Windows XP Re-Install without Internal dvd/cd drive

[BlogTrotter]

The internal dvd/cd drive in my Sony laptop is faulty and I use an external
drive. I am now having problems with Windows XP. How can I re-install Windows
XP using the recovery disc without using the internal dvd/cd drive? Is it
possible to download WXP: or install it from an external Philips dvd/cd drive
or memory stick. BlogTrotter

 

[Alias]

The internal dvd/cd drive in my Sony laptop is faulty and I use an external
drive. I am now having problems with Windows XP. How can I re-install Windows
XP using the recovery disc without using the internal dvd/cd drive? Is it
possible to download WXP: or install it from an external Philips dvd/cd drive
or memory stick. BlogTrotter

You can use the external DVD/CD drive.

Alias

 

[Guest]

You can use the external DVD/CD drive.

Alias

I have a similar problem with an old Fujitsu Lifebook.
Windows can read the external CD but cannot boot from it.
Can I install XP without booting from the CD?
Thanks,mike

 

[BlogTrotter]

I have a similar problem with an old Fujitsu Lifebook.
Windows can read the external CD but cannot boot from it.
Can I install XP without booting from the CD?
Thanks,mike

Thanks Alias and Mike.
Mike your are correct the problem is that the laptop cannot boot from the
external DVD/CD drive. There must be some other method?
Thanks, BlogTrotter

 

[Alias]

Thanks Alias and Mike.
Mike your are correct the problem is that the laptop cannot boot from the
external DVD/CD drive. There must be some other method?
Thanks, BlogTrotter

Have either of you looked in your BIOS to see if booting from a USB port
is possible? You may also have to enable legacy USB if it's in the BIOS.
If neither is available, you're pretty much stuck with replacing the
defective optical drive. This is one of the reasons I prefer desktops.
Replacing an optical drive is cheap and easy.

Alias

 

[Guest]

Have either of you looked in your BIOS to see if booting from a USB port
is possible? You may also have to enable legacy USB if it's in the BIOS.
If neither is available, you're pretty much stuck with replacing the
defective optical drive. This is one of the reasons I prefer desktops.
Replacing an optical drive is cheap and easy.

Alias

My problem is that the drive is NOT defective, it's just not a bootable
option. Yes, I've checked the bios. The SPEC says you can't boot from it.

I have no idea if it works with xp, but here's what I did with win2K.
I built a barebones windows 98 desktop system. I used Acronis to image
the drive.
I pulled the laptop drive and restored this image to the laptop drive.
I copied the 2K disk to a PCMCIA hard drive.
Reinstalled the laptop drive and booted win98...and did an in-place
install of win2K from the PCMCIA source drive.

Wonder if you can put the laptop drive in your desktop, start xp install,
abort it somewhere in the middle, replace it into the laptop and continue
from there.
Or, M$ could have just let us run the install from ANY operating system
without booting the CD.
Did I mention, "GRRRRRRR!!!"