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How do I install WinXP without a CD drive

C

coolVariable

Diamond Member
How do I do a clean install of winxp (formatting the C: drive) without a CD?
I have copied the CD onto the network and already tried
- running the install from the network (booting with DOS and trying to run the install from there) ... setup does not run in dos
- running the install from the network from the current win installation (which has a virus) ... winxp tries to copy installation files onto the C: drive and then you cannot format the stupid drive

What should I do??? Help????
 
Remote Installation Services comes to mind 🙂 Any particular reason you don't just pop the case open and smack a CD-ROM drive into it for the installation, is it a laptop...?
 
it's a laptop

winnt.exe gives me some cr@p about finding no harddrive where to put the stupid temp files ...

(and the DOS bootdisks with network support are EXACTLY what I have been trying and which did not work ... see above about needing a local disk to copy temp files onto)


Ok. So here is the situation:

- I have NO CD-drive!!!
- I can boot with DOS and access the network where I have copied the WinXP installation CD
- I want to format the HD with NTFS
- WinXP setup always stops because it says that it needs a local drive to copy installation files to ...
- Even if I let WinXP copy installation files onto the local HD (after formatting it with FAT so DOS can see it) it would then not let me format that stupid HD with NTFS ....
- What the fvck were they thinking when they progammed this stupid installation routine?????????? I am sooooo frustrated I am ready to slam this stvpid $2000 laptop against the wall!!! :|
 
personally I'd partition a boot drive and then an extended partition logical drive then format that NTFS
leave the boot drive fat32 and keep the cab files there for next time

 
Originally posted by: coolVariable
it's a laptop

winnt.exe gives me some cr@p about finding no harddrive where to put the stupid temp files ...

(and the DOS bootdisks with network support are EXACTLY what I have been trying and which did not work ... see above about needing a local disk to copy temp files onto)


Ok. So here is the situation:

- I have NO CD-drive!!!
- I can boot with DOS and access the network where I have copied the WinXP installation CD
- I want to format the HD with NTFS
- WinXP setup always stops because it says that it needs a local drive to copy installation files to ...
- Even if I let WinXP copy installation files onto the local HD (after formatting it with FAT so DOS can see it) it would then not let me format that stupid HD with NTFS ....
- What the fvck were they thinking when they progammed this stupid installation routine?????????? I am sooooo frustrated I am ready to slam this stvpid $2000 laptop against the wall!!! :|
Click to expand...

My guess is you are using NTFS on the disks (in which case the DOS disks won't be able to write to the hard drive). Reformat with FAT32.

Ensure the floppy disks you're using are Win98 or newer so they can read FAT32.

Once XP is set up, convert the disk to NTFS. You don't want to format the drive - just convert it once the OS is fully loaded.

The installation routine makes perfect sense. If you have any other questions, just ask.
 
Arrrgggghhhh.
I am starting to HATE stupid MS!!!!

Their stupid DOS network is so unstable it never manages to copy the necessary installation files .... arrrgh.
Now I tried copying the WinXP installation files manually to the c:\ so I can start the setup from there .... and it does not copy all the stupid sub-folders .... arrrrggggggggghhhhh!!!! :|

How can I copy the whole CD to this fvcking laptop without a CD drive and the dos command does not copy all subfolders (there probably are too many sub-folder and too long names) ..... WHY??? WHY???? WHY?????
 
I hate this sh!t fvcking laptop
shows you that toshibas are total cr@p.
Who builds a laptop that does not recognize USB CD drives from Bios????
Bullsh!t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Originally posted by: coolVariable
Arrrgggghhhh.
I am starting to HATE stupid MS!!!!

Their stupid DOS network is so unstable it never manages to copy the necessary installation files .... arrrgh.
Now I tried copying the WinXP installation files manually to the c:\ so I can start the setup from there .... and it does not copy all the stupid sub-folders .... arrrrggggggggghhhhh!!!! :|

How can I copy the whole CD to this fvcking laptop without a CD drive and the dos command does not copy all subfolders (there probably are too many sub-folder and too long names) ..... WHY??? WHY???? WHY?????
Click to expand...

xcopy /s will do what you're looking for.
 
Originally posted by: coolVariable
I hate this sh!t fvcking laptop
shows you that toshibas are total cr@p.
Who builds a laptop that does not recognize USB CD drives from Bios????
Bullsh!t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

To install XP, just build 6 floppies.
 
Originally posted by: dclive
Originally posted by: coolVariable
I hate this sh!t fvcking laptop
shows you that toshibas are total cr@p.
Who builds a laptop that does not recognize USB CD drives from Bios????
Bullsh!t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

To install XP, just build 6 floppies.
Click to expand...

