Install XP without CD Rom?

Trying to revive my ancient laptop. Have had to replace the HD, but the CD Rom on the laptop has failed and I am left with the problem of installing XP. A replacement CD Drive can not be found here, and the motherboard does not support booting from USB, so am unable to use my external HD or flashdrive. Is there ANY way to install an operating system, or am I wasting my time? The machine generally is in good condition and it would be a shame to dump it.
Any help very much appreciated.

Ken

 

Can you do an over network install/unattended install or image. Floppy boot installation.

Tutorial for non CD and floppy install of XP.

 

Something like hardware independent recovery may be.

 

Hello everybody,

To launch : Winnt32.exe ; it execute an installation of Windows XP from the I386 folder :
Look to C / Windows / I386 / Winnt32.exe .


Thanks, PROROOTECT

 

Nice Link..thanks for that. Looking into it now.
Not sure how I can use an image without access to another drive of some kind.

@Aigle

Do you know I have been thinking about HIR for the last few days, but I can't figure a way of using it for a new drive without something bootable.

@PROROOTECT

Peter is right that without the i386 folder on the new drive there is nothing to install.

Question to all :- If I beg borrow or steal a cdrom from a friends laptop JUST to install an operating system, is it likely that it would just plug in and be the same voltage etc. ie Dell to Compaq. (Wouldnt want to damage anything)

Many thanks to all for the suggestions.

 

Hmmmm. adding HD in a desktop, restore an HIR image. Remove HD and put in laptop. Update drivers etc.

Don,t know if it will work practically but theory must be like this.

 

Can you please elaborate on this statement. Is the original drive custom in some fashion such that it cannot be replaced with a generic drive?

Doug

 

Hello Kenny,

I am wondering if you could use something like VMWare on another computer. Set up an instance with your laptops hardware configuration or near enough. Then create a complete image.
I think I remember a VM that would emulate up to 16 different PC's with hardware setup all the way down to the bios.

Searching

 

Hi Doug. No it would be a standard drive that could easily be replaced in most places,but here in this part of the Philippines, stuff like this is almost impossible to find, and not at all possible to get one mailed here if I order one online. One of the problems of living in a fourth world country.

@ All.Many thanks for all your input. I am waiting for my friend who has a similar machine to arrive here, and then I will have a way forward using one or other of your ideas. I will report back when I have made some progress.

Many thanks to all for your interest.

Ken

 

The way i install a fresh copy of xp on my thinkpad which has no cd-rom drive is to use acronis trueimage. I start an xp installation on another laptop which has a cd drive, i let it do the first part of the install where it copies files to the hard drive. When it reboots i load up true image and make an image of the hard drive. I then restore that image to my thinkpad and continue the installation.

 

Good work. You are genious.

 

I forgot to mention that i use a bootable external usb hard drive to backup and restore.

 

That is nice, but as you say, it seems to require being able to boot from USB which I can't do with this machine. Clever thinking on your part and will keep it in mind for the future.

Thanks again

 

There is another way, I think it might work. Attach the HD in another laptop/ desktop. Proceedcto the point when windows CD copies all files n reboots. Switch off PC. Remove HD and add it to the required latop and u should be able to continue installation, avoiding HIR.

 

That sounds a very likely solution, IF the installation will continue without needing the Windows cd. I didnt realise that when it loads all those files at the beginning, that it could complete the install without the cd.
Will report back when I have access toanother laptop.



Thanks to all.