Install XP without cdrom

[curious john]

I have been trying to install an n-lite custom cutdown version of XP onto an older laptop without a cdrom.

First tried usb cdrom and boot floppy that allows booting from usb on computer that doesnt offer this option. It times out. I think if it didnt time out, might work, I got laptop to boot Puppy Linux off a usb external hard drive in past but it took long time for actual boot.

Second tried using an adapter and starting the install on desktop computer with a cdrom. It copies the files, lets you partition/format, then put hardrive back into laptop for actual install/setup, but on reboot blank screen.

Then tried win98 boot disk and winnt.exe. It copies files to hard drive. On reboot, get the hal.dll corruption error. And no, hal.dll is not corrupted.

Any other suggestions? I could try full version of XP and winnt.exe, but dont really want full install on this computer.

[plodr]

If the BIOS allows booting from a network, you could try a network install.

The directions are outlined here
 http://www.lockstockmods.net/2008/04/26/ea...t-windows/ 

One of my computers will only boot from a floppy, hard drive or network.
I have never attempted a network install so my "helP', if you can call it that, is simply to point you to the directions.

Another option, which could be messy is to put the laptop drive, as master, in another computer, and install windows on it. Then move it back to the laptop and clean up all the hardware problems.

[curious john]

bios only allows booting from floppy or internal hard drive or optional built in cdrom that replaces the floppy drive and which I dont have. As I mentioned I have used PLoP floppy boot disk and was able to boot Puppy on usb external hard drive. But havent found a usb boot disk that allows me to boot from usb cdrom.

I may try winnt.exe again with full XP cd. See if that gets rid of the corrupted hal.dll problem.

Maybe there is a trick to it, but I have tried swapping hard drive with XP installed on one computer to another computer. It wouldnt even let me boot in safe mode, always blue screen of death. So no idea how to swap around drivers if it wont boot even in safe mode.

[plodr]

I had hopes for something I used to boot from an internal CD-ROM that isn't bootable in my BIOS. I fired up the computer with the special boot floppy in and the external CD drive attached with a live puppy CD. The boot floppy only sees the internal CD, not the external USB connected one.

There is some sort of plain vanilla install of XP that developers use. Let me ask around and see how this works.

Or if you put the i386 folder on the hd using a USB stick and moving them through linux, maybe there is a way to use a boot floppy, then cd to the i386 folder and install from the files you placed on the hard drive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Windows XP floppies for installing
 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...0121120120 
and
 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994 
links not tested

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is a guide about the i386 directory and installing from the files on the hd. It is a bit more complicated because the author assumes there is no floppy drive either.
 http://www.syschat.com/install-windows-xp-...d-463.html 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and another guide which has several methods
 http://www.techtroupe.com/os/windows-xp/ho...-cd-drive/ 

[curious john]

Wow to that one wanting to install 98 in order to run winnt32.exe. Thats lot work, especially if it fails.

No luck any which way using winnt.exe, continual hal.dll errors. After google, seems winnt32.exe can do this too, so dont think I'm going that direction.

I just downloaded the official XP installation floppies. I havent heard whether they work with external usb cdrom. They apparently just work on computer where you cant boot from a cdrom, but have one. Trick is whether they have the usb drivers necessary.

Am realizing that unless I find some miracle boot floppy that allows booting from usb cdrom, that only other way to do this is to have the official factory cdrom that replaces the floppy drive on my laptop. Bios on my laptop has option to boot from that.

Oh well, be nice to have an XP partition on laptop, but Puppy only is good enough.

[curious john]

Ok, made the 6 boot floppies for XP. Finding 6 good floppies not that easy. Anyway made them, one turned out bad after successfully written to, so remade it. Then it does seem to find my usb cdrom. Lets me format partition. Then ...

Quote:

The following value in the .SIF file used by Setup is corrupted or missing: Value 0 on the lin in section [ServiceDiskFiles] with key "SP2.cab"

I give up. Unless I stumble onto a floppy boot disk that lets me boot from usb cdrom, this is just big wild goose chase.

[plodr]

So sorry to hear that. I thought the 6 floppy set might let you install XP.

I'm not sure if you were at this page earlier.

Code:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=15491F07-99F7-4A2D-983D-81C2137FF464&displaylang=en

It is the download for XP Home with SP2 but if you scroll down, there are links for XP Pro with and without SP2 and Dos 6.2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This site explains 4 methods of booting from a DOS floppy that will allow USB CD to work.
 http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm 

in cae you aren't frustrated enough.

[EasyE]

You might want to try going to boot-land.net where their forum is dedicatated to this sort of thing.

 http://www.boot-land.net/forums/ 

[curious john]

Thanks Plodr and easye. Anyway rainy today so messed some more. Solved the hal.dll problem. Seems boot.ini file was pointing it to wrong partition on initialization.

Fine so correct that and now get "STOP Error 0x0000006f Session3_initialization_failed"

Google gets me such advice as using another cdrom (I didnt use one, this is winnt.exe instal) or another cd (didnt use one, copied from cd to partition on hardrive). This is a laptop there isnt any hardware to remove. If it doesnt like video or something then not much I can do. Does seem to be some hardware driver problem so thats that I guess.

[plodr]

What brand and model is the laptop? Was a CD-Rom an option? If you aren't sure searching the brand and model might help. I'm sure people who owned the notebook had to install an OS due to a failing hard drive. Ther might be some obscure success story on the internet about how it was done.

I'm sitting here, willing to search for a bit. I had two computers meltdown on Sunday so I spent Sunday and Monday thinking about my options.
I'm in the process of restoring my old notebook - for the 2nd time today (different image). Very long boring story... so I'm googling.

[curious john]

Its a winbook (compal) Ts30T2. 366mhz processor, 256mb ram. Yes as I said a cdrom was an option and plugged in where the floppy drive plugs in, you had to remove floppy drive to use it. And yes the Inspiron 3500 is supposed to be same but not sure how much same and how much different. Looked up floppy drive for Inspiron 3500 and it has connection on back of its floppy drive on opposite side from mine. No idea how much else different though should be very simular.

There were some other no-name TS30T2 clones, but again very little info, the Insprion 3500 was most popular by far.

Was looking on ebay and frankly if I was super gung ho to have XP (I'm not, just wanted small install of it on hard drive to run couple programs) then cheapest just to find another used computer. As lastest operating systems demand faster and faster hardware the old stuff goes down in price.

[curious john]

Well if you havent already, dont waste bunch time looking. One of my cats decided to take a 6 foot leap and knocked coffee over a wide area including my laptop. It wont even turn on now. So it goes.

[curious john]

Well laptop dried out and miracle of miracles works fine. Its a tough old thing and has been very reliable since I've owned it. Cats dont like my laptop, I had removed hardrive, battery, floppy drive so it would dry quicker. Cat knocked battery off refrigerator and cracked it open. See if I can glue it. Hate this as battery for this laptop costs much more than laptop is worth and only rarely do I need battery, usually run it off AC or car adapter.

[plodr]

Quote:

battery for this laptop costs much more than laptop is worth

I hear you. I have an HP notebook, purchased in 2001 which needs a battery. I don't want to spend the money so I keep it plugged in all the time.
It is the only reliable burner (in windows) in the house - a few computers just have CD-ROMs and it isn't worth hooking up an external and installing burning software to see how it works. It is also great for watching movies in bed.