View Full Version : any ideas on how to install windows xp w/out a disc drive?
starjones
2008-11-28, 02:27
well i do have a discdrive, but it doesnt work.
i downloaded windows xp pro sp3 from the pirate bay
i am currently using ubuntu and would like to be using xp.
instructions for installation are as follows:
Windows XP Professional SP3 - Activated
***************************************
1) Mount using PowerISO or a simillar image burning software (Nero, Roxio etc...)
2) Boot of CD and install XP
3) Done! Fully updatable Windows XP that passes validation.
ok now, i am no computer expert by any means and what this sounds like to me is that i have to burn this onto a disc and then boot it up.
am i right? or does it mean something else?
i hope im wrong but if im not, are their any alternative ways to do it? could i put it on my ipod and do it from there? or on a san disc memory card thing? or do i have to put it on any external disk?
thanks in advance.
trippson
2008-11-28, 02:37
Why would you want xp? Ubuntu is wayyyyy better. But no you dont need a physical drive to do that. Just download daemon tools and mount the .iso image to a virtual drive. Reboot and install winblows
Prometheum
2008-11-28, 03:35
That's a huge downgrade, and there's no reason to do that. Besides, you can't do that, because the bios (which handles booting) has no concept of virtual drives.
starjones
2008-11-28, 04:03
Besides, you can't do that, because the bios (which handles booting) has no concept of virtual drives.
wtf does this mean? i think it might be the problem. i got it going but every time i run setup it freezes up and says it enncountered a problem and needs to close.
is their anything i can download that will allow me to complete the process?
Prometheum
2008-11-28, 06:10
Besides, you can't do that, because the bios (which handles booting) has no concept of virtual drives.
wtf does this mean? i think it might be the problem. i got it going but every time i run setup it freezes up and says it enncountered a problem and needs to close.
is their anything i can download that will allow me to complete the process?
I sincerely fucking doubt it.
It might be possible to make a bootable USB pendrive with XP on. If your version of BIOS supports booting from USB then that should work.
Having said that, making bootable USB sticks is a nightmare.
Tbh your best off spending $30 on a DVD drive and burning the ISO to a disk.
Mounting an ISO to a virtual drive will be pointless, as the virtual drive is not loaded until the system has booted up.
Solution 1:
Using a pen drive, or external hard drive, copy the ISO. Then plug the storage device into a machine with a working writer.
Solution 2:
Install from external HD/flash drive.
Here are two guides on how to install XP from a flash drive:
http://www.addonics.com/support/faqs/windows_OS_installation.asp
http://www.eeeguides.com/2007/11/installing-windows-xp-from-usb-thumb.html
First link gets straight to the point, second is a bit more wordy.
Why would you want xp? Ubuntu is wayyyyy better. But no you dont need a physical drive to do that. Just download daemon tools and mount the .iso image to a virtual drive. Reboot and install winblows
New Arrival idiot.
starjones
2008-11-30, 02:29
well i have obtained a discdrive from a diff laptop. i borrowed it anyway. havnt tried it yet though.
ataraxia
2008-11-30, 06:43
Incidentally, is this for a netbook? XP might turn out to run rather slowly on it and/or not fully support it.
What do you need to use XP for?
KeepOnTruckin
2008-11-30, 13:15
I belive that you can install Xp over a network.
Ahh, here it is:
http://www.networkcert.net/xp/install.htm#network
ChrisVickers
2008-12-06, 02:37
Man you're gonna need a lot of time to boot over the network. The problem with doing a fresh install over the network is you need to configure the following things:
DHCP Server that supports PXE Boot
Installation Image of XP
Install O/S or software that supports PXE boot
It's gonna take way too long. I know what I'm doing and for me from scratch to set up everything would take hours.
Your best bet is to copy the files onto a USB stick and boot from there. That's how I have to install to some of the servers at work.
Alternatively if your laptop supports it get an external CD drive and run it from there.
As for your question of what an ISO image is. It's a file that is a copy of the contents of a CD. When you mount an ISO image you make an imaginary drive on the system and point it to the file of the CD. Unfortunately this is done in windows so when you boot up your laptop it wont recognise the files, also if you only have one partition then the installation of XP would overwrite itself.
starjones
2008-12-06, 21:44
i forgot about this thread...
long story short:
i got it done
Prometheum
2008-12-07, 04:13
i forgot about this thread...
long story short:
i got it done
The interesting part would be how.
starjones
2008-12-07, 16:43
here is the story:
i borrowed a disc drive, installed windows xp after using my sister macbook to burn the .iso image on to a disc, then discovered i was missing a few drivers, so i used my sisters macbook to download "broadcom integrated controller" driver from dell.com (couldnt use mine cause w/o that driver i couldnt get on the internet). then i installed it, then it worked.
so then i tried to watch some porn and discovered i was missing my "sound" driver. downloaded/installed it.
adjusted the settings on the computer to suite my preferences (cool zune theme)
then i added the finishing touches:
frostwire
itunes
java
quicktime
etc.
but for some reason my computer has over 40gb of used space, i have no idea why. but i got another 40 to play w/.
Prometheum
2008-12-08, 23:18
but for some reason my computer has over 40gb of used space, i have no idea why. but i got another 40 to play w/.
Lol windows.