Installing WinXP without a CD Drive

[racketboy]

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]

500 floppy disks

 

[racketboy]

funny

 

[ExCyber]

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]

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]

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]

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...nstallation.asp

Something like that.

 

[racketboy]

it's a Sony. and Sony's support for drives sucks.

 

[racketboy]

So will the partition thing work? I'll have two partitions anyway.

 

[Dyne]

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]

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

 

[mtxblau]

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]

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]

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]

but getting the burner to be recognized at boot was the hard part