Loading XP install files and booting from it....how?

[Souka]

I have a mini-tower desktop PC...that is missing its CD-drive.

I want to load XP Pro onto it using a USB key, but I dont' know how.


I have a 1gb USB Key, and a XP w/SP2 CD that is bootable. How do copy/image the USB key so that it's like the CD? (must be bootable just like the XP CD)?

Am I clear? Any suggestions?

 

[MrChad]

Well, first of all, does your motherboard support booting from a USB device? Not all of them do.

 

[Souka]

Oh sorry... yes, it does support usb booting.

I dont' have a USB CD-rom drive.... if I did, I'd use that.

 

[Bozo]

Don't know if this will work......
Copy the CD to the USB device. Then write an autoexec.bat file that fires up XP setup. Put this autoexec.bat file on the USB device. Have the USB device emulate a floppy in the BIOS.

Bozo

 

[casper114]

That's a great idea! I wonder if it worked?

 

[Souka]

USB key needs to be bootable....bootable with XP boot envionment.

Putting files onto the key, then creating an autoexec.bat will not work.

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: Souka
USB key needs to be bootable....bootable with XP boot envionment.

Putting files onto the key, then creating an autoexec.bat will not work.

Cant you format that usb drive & select Create ms-dos startup disk,then copy the i386 folder to it.

once it boot you can go into that i386 folder & type winnt to start the setup process.