Install XP from flash drive

[umax7]

Heres what I got.......I have a dell inspirion b130, and I need to reformat but the dvd player is broke I have a 2gb flash drive that I want to use, how do i do this? I have my Xp disks.

 

[corkyg]

You would need to clone the XP disk to the flash drive, and it should be bootable. Then the Dell must have USB flash boot capability.

An easier option might be to just borrow an external DVD/CD drive and use your disks.

Another option is to replace the broken DVD drive in your Dell.

 

[RebateMonger]

No system recovery partition on the hard drive?

Eventually, you are going to want a CD or DVD drive in the Dell anyway. Might as well replace it now.

 

[The Bakery]

Getting XP to boot off a flash drive is problematic, and sometimes not possible.

You will need to get an XP disk and slipstream the install to your hard disk
anyway before you can put it on the flash drive.

So unless you can download a slipstreamed copy of XP (illegal) you won't be
able to compile the OS files to place on the flash drive anyways.

I vote for purchasing a cheap drive.

If you want to look though - here's a link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/1325...from-a-USB-flash-drive

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: The Bakery
So unless you can download a slipstreamed copy of XP (illegal) you won't be able to compile the OS files to place on the flash drive anyways.

Not exactly true. If you are a subscriber to Microsoft's TechNet Plus, you can download legal copies in ISO format of all current OS's including Vista and XP. I believe MSDN members can also.

In this case, I agree - buy or borrow an external optical drive.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: The Bakery
Getting XP to boot off a flash drive is problematic, and sometimes not possible.

You will need to get an XP disk and slipstream the install to your hard disk
anyway before you can put it on the flash drive.

So unless you can download a slipstreamed copy of XP (illegal) you won't be
able to compile the OS files to place on the flash drive anyways.

I vote for purchasing a cheap drive.

If you want to look though - here's a link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/1325...from-a-USB-flash-drive

Actually, its not illegal, its the key that matters not the media

 

[hoihtah]

You guys can correct me if I am wrong on this.

So, from my experience, this is what you can do.
-install XP (bartpe) onto a usb flash drive, and boot from it. (what that scribd.com link shows)

But you cannot install from xp iso image on a usb drive to your hard drive.
At least not as c: drive initially.

I have found howto's on over-the-network install via RIS, but was never successful at doing so.

best wishes.