Thread: Installing XP with external CDROM

I've installed xp without a cd many times

format the drive fat 32
make drive bootable


make a folder
copy entire cd to folder (actually some stuff can be left out but I'm not going into that)

boot

cd to your folder

run setup


when everything is done, convert to ntfs and delete
install folder

Originally Posted by frodobaggins

boot

cd to your folder

run setup


when everything is done, convert to ntfs and delete
install folder

Actually from DOS,

CD <XPTEMP>
CD I386
winnt

XPTEMP is the name of your temp folder.


oh don't forget to copy smartdrive. Makes copying so much quicker

Thanks guys

I have tried...2 partition both formated with fat32. C: is blank and active. Drive D: have the whole XP CD on it, on root. Still having the same problems though. I even tried copying the install files on drive C:

I will try making "XPTEMP" on D: drive with the whole XP on it if that makes any difference. I havent used smartdrive but that shouldnt make any difference as all it does is speed up the process?

Yes alot of poeple have told me just to copy i386 on another partition and it should all work...but i never seems to have luck.

My copy is ermm...MSDN Windows XP Pro, using a corporate serial number, no SP1, no registration needed.

Ill try again...thanks guys.

This is what I do since I don't have CD drive on my espresso PC.

1. I take out the laptop drive out and put it in my desktop.
2. I run Fdisk and re-partion the laptop drive. (create new partion and make it active -- needs 2 reboots -- Use win98 boot disk)
3. Reboot and format the newly partioned drive with the 98 boot disk in FAT32
4. Boot machine into XP and copy the CD to the newly formatted Hard drive under a temp folder <XPTEMP>
5. Remove the drive out of the desktop and put it in the new machine and boot
6. It will boot to the dos screen
7. CD XPTEMP
8. CD I386
9. winnt

enjoy.

Lwin

Originally Posted by Ricky327

Thanks guys


My copy is ermm...MSDN Windows XP Pro, using a corporate serial number, no SP1, no registration needed.

Ill try again...thanks guys.

I'd make the XP cd and inject the SP1 on there so you don't have to do it again.

Thanks guys...atlast I got it all working. I never had problem in installing DOS all the way to XP embedded apart from that **** XP Pro.

Where the heck did you guys found out about "XPTEMP" directory? Thats where exactly Im going wrong...why is it have to be that name anyway?

I just check google for XPTEMP...nothing. I knew someone in this forum must know.

Thanks again =)

XPTEMP is something I made up. It could be anything you name.

LOL...I hope you are not joking me....arggg. Dont do this to me man I already felt like a proper nubee.

I must admit the time I tried it was on a Toshiba Portege 3110CT and a 3440CT many months ago...that never works. This time I tried it on Compaq EVO N1000V and it work with your "XPTEMP" =)

Ill try again without the "magic" directory...LOL

XPTEMP is the XP Temp. directory that you copy your XP CD into. I call it XPTEMP because it's easy to remember and I thought you would pick up on that. It happens. You should see some stuff I go though once in a while at work. It all make sense to me but to you it's a whole new thing



You should see what I went though when I installed linux for the first couple of times back in '96. I had to recomplile the kernel a couple of times to get the sound and ethernet to work. That was hell.


Lwin