Install winXP w/o CD ROM

[AJS]

Hello,
My laptop (P3, 500Mhz) had an external CD ROM drive which I lost.
I did the following to install XP:
I moved the HD from this Laptop, inserted it to another Laptop, installed XP
on it and then put it back.
When I turned on the laptop it will not boot only gives choices between
"Save Mode" etc. and whatever I chose it went back to that screen.
How can I install XP without a CD ROM?
Thanks,
AJS

 

[Guest]

The problem you are having is probly due to the fact that the LT you used to
install XP is different then the one you want to run it on.
When installing the OS. It checks hardware available on the machine to be
able to load the proper drivers.
When you move the HD to it's home machine it may hve different hardware
and different driver needs then the installer machine. Hence "Safe Mode"
running everything on minimum generic drivers.
To do what you want. You will need an exact twin LT as the one you are using.
Can't you borrow a external CD drive to do a proper install?

 

[RedForeman]

Hello,
My laptop (P3, 500Mhz) had an external CD ROM drive which I lost.
I did the following to install XP:
I moved the HD from this Laptop, inserted it to another Laptop, installed XP
on it and then put it back.
When I turned on the laptop it will not boot only gives choices between
"Save Mode" etc. and whatever I chose it went back to that screen.
How can I install XP without a CD ROM?
Thanks,
AJS

I would create a 'network' with another computer, share the CDROM on
that computer, and install it from the OTHER cdrom...

 

[Malke]

I would create a 'network' with another computer, share the CDROM on
that computer, and install it from the OTHER cdrom...

You can't install XP from the network unless you have an RIS server set
up. I rather doubt the OP does. The best course of action for the OP is
to purchase another external optical drive. Since his/her computer is so
old, it may not have the ability to boot from a USB device so I would
check that first in the BIOS. Otherwise, s/he should contact the laptop
mftr. for a replacement or look in the after-market.

As an aside, unless XP was previously installed on that laptop and the
OP knows it works, it is likely that XP will not run well and/or there
are no drivers for the laptop hardware to support XP. I would definitely
check that aspect of the case before going any further.


Malke

 

[Rock]

Hello,
My laptop (P3, 500Mhz) had an external CD ROM drive which I lost.
I did the following to install XP:
I moved the HD from this Laptop, inserted it to another Laptop, installed
XP
on it and then put it back.
When I turned on the laptop it will not boot only gives choices between
"Save Mode" etc. and whatever I chose it went back to that screen.
How can I install XP without a CD ROM?

You can't. You need to get a CD-ROM. Do you know this laptop will run XP?
Has XP been installed on it? Do you have the XP drivers for it.?

 

[jameshanley39]

Hello,
My laptop (P3, 500Mhz) had an external CD ROM drive which I lost.
I did the following to install XP:
I moved the HD from this Laptop, inserted it to another Laptop, installed XP
on it and then put it back.
When I turned on the laptop it will not boot only gives choices between
"Save Mode" etc. and whatever I chose it went back to that screen.
How can I install XP without a CD ROM?
Thanks,
AJS

I'd be very suprised if it's not possible. I'm sure i've done it.

You copy the win xp setup cd from CDROM to HDD.

Then you run the setup installation file.

Fairly obvious really. People did similar with win98 sometimes too.
running setup.exe
With Win XP or Win NT generally, the setup installation file probably
just has a different name.

If anybody dismisses it without trying it first, they're idiots.

 

[Guest]

Hello,
My laptop (P3, 500Mhz) had an external CD ROM drive which I lost.
I did the following to install XP:
I moved the HD from this Laptop, inserted it to another Laptop, installed XP
on it and then put it back.
When I turned on the laptop it will not boot only gives choices between
"Save Mode" etc. and whatever I chose it went back to that screen.
How can I install XP without a CD ROM?
Thanks,
AJS

If you have a floppy drive in your LT, you can always do the minimum install
of basic drivers etc, before completing the remainder over a network
connection via netwrok boot after installation reboot. not sure how to do
that one, but perhaps an MVP can help out here.

