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Installing WinXP without a CD Drive
racketboy - May 27, 2004
  racketboy May 27, 2004
Looking to buy a laptop that doesn't have a CD Drive

Now if I wanted to format the drive and put Windows back on it, what would be the best way to do it.

My only thought is to have a partition where you copy the contents of the Windows CD over the network to it.

Then format the main partition and install from the other partition.

Sound right?

 Gallstaff May 27, 2004
500 floppy disks

 racketboy May 27, 2004
funny

 ExCyber May 27, 2004
I don't think it would have to be a separate partition, but that may be the best way to go; it would certainly expedite reinstalling if (when?) something gets screwed up that the feeble Recovery Console can't fix.

 it290 May 27, 2004
Network install maybe? I'm not sure how to go about setting that up with Windows, though.

edit - or just borrow a USB/PCMCIA cdrom drive.

 racketboy May 27, 2004
I have a USB CD Burner, but don't know if it would be recognized during install time with a formated drive. What boot disc would support it?

 Alexvrb May 27, 2004
I'm not sure of the specifics, and you might want to check the manufacturer's website (of the USB drive). But for example, if you had an addonics USB drive:

http://www.addonics.com/support/faqs/windo...nstal...

Something like that.

 racketboy May 27, 2004
it's a Sony. and Sony's support for drives sucks.

 racketboy May 27, 2004
So will the partition thing work? I'll have two partitions anyway.

 Dyne May 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by racketboy@May 27, 2004 @ 03:04 PM



 I have a USB CD Burner, but don't know if it would be recognized during install time with a formated drive. What boot disc would support it?


boot disc? xp itself is a boot disc. just put it in. if it starts windows install you got your answer.

 racketboy May 27, 2004
but how do I get XP "in" without a CD drive?

 mtxblau May 27, 2004
It'd require more than 500 disks.

Anyway, yes you can do it from a different partition. Copy over the I386 folder, and when you start it up, go to the folder and type winnt.

However, if you haven't done an install without a bootable CDROM before, make sure you make a boot disk w/ smartdrive on it. You can install WinXP without it, but it will take a LONG TIME, and XP will give you several warnings to not do it anyway.

The second way, via USB can be found here:

http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm...

A fellow maintains a website where you can download all the necessary stuff, but for four dollars. Seeing as how the usefulness of this stuff goes well beyond the four dollars, I would think it's a worth investment.

http://www.bootdisk.com/popfiles.htm...

Hope this helps.

 it290 May 27, 2004
Using USB, with many machines you can simply go into the BIOS and choose to boot from a USB device. Check to ensure your BIOS has this option before you format your disc, though.

edit - oh yeah, this will only work if your CD-ROM drive is able to function as a generic mass storage device, AFAIK. Some BIOSes also have a 'USB CD-ROM' option as well.

 Dyne May 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by racketboy@May 27, 2004 @ 05:00 PM



 but how do I get XP "in" without a CD drive?


i thought we already concluded you have a usb burner. thats what i was assuming you would use.

 racketboy May 27, 2004
but getting the burner to be recognized at boot was the hard part