XP Install from USb

TheWoodster · 08-12-2010, 19:43

Hello,

Ive been given a dell minibook to fix by a friend, ive decided it needs to be totally reset due to it being used by kids and being messed up big time.

Ordinarily i would reinstall xp from the restore partition, god only knows how but this has been deleted, making the job ten times harder.

As there is no CD drive and i dont have an external one to use im limited in how i can do this.

Im told that it is possible to use a usb flash drive to boot up from and install xp from that.

After many hours trying different methods I am stuck, none of them seemed to work.

As it stands at the moment i managed to create a new partition and copy the entire xp install disk onto it from across my lan.
Problem being is i cant get into dos to run the setup.

Does anyone have any ideas as i am truly stuck.

Thank you.

Peter_ · 08-12-2010, 19:47

Can you not get into the BIOS and set it to run the setup from your USB stick.

TheWoodster · 08-12-2010, 20:04

yeah i can get the machine to boot from the usb but i dont know how to start the install, as in making the usb stick bootable and to get it to run the setup.

08-12-2010, 20:08

You will need to source the hp flash drive formatting tool and some dos files all available on the web. You format the drive and point to the dos and this makes the drive bootable then simply copy the i386 folder to the drive boot to the flash and run WINNT.exe from the prompt

http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=197 hp formatting tool

TheWoodster · 08-12-2010, 20:14

great thank you. any idea where i get the dos files from?
prblem being is the machines a mess and barely usable and the machine im using to prep the flash drive is running windows 7

08-12-2010, 20:17

I used to have them but appear to have got rid

there is this method here
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/inde...showtopic=4900

08-12-2010, 20:20

found em

The file when extracted will look empty it isnt point the format tool to it and your sorted

You will need to cd to the i386 folder so at the first prompt type cd A:/i386 then type WINNT.exe and it should kick off install ( A drive is assuming thats what the machine sees it as)

TheWoodster · 08-12-2010, 20:27

brilliant! your a star! will give it a try and let you know.

Thank you so much!

nffc · 08-12-2010, 20:50

http://www.pctipsbox.com/installing-...b-flash-drive/

vanman · 08-12-2010, 20:54

try here
http://www.zdnet.com.au/boot-windows...se7ItvdNgw3UoA