# Formatting & Installing Windows XP on a Netbook **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971 "2009-03-27T07:53:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/1 "2009-03-27T07:53:44Z")
Hi, A friend of mine has majorly screwed up his PC (aborting an uninstall of Adobe Creative Suite - his registry is pretty messed up and he gets an endless flood of error messages, mostly from DDM Proxy) and his PC doesn’t have a CD or DVD drive. He does have a Windows XP SP2 CD (which came with his computer, Og knows why) which is currently in my possession. So, basically I need help with how to make a USB-stick bootable from before Windows loads, transfer the Windows installation package unto it (I suppose merely copying the files directly from the CD won’t work) and instructions on how to boot from it. I tried once before, on wednesday, from the instructions over here: [http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22\_11-5928902.html](http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22_11-5928902.html) This, however, didn’t work. - Even if set first in the boot queue in BIOS, the computer didn’t load from the USB drive and went straight to trying to load Windows. - His Windows is so messed up I can’t do any work from there. - The USB drive I have is 8GB and the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool won’t let me format a drive to FAT that is over 4GB. (Which might be related to the first point - I had to format it to FAT32. I also tried NTFS.) If anyone could help - and within the day would be nice - me and my friend would be very grateful. Even better - if anyone has any alternative solutions, that would be great. (I don’t have an external CD/DVD Drive, regrettably.) Cheers! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/2 "2009-03-27T08:32:44Z")
Unless you can make the thumbdrive bootable (I’ve never tried to do this - [here’s on p[ossible method](http://www.scribd.com/doc/13257/Boot-Windows-XP-From-a-USB-Flash-Drive)) the easiest solution is usually to get ahold of an external USB CD drive and burn a bootable XP OS CD. You could also use a USB based floppy boot to DOS then access the thumbdrive XP files although this is kind of a PITA. You might try getting a smaller thum drive they are only a few dollars these days. A 2 gig unit should be around $ 10 dollars or so at Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/3 "2009-03-27T10:26:57Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Unless you can make the thumbdrive bootable (I’ve never tried to do this - [here’s on p[ossible method](http://www.scribd.com/doc/13257/Boot-Windows-XP-From-a-USB-Flash-Drive)) the easiest solution is usually to get ahold of an external USB CD drive and burn a bootable XP OS CD. You could also use a USB based floppy boot to DOS then access the thumbdrive XP files although this is kind of a PITA. > > You might try getting a smaller thum drive they are only a few dollars these days. A 2 gig unit should be around $ 10 dollars or so at Walmart. Well, supposedly, all you have to do to make it bootable is to copy over Boot.ini and two other files from the root of your own boot drive - I can do that. What I meant by the question (which I see now was poorly phrased) was how do I force it to boot from the drive, or open up the files without going into Windows? I’ve got some experience - not much and I’m not educated in the field, but I’ve got patches of experience from putting together my own machine. It’s just at times like this I get frustrated at not having the whole picture 😛 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/4 "2009-03-27T11:18:25Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Well, supposedly, all you have to do to make it bootable is to copy over Boot.ini and two other files from the root of your own boot drive - I can do that. What I meant by the question (which I see now was poorly phrased) was how do I force it to boot from the drive, or open up the files without going into Windows? > > I’ve got some experience - not much and I’m not educated in the field, but I’ve got patches of experience from putting together my own machine. It’s just at times like this I get frustrated at not having the whole picture 😛 Most netbooks are going to boot from the first device specified in BIOS. If it’s skipping it it’s usually because the PC doesn’t recognize the device as being bootable. You can also force drive changes during XP start up by tapping the f11 key on HP & Compaq devices. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/5 "2009-03-27T11:25:16Z")
I may be totally wrong about this (if so, I’m sure someone will correct me), but you say you have a Windows XP SP2 CD. As far as I am aware, that is a Service Pack 2 disk: just an update, not the full version of Windows. If so, you will need (if following a legal route) to buy a full version of XP. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/6 "2009-03-27T12:36:10Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I may be totally wrong about this (if so, I’m sure someone will correct me), but you say you have a Windows XP SP2 CD. As far as I am aware, that is a Service Pack 2 disk: just an update, not the full version of Windows. If so, you will need (if following a legal route) to buy a full version of XP. It’s a little unclear. I’m pretty sure that you CAN have a CD that will install the full windows XP and service pack 2 at the same time. There’s even instructions for making such a CD here: [Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Create Bootable CD - HelpWithWindows.com](http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html) ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/7 "2009-03-27T12:42:14Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > It’s a little unclear. I’m pretty sure that you CAN have a CD that will install the full windows XP and service pack 2 at the same time. > > There’s even instructions for making such a CD here: [Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Create Bootable CD - HelpWithWindows.com](http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html) Yes, but that involves integrating the service pack with your Windows installation. They tell you to _download the service pack_, and > [@](#): > > _Next copy your Windows XP CD to your hard drive._ Later editions of the retail or OEM versions of XP do incorporate SP2, so it may be that he has one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/8 "2009-03-27T15:49:14Z")
This method worked for me: [Create a Live Windows USB stick](http://www.anewmorning.com/2009/01/15/create-a-live-windows-usb-stick/) Keep in mind it is possible the computer you are working may not be able to boot from a flash drive. ---
**Author:** ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formatting-installing-windows-xp-on-a-netbook/490971/9 "2009-03-30T11:34:24Z")
Some USB keys just will not work for this. I tried lots until I found one that worked with UBCD4win’s UBUSB utility. Try a key under 4GB. Make sure your disc is actually WinXP+SP2, and not just SP2 **for** XP. I use a Kingston DataTraveller 2GB key and it works OK.