 

[Guest]

If you have a floppy drive in your LT, you can always do the minimum install
of basic drivers etc, before completing the remainder over a network
connection via netwrok boot after installation reboot. not sure how to do
that one, but perhaps an MVP can help out here.

Or, you could run from a network boot in the 1st place, and get the files
transferred into it that way.

 

[Rock]

I'd be very suprised if it's not possible. I'm sure i've done it.

You copy the win xp setup cd from CDROM to HDD.

Then you run the setup installation file.

Fairly obvious really. People did similar with win98 sometimes too.
running setup.exe
With Win XP or Win NT generally, the setup installation file probably
just has a different name.

If anybody dismisses it without trying it first, they're idiots.

To do that you need a CD ROM. He asked how to do it without one.

 

[jameshanley39]

To do that you need a CD ROM. He asked how to do it without one.

I didn't read the whole body.

But his subject mentioned "install winXP w/o CDROM". And he has a
laptop. So I guess his laptop doesn't have a CDROM and that's the
problem. I'm sure his friends have a CDROM. They can transfer the
windows setup files onto the Hard drive of his laptop.
Then he installs Win XP Off HDD.

Or he can attach that CDROM USB externally, he can copy the files onto
his HDD. THen he can install Win XP off HDD.

Or, in the even that he can boot off USB, then I suppose he can boot
and install off CDROM.

Taking the strictest definition of what he means. It's installing win
xp off the CDROM. And that reflects an understandable problem. Not
having a CDROM.

I suppose maybe he could boot off a USB key and install it off that.
If he can boot off USB.

 

[Rock]

I didn't read the whole body.

But his subject mentioned "install winXP w/o CDROM". And he has a
laptop. So I guess his laptop doesn't have a CDROM and that's the
problem. I'm sure his friends have a CDROM. They can transfer the
windows setup files onto the Hard drive of his laptop.
Then he installs Win XP Off HDD.

Or he can attach that CDROM USB externally, he can copy the files onto
his HDD. THen he can install Win XP off HDD.

Or, in the even that he can boot off USB, then I suppose he can boot
and install off CDROM.

Taking the strictest definition of what he means. It's installing win
xp off the CDROM. And that reflects an understandable problem. Not
having a CDROM.

I suppose maybe he could boot off a USB key and install it off that.
If he can boot off USB.

Yeah his fix is simple.

 

[Paul Knudsen]

Hello,
My laptop (P3, 500Mhz) had an external CD ROM drive which I lost.
I did the following to install XP:
I moved the HD from this Laptop, inserted it to another Laptop, installed XP
on it and then put it back.
When I turned on the laptop it will not boot only gives choices between
"Save Mode" etc. and whatever I chose it went back to that screen.
How can I install XP without a CD ROM?
Thanks,
AJS

Never done this, but heard it's possible to install XP from floppies.
Of course you'd need another computer to read the CD, and copy the
files to floppies. 6 are required.

Google is your friend. For example:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kb.../WindowsXPsetupdisksforfloppybootinstall.html

Me, I'd just look for a new CD drive on Ebay.

 

[Mike Cawood, HND BIT]

Never done this, but heard it's possible to install XP from floppies.
Of course you'd need another computer to read the CD, and copy the
files to floppies. 6 are required.

Google is your friend. For example:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kb.../WindowsXPsetupdisksforfloppybootinstall.html

Me, I'd just look for a new CD drive on Ebay.

Floppies - how quaint.

 

[Bob I]

Never done this, but heard it's possible to install XP from floppies.
Of course you'd need another computer to read the CD, and copy the
files to floppies. 6 are required.

Google is your friend. For example:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kb.../WindowsXPsetupdisksforfloppybootinstall.html

Me, I'd just look for a new CD drive on Ebay.

Actually the 6 floppies just get you to the point where the CD can be
read so as to load the OS, if your CD-drive is incapable of being booted
from.

 

[Paul Knudsen]

Actually the 6 floppies just get you to the point where the CD can be
read so as to load the OS, if your CD-drive is incapable of being booted
from.

Interesting. Hard to see why you'd need 6 floppies just for that.

But anyway, like I said, the OP should get himself a new CD-R drive.