPCKH4ATMY32JVN?articleID=177102101
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/files/pe2usb101.zip
first link is a guide second is software that seems to be needed, never tried this myself though

ScumLord · 23-08-2009 4:04pm

Can't it be done over a network, or do you need server to do that?

Anti · 23-08-2009 4:05pm

Yeah i can setup a RiS or PXE server, but thats just far to much effort to be honest.

Capt'n Midnight · 23-08-2009 6:01pm

you need to format the drive to FAT32, and copy over the i386 folder from the CD to the drive and run c:\i386\winnt

make a usb key dos bootable with the HP utility or others or use a linux boot usb key to do the formatting and copying

Anti · 23-08-2009 7:19pm

So lemme get this right, copy the i386 folder fromthe winxp cd to my hard drive after ive formatted the usb key to fat32 then run winnit.exe

And any of the linux tools will copy over the install files and the likes to the usb key ? Thenn boot from it on the netbook and bob's your farthers brother?

The reason i ask is all the guides take 40 odd steps to get it right.

ethernet · 23-08-2009 9:53pm

Anti wrote: »

And any of the linux tools will copy over the install files and the likes to the usb key ? Thenn boot from it on the netbook and bob's your farthers brother?

dd should do the trick:

dd if=/path/to/file of=/dev/sdb1 bs=512 count=1

where /dev/sdb1 is your USB key.

AlmightyCushion · 23-08-2009 9:56pm

I really wish microsoft would make this a much easier process.

Anti · 23-08-2009 11:54pm

ethernet wrote: »
dd should do the trick:
dd if=/path/to/file of=/dev/sdb1 bs=512 count=1
where /dev/sdb1 is your USB key.

Sorry mate, ive no idea what dd is, and my understanding of the unix file system is none existant. Care to elaborate a little ?

AlmightyCushion · 23-08-2009 11:57pm

Anti wrote: »

Sorry mate, ive no idea what dd is, and my understanding of the unix file system is none existant. Care to elaborate a little ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dd_(Unix)

Not sure if that helps you but it's a start.

Capt'n Midnight · 24-08-2009 12:12am

all that dd command will do is copy the boot sector - red herring.

1 make a bootable floppy disk in XP - right click etc

2 make a bootable USB disk with
http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm

Method 2 - Try these 2 HP/Compaq USB Flash Drive Utilities. They work with many other brands of flash drives as well.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool Version 2.0.6

HP Drive Key Boot Utility Version 7.41
Download

3 use linux usb key to format to fat 32 and copy i386 folder

4 boot from usb disk
go to i386 folder and run winnt

more or less, sometime I'll fill in the gaps

Windows XP install (No Dvd/Cd drive)

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