How do you install XP on a laptop with no cdrom and no floppy?

[trend]

Originally posted by: inhotep
you can install win2k on another system then put it back

You sure? I tried this trick with XP, and it didn't work :/ (Granted XP != 2k)

 

[Smbu]

If you were able to boot up with the hd on the laptop and you copied over the I386 folder, all you need to do to set up WinXP is run "WINNT.EXE", which is in the I386 folder. That will start the setup program going.

 

[kitkat22]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106554

Just a thought, I don't know if your laptop supports boot from a USB device.

 

[mparr1708]

I'm not sure if you will have the resources to set this up but the easiest thing to do is use RIS or some other imaging software to load XP over a network. The trick is that you need to be able to PXE boot your laptop since you do not have a floppy drive (This assumes that your onboard nic even supports PXE).

You can also try a USB floppy drive (Probably $20-$30 at most computer stores). A lot of newer notebooks will see the device during post and let you boot from it. If this works you can then make a network boot disk and run your install from a network share.

The third option would be to pull the hard drive from the notebook and put it into a USB cradle so that you can attach it to a desktop system. This will let you copy the installation files from a cd over to the drive. The cradle should run you around $15-$20 at most computer stores.

If you get one of the above methods working and can not figure out where to go from there PM me and I'll try to help you out.

EDIT:
I didnt notice the link just above my post before I put my post up. The external CD drive is also a great way to get this done. That would probably be the easiet route for you if you can wait for it to come in.

 

[jevans64]

I was thinking along the same lines... use a USB external floppy drive. Your laptop has to support this in BIOS though as there is no OS or driver to work with. You might be lucky and this might be automatic for floppy drives. This would be your first step before attempting anything else. If the USB floppy works, then many doors open up for you to complete the install, like downloading a custom bootdisk that allows you to mount USB devices ( CD-ROMs, etc. ) and, of course, network bootdisks.

If you are going to do the "copy contents of /i386 from XP CD to the laptop drive," you will need to run the winnt.exe executable to begin the install.

EDIT: I went to Sony and looked at the specs for your notebook. It directed me to this page:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSH...page=%2fstatic%2fhelp%2fsy_help%2eisml

According to the specs it has only ONE USB port, so it looks like a port multiplier is in order if you go the USB floppy+CD/DVD-ROM route. It says that a USB floppy and DVD-ROM are optional, so these MIGHT be supported in BIOS without a setting.

You also have access to a IEEE 1394 ( FireWire ) port. You can get a combo USB2/FireWire 400 device for more connection possibilities. You can find those enclosure here: http://www.fwdepot.com

http://www.bootdisk.com/ , as someone mentioned before, is a good place to go for bootdisks and CDs as well as tips for creating bootdisks with custom drivers etc.

Here is the bootdisk article on getting USB to work in DOS.

http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm

Id say.

1) USB floppy and one of the Win 98 bootdisks to give you access to DOS commands.

2) Copy contents of i388 directory from XP CD to laptop drive using your PC.

3) Put drive back in laptop, connect USB floppy and use bootdisk to boot into a command prompt.

4) cd ( change directory... cd x:/i386 ... where X is HD drive letter ) to the i386 directory on drive and run winnt.exe.

5) download and install any drivers that were not included with the XP install. You might have to install drivers for video and audio devices.

 

[stlcardinals]

Originally posted by: inhotep
install windows 2000.

You can get free theme that will make it look like xp, longhorn or even mac os.

Windows 2000 uses the same setup as XP. He would still have to move the hard drive to another computer, as he stated he does not have a floppy drive or a cd-rom drive.

Best way has already been stated: Make the hard drive bootable and copy the I386 folder to the hard drive. Run WINNT to start the setup.

 

[inhotep]

Originally posted by: stlcardinals

Originally posted by: inhotep
install windows 2000.

You can get free theme that will make it look like xp, longhorn or even mac os.

Windows 2000 uses the same setup as XP. He would still have to move the hard drive to another computer, as he stated he does not have a floppy drive or a cd-rom drive.

Best way has already been stated: Make the hard drive bootable and copy the I386 folder to the hard drive. Run WINNT to start the setup.

Move the hard drive around is not the problem for him. His problem is the XP detect changes in the system, thus will not load. Win2k on the other hand willl just keep loading. Just don't update win2k on the other system

 

[stlcardinals]

You are missing the whole point here. You don't run the setup from the desktop computer, all you are doing is transferring files and making the hard drive bootable. You stick the hard drive back in the laptop and run the setup from there.

 

[jevans64]

Originally posted by: stlcardinals
You are missing the whole point here. You don't run the setup from the desktop computer, all you are doing is transferring files and making the hard drive bootable. You stick the hard drive back in the laptop and run the setup from there.

Yep. I forgot to mention to fdisk the laptop drive ( making a/the partition active ) when it is in the host system. And, like someone else said, it is best to disconnect the main system drive to avoid any f**kdisk mistakes. :lol

He will probably still need a USB floppy and a Win 98 bootdisk just to get access to command.com. I would think he would still get the "no system disk" message without having a boot floppy. Installing DOS the old-fashioned way might work but then he would need the DOS install floppies and probably a USB driver for DOS.

At this point we don't know if the laptop can recognise USB devices without a BIOS switch in place ( he stated that the BIOS didn't have a "boot from USB" switch available. )

 

[trend]

heh.. I have it going.. I can tell you 100ways NOT to do it..

Copying i386 from an xp/2k cd to laptop hd doesn't work (if you try to run the winnt/setup from commandline)

I had to :

pop laptop into desktop.. format laptophd /S
boot up windows on my desktop (using my normal hd).. then copy over 98's cd contents to my laptop hd..

pop laptop hd in laptop.. boot to laptop hd.. run setup from i386 on laptop hd.

then.. after install ,pop out hd again, put it in desktop.. copy over XP i386+misc stuff (make sure you copy over ALLL needed files or you get scrwed like I did when installing).. the npop laptop hd back in laptop.. boot into 98, run XP setup...

WOW! And what to charge this guy to reload XP on his 600mhrtz sony laptop.. the cost of a new laptop sound sabout what my time/and you'lls was worth :/

Good thing he is a friend

thanks guys!

 

[aigomorla]

Ummm if u have the sony VAIOS z series it boots off any USB floppy drive. >.< Well at least mine does.

 

[tomt4535]

the setup.exe on the windows disk root wont work in dos. the program WINNT.exe in the i386 folder is the actual setup program. do what everyone else said here and copy the files to the hard drive, then just run WINNT.exe from the command prompt you will get and it will work.

 

[uallas5]

Sorry I didn't see this till now. After you installed XP on the laptop drive while it was in the desktop and then swapped it to the laptop, did XP BSOD with a message about hardware changes? If so, all you have to do is put it back in the desktop, boot XP, and change the IDE controller to a generic one. Swap it over and it should work fine. I've done it a dozen times or so.

 

[tuteja1986]

Originally posted by: trend
I have an olldd p3 600mhrtz sony viao (PCG-3102) laptop.. I need to install XP on there.. but there is no floppy/cdrom.. andwhen I hookup an usb external hd, i cannot boot from it..
Any ideas on how to install windows XP?

I have thought about taking out the hd and putting it in anotehr computer.. but then how would I install XP on that?

thanks
Lee

1.USB drive
2. from another computer through lan
3. from harddrive from laptop , can be done but risky