how to install windows on a machine with no cdrom

[waylman]

Originally posted by: vailr
To do a fresh install of XP, all you need is to be able to boot to a DOS prompt, with a copy of the i386 folder (from the Windows installer CD) on the HD.
Run smartdrv.exe (a file from Windows98: do a Google search), then run i386/winnt.exe to begin the setup installer. There also exists DOS USB drivers, if needed.

this is good idea but i cant boot to DOS...no floppy

 

[waylman]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
By all rights, even installing Windows and getting it completely up and running on one machine, then moving it to another one, usually works fine.

Aside from that, it's perfectly possible to do the first part of the install one one machine, then instead of booting the install for the first time, move it to the other computer then boot it. No drivers are configured or anything else; the first section is just unpacking the files from the CD.

This is a very good idea. I'll have no way to load the nic drivers but maybe I'll use a USB key for that.

 

[Rommels]

Jeez, just shell out the money for a cdrom or something.

 

[JohnG86]

You could install Windows XP onto the drive and then run sysprep. When the computer shutsdown, move the drive into the system you need it working. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302577&sd=tech

 

[Auric]

All that is required for moving an installation of Windows from one machine to another is to change the storage controller to "Standard" first. However, Lord Evermore's suggestion seems best (moving the HDD after the the setup files have automatically been copied from CD but before actually beginning installation).

 

[vailr]

Originally posted by: waylman

Originally posted by: vailr
To do a fresh install of XP, all you need is to be able to boot to a DOS prompt, with a copy of the i386 folder (from the Windows installer CD) on the HD.
Run smartdrv.exe (a file from Windows98: do a Google search), then run i386/winnt.exe to begin the setup installer. There also exists DOS USB drivers, if needed.

this is good idea but i cant boot to DOS...no floppy

Make the HD bootable to a DOS prompt. On a desktop machine, and using a laptop adapter cable (~$5), the laptop HD attached as slave drive "D". Boot the desktop machine using a Win98 startup floppy disk. Boot to a DOS prompt, and run "sys D:", which makes the laptop HD bootable to a DOS prompt. Then reboot the desktop machine into Windows, and copy the i386 folder from the WinXP install CD. Don't forget to also copy over the file "smartdrv.exe".

 

[RebateMonger]

Remind me never to buy a Dell C400.

 

[sandorski]

What about a Flash Drive? <<<<shot in the dark

 

[Jiggz]

Originally posted by: waylman

Originally posted by: xgsound

Originally posted by: waylman
well, i took the HD and stuck it in my wife's inspirion 9300 and installed windows. then i stuck it back in the latitude and it wont boot

just hangs on boot

If I understand this right, you weren't supposed to install windows, just copy the I386 folder to the hard drive.


Jim

forgot to mention this earlier...it's a brand new HD so I'm not able to do it this way.

Of course, you can. Just format the hdd with system files or what they called a bootable drive. So when you install it in your system it will at least boot to dos. CD to the 1386 directory and then click setup.exe.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Originally posted by: Jiggz

Originally posted by: waylman

Originally posted by: xgsound

Originally posted by: waylman
well, i took the HD and stuck it in my wife's inspirion 9300 and installed windows. then i stuck it back in the latitude and it wont boot

just hangs on boot

If I understand this right, you weren't supposed to install windows, just copy the I386 folder to the hard drive.


Jim

forgot to mention this earlier...it's a brand new HD so I'm not able to do it this way.

Of course, you can. Just format the hdd with system files or what they called a bootable drive. So when you install it in your system it will at least boot to dos. CD to the 1386 directory and then click setup.exe.

And then he's got an XP (I assume) system on a FAT32 partition, and has to convert it to NTFS (too many reasons not to use NTFS). If using the converter in XP the cluster size is only 512K, which hurts performance, so you have to use some other program to change the cluster size (or do the conversion with the proper cluster size in the first place).

It could be done with just a small partition for the boot files and CD files, then during setup format the rest with NTFS, but then there's those few hundred megs at the beginning of the drive which are not included with the main partition (could make it large enough to use for swap space after the install though).

To get around that, partition the drive on the other desktop (or the other laptop using a boot disk), with a large partition first, leaving only the space needed for the CD files. Then create a partition using the remaining space, and then delete the first one. That way the small partition is at the end of the drive. Format that with FAT32 and make it bootable with the CD files. After the install you can just leave it there since it's at the end (slow) of the drive. Or use a program to resize the main partition to take the space back.

Don't forget that WinXP makes bootable DOS disks, unlike 2K. I think it loads smartdrv. Or go to bootdisk.com to get one.

 

[V00D00]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
By all rights, even installing Windows and getting it completely up and running on one machine, then moving it to another one, usually works fine.

Oh dear lord. I laught that that line. no no no, what about chipset drivers, ide drivers, other onboard peripheral drivers??? That most certainly doesn't work unless you uninstall all those drivers. Then you MIGHT be able to if you did it right.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: V00D00

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
By all rights, even installing Windows and getting it completely up and running on one machine, then moving it to another one, usually works fine.

Oh dear lord. I laught that that line. no no no, what about chipset drivers, ide drivers, other onboard peripheral drivers??? That most certainly doesn't work unless you uninstall all those drivers. Then you MIGHT be able to if you did it right.

NT is dynamic. As said, only the storage controller driver must be compatible to allow booting.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Originally posted by: V00D00

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
By all rights, even installing Windows and getting it completely up and running on one machine, then moving it to another one, usually works fine.

Oh dear lord. I laught that that line. no no no, what about chipset drivers, ide drivers, other onboard peripheral drivers??? That most certainly doesn't work unless you uninstall all those drivers. Then you MIGHT be able to if you did it right.

XP is quite good about simply detecting the current hardware and installing the drivers, regardless of whether you've uninstalled the old drivers. It isn't always perfect, but usually it works just fine. Unlike Win9x, you don't have to do a complete wipe and reinstall even when changing a mainboard in order to get a stable system (ideally a Repair installation would be done after putting the drive in the new system, as this does reset all hardware configuration, but it's not absolutely necessary).