How to install WinXP in a SATA hard disk without floppy drive?

[Bruce Sam]

My computer is not equiped floppy drive.But installing WinXP in a
SATA hard disk need a FD.If I want to reinstall WinXP,I have to borrow
a floppy drive.It is so bother.I wouldn't like to buy a floppy
drive,because I think it is out of time.I have an idea that integrate
the SATA driver to the startup disk of WinXP.But I failed to make the
startup disk,possibly my facture is wrong.Does anyone have better idea?
Any help is greatly appreciate!

 

[Paul Smith]

My computer is not equiped floppy drive.But installing WinXP in a
SATA hard disk need a FD.If I want to reinstall WinXP,I have to borrow
a floppy drive.It is so bother.I wouldn't like to buy a floppy
drive,because I think it is out of time.I have an idea that integrate
the SATA driver to the startup disk of WinXP.But I failed to make the
startup disk,possibly my facture is wrong.Does anyone have better idea?

I don't think there is anyway around this, yes it is a huge pain in the
rear.

We had better see improvement in Longhorn, I don't like spending 30 minutes
hunting around for a floppy drive!

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
http://windows.dasmirnov.net/ Windows XP Resource Site.

*Replace nospam with smirnov to reply by e-mail*

 

[Peter Row]

Hi,

For the price of a floppy drive (if we're talking desktop machines)
you might as well just have one plugged in all the time.

It's not like you can use that channel on the MB for anything else
and then you won't have these issues.

Although I agree having to use floppy in order for the HDD to even
be recognised is a right royal pain in the arse.

Bye,
Pete

 

[Al Smith]

For the price of a floppy drive (if we're talking desktop machines)

you might as well just have one plugged in all the time.

It's not like you can use that channel on the MB for anything else
and then you won't have these issues.

In the system I just built, my new floppy cost ten dollars, is a
Sony, and took thirty seconds to install. Why not have one? I find
that I still use the floppy drive for the odd file transfer.

 

[Bruce Sam]

Is it impossible to install WinXP in a SATA hard disk without
floppy drive?It looks as if I have to buy one.

 

[R. McCarty]

About the only way to embed a custom driver in the XP install is
with an Unattended setup. With this, you script the answers and use
a customization file/folder to include drivers specific to the setup.
However, it's a lot of work for a single system.
One solution would be to create a small Fat32 partition at the end
of the drive, Copy the i386 CD folder to it. Create a bootable CD
disk (w/SATA drivers). Boot to the CD-R (Which emulates A:\)
then start the XP install from the i386 folder. I've done this, but
again allot of work to just provide Floppy style support. It has some
issues such as Drive lettering (XP might end up on D:, E: unless you
pre-partition all the disk beforehand)
A traditional Floppy is $15, but requires opening the case, cabling
BIOS changes, etc.... For an additional $25 you can get a USB
floppy drive (Sony and some other vendors offer one). Probably,
you'll have little need for it beyond installing but it is handy to have
on hand.
Hopefully, future Windows will add support for USB Thumbdrives
and other media for accessing custom drivers for setup.