More than 6 isn't it?
 
Originally posted by: malak
Originally posted by: dclive
Originally posted by: coolVariable
I hate this sh!t fvcking laptop
shows you that toshibas are total cr@p.
Who builds a laptop that does not recognize USB CD drives from Bios????
Bullsh!t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

To install XP, just build 6 floppies.
Click to expand...

More than 6 isn't it?
Click to expand...

Don't think so...... It will load USB drivers, so that should let you hit the USB drive and then load the OS.
 
Format the hard drive as FAT32, boot with a network boot floppy, run winnt.exe from a mapped network share, convert to NTFS during install.
 
Originally posted by: Wizkid
Format the hard drive as FAT32, boot with a network boot floppy, run winnt.exe from a mapped network share, convert to NTFS during install.
Click to expand...

THAT is exactly what I have been trying to do for 4 days now!!
But the installer just stops while copying the installation files to the local harddrive (at the very beginning).
I have now tried BOTH WinXP Home and Pro ... and BOTH stop at the exact same place!!!
What the HELL is wrong with this stupid install????
 
Here's a rather roundabout solution if you have a spare machine that you can trash (or a spare HD to put into a machine that you can trash), and a CD burner.

Install XP onto the spare machine, then run Sysprep (note that you must have the correct version for your Service Pack level. This link is to the SP1 version) to strip away all the hardware setup information.
Use Norton Ghost to burn an image of your XP install to a CD.
Make a DOS boot disk with USB CD support and Ghost on it.
Boot your laptop off the floppy, run ghost, install your XP image onto the machine.

Alternatively, use the networkable version of norton ghost to clone your syspreped XP install onto your laptop directly.
 
Sounds like there is a problem with either the HDD itself, or the XP source itself (on the network). Can you verify on another machine that you can install from this location fine?

Tim
 
What error are you getting? Something about no temp drive?

Originally posted by: coolVariable
Originally posted by: Wizkid
Format the hard drive as FAT32, boot with a network boot floppy, run winnt.exe from a mapped network share, convert to NTFS during install.
Click to expand...

THAT is exactly what I have been trying to do for 4 days now!!
But the installer just stops while copying the installation files to the local harddrive (at the very beginning).
I have now tried BOTH WinXP Home and Pro ... and BOTH stop at the exact same place!!!
What the HELL is wrong with this stupid install????
Click to expand...

 
After 3 hours with Toshiba tech support and customer service, they told me the following:

Tech support Level 3: "On the Toshiba Protege 2000 WinXP can only be installed from the Recovery CDs via a portable CD-ROM".

Then I told them that
1) the portable CD drive and the portable DVD drive that go with the laptop do not work
2) a USB CD-WR drive that works fine with my laptop does not work on the laptop
3) I would like to install via the network (either from the recovery CD or from one of the WinXP installation CDs that we have at the company)

They again told me that the Protege is not designed to support installing WinXP (even from an WinXP installation CD) via the network ... only via their recovery CDs and via a CD-ROM drive.

They then gave me the run about on this 3 times till ...

I finally threatened legal action because:
1. They tell me that the laptop does not work as intended, unless I buy an additional CD drive - this is illegal product packaging
2. They have a sticker "Designed for MS WinXP & Win2k" on the laptop but the laptop does not support a network install of the OS - this is false advertising (and could get them in trouble with MS too)

Then they finally agreed that since it is impossible to install XP from the network without a CD drive, they would pick the laptop up, install XP and deliver it back free of charge.



Although it appears that the laptop will finally work again sometime in the future I have to ask:
Who designed this sh!tty laptop if it somehow prevents WinXP from installing? Why? Who would do something like this??? And I tried WinXP Home and Pro!!
 
Hmm... that's quite rediculous. I may have to re-consider recommending Toshiba to my customers... long live the IBM T-series (for now)!
 
They probably just pull the hard drive out, put it into a desktop via either a USB adaptor or one of those 2.5" IDE -> 3.5" IDE adaptors you can get for £2.50 and Ghost the thing with an XP image.
The support guy you spoke to didn't know and couldn't be bothered to find out how to do it any other way, so gave you the "not designed for that" rubbish to make you go away. Then you threatened to set the scary lawyers on him 😛
A bit late now, but one option could have been to take the HD out, disassemble it's little caddy until you get just the drive, and get your own IDE adaptor.
 
I guess I could have taken the drive out and installed winxp via a different computer, but I find it absolutely ridicilous that they would build the laptop so it interferes with the winxp installation routine.
 
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