need some help with installing windows...

**ph7ryan** · 09-28-2009, 08:25 PM

So, I just bought a 2.5" sata hard drive for my carpc, and I don't have a cd or dvd drive on the carpc right now, and prefer not to buy one...So my plan was to install xp on the hard drive through my desktop, and then install other software on the pc by internet downloads and putting a file on a usb drive...well I fist plugged in the hard drive, and the only hard drive that came up in the install window was my external usb drive...i tried multiple times by resetting, and when I finally came to my senses I realized that I never formatted the drive...Well i boot up windows and sure enough, in disk management, there isn't a partition or anything on it...so I format and partition the drive and reboot the computer, and once again...the only drive that comes up is my external usb drive...(btw I have already unplugged the power to my regular drive so i don't confuse it and install over it...)

So my question is this....how do I go about installing windows xp on this drive that will not show up in the windows installer menu...

any help is greatly appreciated, and please have patience as I am sick and am very uncomfortable right now so it is hard for me to concentrate...

**malcom2073** · 09-28-2009, 08:29 PM

First, you can't really install windows on a removable drive straight out of the box like that. There are discussion threads here about this. Second, if you install XP on one system, then transport it to another system it will almost 100% of the time not work, unless the hardware is exactly the same. Once again, this has been discussed here before, but is a good amount of effort required to make it work.

Your best bet is to do it the proper way, and get a CDrom drive. Perhaps remove it from your desktop and plug it into your carpc temporarily for the install?

**ph7ryan** · 09-28-2009, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by malcom2073

First, you can't really install windows on a removable drive straight out of the box like that. There are discussion threads here about this. Second, if you install XP on one system, then transport it to another system it will almost 100% of the time not work, unless the hardware is exactly the same. Once again, this has been discussed here before, but is a good amount of effort required to make it work.

Your best bet is to do it the proper way, and get a CDrom drive. Perhaps remove it from your desktop and plug it into your carpc temporarily for the install?

1. I am not installing it on an external...or removable...it is an internal laptop sata hard drive..windows recognizes it as well 2.I thought about the swap....seems like too much work, and too much time to spend sitting in my car....3. I have never once had an issue where this would not work...in fact..before external hard drives...I used to carry an ide hard drive with windows and all of my tools pre installed so that I could boot with that, and then fix the screwed up version on the other drive...never the same hardware...

**ph7ryan** · 09-29-2009, 12:00 PM

bump...please help

**coreyspeed** · 09-29-2009, 12:06 PM

you will need to install the sata devices drivers into the installtion for this to work, i think it is f8 at the frist screen

two links that should help you

http://www.custompcblog.com/troubles...ata-hard-drive
http://paparadit.blogspot.com/2007/0...h-windows.html

this should be a perfectly suitable way of install windows.

**ph7ryan** · 09-29-2009, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by coreyspeed

you will need to install the sata devices drivers into the installtion for this to work, i think it is f8 at the frist screen

two links that should help you

http://www.custompcblog.com/troubles...ata-hard-drive
http://paparadit.blogspot.com/2007/0...h-windows.html

this should be a perfectly suitable way of install windows.

Thank you very much for the links...i am installing windows now...car pc...here I come!

**jcrappel** · 09-29-2009, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by ph7ryan

2.I thought about the swap....seems like too much work, and too much time to spend sitting in my car....

A CarPC is a LOT of work, and even more sitting in your car, if it is to be done right.

**trinybwoy** · 09-29-2009, 04:17 PM

another option is to create a bootable usb installation of windows....
google it, its all over

**ph7ryan** · 09-29-2009, 05:44 PM

no need! : D already got it booting into windows....next comes touchscreen setup, then centrafuse and all the other crap i have....but its all downhill from here!