HDD setup, Can I do this.

Invisible Evil · Post by **Invisible Evil** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 6:58 pm

This being create 2 partitions, copy the setup contents of Windows xp on one partiton, and then setup the actual OS on the other partition?

Im trying to install XP on a laptop that has no CDROM, other than a USB cdrom which I cannot boot from.

I mean I guess i could take the chance of seting up XP with the HDD in my Desk top then move it over, but Wouldnt I have to do a repair install, also needing the CD?

Help me out, if there are any other Ideas please LMK.

Thanks!

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:16 pm

Unless the thing is older than me it HAS to be able to boot from a USB CD Rom. You may have to hit a key to bring up a boot menu like on Dells (F12) or just change the boot order in BIOS.

There are ways to do what you're thinking of doing, but I've never done it and it's not simple.

Invisible Evil · Post by **Invisible Evil** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:18 pm

I thought that too man, I mean its a dell Latitude LS but in the boot menu its, HDD Floppy Removable and CD. I tried removable and cd and it didnt work. Even flashed to new bios.

UberNeuman · Post by **UberNeuman** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:40 pm

Does the laptop have a working floppy? If it does then format the drive on your computer, then make a new folder on it and copy the contents of the WinXp cd to that folder on the new drive, then use the floppy to boot into dos then go into that folder and run the install...

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:21 am

Oh heck, I just looked up that lappy - it's older than I thought. Yeah, it's not USB bootable.

You SURE you want to put XP in that thing?

GuardianAsher · Post by **GuardianAsher** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:06 pm

Larrg... I'll agree with FP, that is an old laptop. I wouldn't suggest putting XP on that thing unless you have more than 256MB of RAM. I have it on my HP Pavilion N3410, which sports an AMD K6-3 550MHz with 256MB of RAM, and it runs slow as hell. I'd go for... 2000 or something or other.

Invisible Evil · Post by **Invisible Evil** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:23 pm

Maybe Im slow. I dunno, but I ran XP on a work laptop with a p2 333mhz w/ 512mb ram, and I had no Issues @ all.
I guess Ill just keep win2k on it.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 5:00 pm

Win2K will run MUCH faster on it. I have an old Celeron 600 lappy that someone gave me with 128Mb on it and it runs like greased lightning with 2K in it.

You COULD install one of the butchered versions of XP on it but you're really better off with Win2K.

Of course you have the same install issues with Win2K without a bootable CD as you would with XP.

GuardianAsher · Post by **GuardianAsher** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 5:03 pm

My suggestion would be to take the HD off the lappy, get a converter so you can plug it into a desktop, then do the format on that, and have the installation CD copy the files to the HD to at least start the install. Then you could probably continue it with the laptop and a USB CD