Installing from a USB key

[Evylldemon]

Not sure if this is the best place to post this but here goes. I searched around the internet and couldn't find exactly what I'm looking for (I don't think).

I need to format my girlfriend's laptop, but her CD-ROM doesn't work anymore. As far as I can tell the BIOS has the option to boot form USB storage so I want to try to reformat and re-install windows from a USB. The problem is, I don't know how to create a bootable Windows install on a USB. I have the windows disc and would like to somehow rip that onto the USB but alternatively I can download an iso or something.

It's for Windows XP professional if that makes a difference. If anyone has any experience with this please let me know what you did or point me in the direction of some useful information. I have a feeling this is easier than I'm making it out to be but I don't have time to mess around with it and try things until this weekend so I thought I would ask the pros.

Thanks guys

[enaberif]

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/search.php

Its been discussed.

[JD]

Windows XP is a lot harder to do from what I've read briefly.

Vista and 7 are ultra simple though.

[Evylldemon]

Originally Posted by enaberif

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/search.php

Its been discussed.

As I said, I looked.



All the guides I've found so far have been for Vista. I found one thing for Windows XP but I didn't read it that carefully. It involved something called bartPE or something. I might try that out if I can't find a more straightforward solution.

[Wall86]

This is what you must be looking for. It is a bit complicated, looks like it might work. I might try installing Win FLP onto my netbook using this process this weekend.

Link: Roderick van Domburg’s Cache Installing Windows XP from USB

Just follow the directions carefully.

[Evylldemon]

Thanks Wall. That's actually exactly the guide I found. Let me know if it works. I'm hoping to find a more straightforward solution but if I can't I'll just give that a try. I'm looking into installing from a network as well as a possible solution right now.

[JD]

Originally Posted by Evylldemon

Thanks Wall. That's actually exactly the guide I found. Let me know if it works. I'm hoping to find a more straightforward solution but if I can't I'll just give that a try. I'm looking into installing from a network as well as a possible solution right now.

XP was just never designed for such a thing.

And network install would be even harder IMO. I think you need to be running a Windows Server 2003 box with Deployment Services installed. Not sure though.

[enaberif]

Either way.. Windows XP or Vista on a usb key for day to day use would be horrible and not recommended.

[Evylldemon]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Either way.. Windows XP or Vista on a usb key for day to day use would be horrible and not recommended.

lol, for the second time, please read the post. I'm not trying to install ON a USB, i'm trying to install FROM a USB. i.e. I'm installing Windwos onto an internal HDD but I have a copy of the Windows isntallation CD on a USB key.

[Wall86]

That guide seems to be the best bet. Since XP Resets the USB Drives during installation, you need the Server 03 RAMDisk modules to load the installer into RAM for when the USB Drivers are reset. Give it a read through, it has lots of good little bits of info.