Installing WinXP from a partition?

[caphis]

I need to reinstall a clean Windows XP on my laptop. Problem is, my CD/DVD drive won’t read a disc. I thought that perhaps I could copy the files from my Windows XP installation disc using my desktop PC, transfer the contents over to my laptop over our home network, create a partition with them, and boot from that. Would that work like a CD install? Is that even possible?

Thanks guys

[akifani]

@caphis

I need to reinstall a clean Windows XP on my laptop. Problem is, my CD/DVD drive won’t read a disc. I thought that perhaps I could copy the files from my Windows XP installation disc using my desktop PC, transfer the contents over to my laptop over our home network, create a partition with them, and boot from that. Would that work like a CD install? Is that even possible?

Thanks guys

Yes it’s possible but there is a simpler way to do it:
1- Copy the contents of your winXP cd to a folder in your laptop’s HD. Name it winXP.
2- Make a boot disk and boot from it
3- From the bootdisk, delete all files and folders on your HD EXCEPT for the winXP folder.
4- go inside the winXP folder and run setup.exe or whatever the installation executable is called.
5- Install windows. No partitions needed.

You could also skip part 1 and install winXP directly over ethernet but i’ve never done it so I don’t know how you’d do it (but it is definitely possible).

[akifani]

@akifani

Yes it’s possible but there is a simpler way to do it:
1- Copy the contents of your winXP cd to a folder in your laptop’s HD. Name it winXP.
2- Make a boot disk and boot from it
3- From the bootdisk, delete all files and folders on your HD EXCEPT for the winXP folder.
4- go inside the winXP folder and run setup.exe or whatever the installation executable is called.
5- Install windows. No partitions needed.

You could also skip part 1 and install winXP directly over ethernet but i’ve never done it so I don’t know how you’d do it (but it is definitely possible).

Ah, one more thing, before deleting anything, make sure you CAN run setup.exe from the bootdisk just to be on the safe side. If it works, cancel the install and follow the previous instructions.

And well, be sure to backup all important information before hand (but i’m sure you thought of that)

[bouv]

@akifani

Yes it’s possible but there is a simpler way to do it:
1- Copy the contents of your winXP cd to a folder in your laptop’s HD. Name it winXP.
2- Make a boot disk and boot from it
3- From the bootdisk, delete all files and folders on your HD EXCEPT for the winXP folder.
4- go inside the winXP folder and run setup.exe or whatever the installation executable is called.
5- Install windows. No partitions needed.

You could also skip part 1 and install winXP directly over ethernet but i’ve never done it so I don’t know how you’d do it (but it is definitely possible).

He said his CD/DVD drive won’t read the disc, so he can’t do that. If he could copy the disk, then he would just boot from it, yes?

So basically do what he said, only number 1 would be copy it to the desktop, and then between 1 and 2 is copy them over the network to the laptop.

[yojimbo]

@bouv

He said his CD/DVD drive won’t read the disc, so he can’t do that. If he could copy the disk, then he would just boot from it, yes?

I assumed akifani was talking about a floppy boot disk not a CD\DVD one.

[yojimbo]

Doh! That’s not what you said.

I really need to read properly. Sorry :o

[Quartz]

@akifani

3- From the bootdisk, delete all files and folders on your HD EXCEPT for the winXP folder.

Not necessary. All you need to do is rename c:\windows, c:\windows\win.ini, and c:\windows\win.com. Rename c:\Documents and Settings if required.

[caphis]

@Quartz

Not necessary. All you need to do is rename c:\windows, c:\windows\win.ini, and c:\windows\win.com. Rename c:\Documents and Settings if required.

Errrrr?? Ok, I think I got the basic idea.

Copy files from WinXP CD to desktop comp. Transfer that folder over the network to the laptop. Using a boot disk (how can I make one that will boot into the command prompt?), then make sure I can run the XP setup folder’s setup.exe.

[caphis]

One more thing- I just realized that I have recovery CDs for the laptop – 6 CDs (I would just install XP, but I’m not sure if I need to install software for the touchpad, some of the laptop drivers, etc?) Do you guys think if just installed XP and not the recovery CDs, my touchpad would work fine, etc? What about the “special keys” on the keyboard?

[akifani]

@caphis

One more thing- I just realized that I have recovery CDs for the laptop – 6 CDs (I would just install XP, but I’m not sure if I need to install software for the touchpad, some of the laptop drivers, etc?) Do you guys think if just installed XP and not the recovery CDs, my touchpad would work fine, etc? What about the “special keys” on the keyboard?

I have never owned a laptop so my experience with them is limited so take this with a grain of salt.

It is highly probable that everything would be detected properly and work just fine. It is absolutely possible that some secondary features of your laptop would not be enabled until you visited the manufacturer’s website and downloaded the appropriate drivers/utilities but those would not prevent you from using the keyboard, touchpad, the screen, the wireless card and other essential tools that you’d need to operate your computer and connect to the net.

If you feel uncomfortable with that, go ahead and use the CDs. I personally wouldn’t as those tend to install a lot of bloated crap that you don’t need. Your computer would be slower.