Starting WinXP from CD

[il barbi]

I've got an old notebook with clock 550MHz, 64MB Ram, HD 5 Giga (formatted
FAT32) and Win982e and I'd like to run on it a program for remote control of
a digital camera that unfortunately is released only under WinXP - now I
guess if it is possible to build a CD with a retailed version of WinXP being
able to run on the notebook, just to run this only program, do you think it
is possible? if so how can I build such CD?
il barbi

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I've got an old notebook with clock 550MHz, 64MB Ram, HD 5 Giga (formatted
FAT32) and Win982e and I'd like to run on it a program for remote control
of a digital camera that unfortunately is released only under WinXP - now
I guess if it is possible to build a CD with a retailed version of WinXP
being able to run on the notebook, just to run this only program, do you
think it is possible? if so how can I build such CD?
il barbi

I think your problem is not so much how to build such a CD
but how ot make it run WinXP. 64 MBytes was tight for
Win2000; it is grossly inadequate for WinXP. I recommend
you buy a more recent notebook with hardware specs that
are suitable for WinXP (256 MBytes of RAM).

 

[RJK]

I'm sure that you'll agree Pegasus that, the same applies with XP as it did
with all previous generations of Windows machines, PC system box vendors,
even today!, keep pumping out boxes with not enough RAM. During past
periods of very high memory prices, that was perhaps excusable but, NOT atm.
i.e. XP really needs double the 256mb to significantly reduce paging file
usage, which significantly reduces that dreadful "takes ages to
respond/non-responsive" feel, almost always found on XP PC's with just 256mb
system memory.

I just put a 512mb stick into a friends Compaq 9????, can't remember the
model, that was supplied with only 256mb. Massive difference, ...of course
! He later commented that his Laptop was much faster ! NO IT isn't, I told
him, there is a subtle difference - i.e. more RAM allows a given system to
be more responsive, (which may make it seem faster), but, the subtle
differenc remains !!



regards, Richard

 

[il barbi]

I think your problem is not so much how to build such a CD
but how ot make it run WinXP. 64 MBytes was tight for
Win2000; it is grossly inadequate for WinXP. I recommend
you buy a more recent notebook with hardware specs that
are suitable for WinXP (256 MBytes of RAM).

ok I could load 256 MB of RAM on my notebook but I'm not willing to install
WinXP on it by fear that it cannot possibly run and then maybe I can't
succeed in reinstalling Win982e - this is why I thought to run WinXP from a
CD
il barbi

 

[Gordon]

ok I could load 256 MB of RAM on my notebook but I'm not willing to
install WinXP on it by fear that it cannot possibly run and then maybe I
can't succeed in reinstalling Win982e - this is why I thought to run WinXP
from a CD
il barbi

the only XP to run from a CD (AFAIK) is Barts PE - and that is NOT designed
as a Live CD in the Linux sense - it's designed as a recovery tool.

256MB RAM and 5GB HDD space should be OK to run XP (just) but don't expect
blistering performance.

 

[HeyBub]

I've got an old notebook with clock 550MHz, 64MB Ram, HD 5 Giga
(formatted FAT32) and Win982e and I'd like to run on it a program for
remote control of a digital camera that unfortunately is released
only under WinXP - now I guess if it is possible to build a CD with a
retailed version of WinXP being able to run on the notebook, just to
run this only program, do you think it is possible? if so how can I
build such CD? il barbi

Not possible. XP requires read-write access to the system. CDs are read
only.

It is difficult, though not entirely impossible, to run XP from a portable
drive.

You MIGHT be able to get a slimmed-down version of XP on the 5Gb hard drive
and use a portable drive for the camera program's data.

Worth a shot.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

ok I could load 256 MB of RAM on my notebook but I'm not willing to
install WinXP on it by fear that it cannot possibly run and then maybe I
can't succeed in reinstalling Win982e - this is why I thought to run WinXP
from a CD
il barbi

What's the problem with re-installing Win98? Take a snapshot
of it, using one of the many imaging programs (some free),
test the snapshot on some other machine, then go and install
WinXP.

As Gordon said, probably the only CD version of WinXP is
a Bart PE CD (www.bootdisk.com). It takes a few hours to
make one and I doubt that it will run your programs.

 

[Unknown]

You cannot run programs from CD's. All programs run from memory.

 

[Gordon]

Not possible. XP requires read-write access to the system. CDs are read
only.

Not true. Barts PE will run XP from a CD and also many Linux distros will
run from a CD...

 

[Unknown]

Programs do not run from CD's. They must reside in memory.

 

[il barbi]

As Gordon said, probably the only CD version of WinXP is
a Bart PE CD (www.bootdisk.com). It takes a few hours to
make one and I doubt that it will run your programs.

well, I downloaded BartPE sw, installed it and it built a bootable CD in
about 10'...
Moreover it runs even on my old notebook with only 64MB, taking only 2' to
load! Indeed I read that Bart has introduced this feature with the last but
one release (the last is 3.1.10a).
Now the bad I must install my camera remote control program... how can
I do? I think I must kind of embedding the files resulting from the
installation in the CD but how can I do?
Alternatively I could think of creating a new logical drive on my HD and
load BartPE there so I'll be able to install my packet there...
il barbi

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

well, I downloaded BartPE sw, installed it and it built a bootable CD in
about 10'...

Good on you! It took me a lot longer.

Moreover it runs even on my old notebook with only 64MB, taking only 2' to
load! Indeed I read that Bart has introduced this feature with the last
but one release (the last is 3.1.10a).

This might explain why my version won't run on a machine
with so little RAM. It's a much older than 3.1.10a.

Now the bad I must install my camera remote control program... how
can I do? I think I must kind of embedding the files resulting from the
installation in the CD but how can I do?
Alternatively I could think of creating a new logical drive on my HD and
load BartPE there so I'll be able to install my packet there...
il barbi

How about using a flash disk? If it is connected at boot time then
the Bart PE environment will recognise it.

By the way, I suspect that you might be in breach of copyright
in the strict sense of the word. Microsoft's terms and conditions
require you to purchase a WinXP licence for every machine on
which you use WinXP. I get the impression that you have none
for your old notebook. While you might decide that this is an
academic point, Microsoft might think otherwise and stop the
release of future products like this one. Your gain might be the
loss of those who come after you.

 

[il barbi]

How about using a flash disk? If it is connected at boot time then
the Bart PE environment will recognise it.

good idea, is it enough to copy my bootable CD on the flash disk?

By the way, I suspect that you might be in breach of copyright
in the strict sense of the word. Microsoft's terms and conditions
require you to purchase a WinXP licence for every machine on
which you use WinXP. I get the impression that you have none
for your old notebook. While you might decide that this is an
academic point, Microsoft might think otherwise and stop the
release of future products like this one. Your gain might be the
loss of those who come after you.

you're right but I don't think my strange needs are to ruin MS, Win98 is
already out of support and WinXP probably will last few years
il barbi

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

good idea, is it enough to copy my bootable CD on the flash disk?

you're right but I don't think my strange needs are to ruin MS, Win98 is
already out of support and WinXP probably will last few years
il barbi

You miss the point. If MS consider your use of the Bart PE an
abuse of copyright then they might prevent future releases, which
they can easily do.