Windows Installation without CD

[silverferro]

I have a semi faulty samsung cdrw drive which some times opens the try half way through usage and no reply what so ever from samsung to my repeated emails .
I want to install windowsXP from a hard drive. The problem is I don't know how to get to command prompt like in win98/ME to navigate to the folder and start the setup for WinXP.

I don't have a floppy drive in my machine.

1) I have a seperate partition on my drive with the winxp setup files on it.

2) I do however also have an extrenal USB hardrive with the winxp setup files.


Is it possible to install windows from any of the above storages other then a floppy or CD?

 

[imhungry]

Yes, I have a problem with my IDE ports and I can't use a CD-Drive...

I'd like to know how to do this.

 

[kanad1]

I've been through it all! Instaling XP frm HDD is not so easy!

1. You absolutely must have a floppy drive to boot up your comp. Otherwise, make a bootable cd from the floppy but you need the files of the floppy anyway.

2. You'll have to search/download the file "smartdrv.exe", put it on the floppy drive / CD and put it in the floppy's autoexec.bat so that it runs every time u boot using the floppy or CD. The file enables HD Caching thus simplifying and speeding up the copy process.

3. Go to the I386 folder in your WinXP folder when u have booted frm the CD / floppy (Hope u know DOS! ;-) ) and simply run the file "winnt.exe" and all should go well!

Hope this info helped you!

 

[kanad1]

I've been through it all! Instaling XP frm HDD is not so easy!

1. You absolutely must have a floppy drive to boot up your comp. Otherwise, make a bootable cd from the floppy but you need the files of the floppy anyway.

2. You'll have to search/download the file "smartdrv.exe", put it on the floppy drive / CD and put it in the floppy's autoexec.bat so that it runs every time u boot using the floppy or CD. The file enables HD Caching thus simplifying and speeding up the copy process.

3. Go to the I386 folder in your WinXP folder when u have booted frm the CD / floppy (Hope u know DOS! ;-) ) and simply run the file "winnt.exe" and all should go well!

Hope this info helped you!

 

[nweaver]

pxe boot it into dos and install, or setup an RIS server (I dont' use RIS, bucause I PXE boot and unattended through my altiris server)