what are my options to install Windows XP

[mattbiernat]

1. my computer doesn't have working internal drive
2. my computer's bios doesn't support booting from external drive
3. bios is limited to floppy and hard drive booting.

how can I install Windows XP on this computer? Any ideas?

[jdhurst]

Given the restrictions, install a working hard drive and do a network install. ... JDH

[thuur]

Take the harddrive out, put it in a working machine. Partition into 2: make the first one bootable, the second one only 2 gb or so in size and copy the XP install CD and specific drivers (if any). Put it back in your machine, boot and install. When finished: delete the install files and put the swap file here (guaranteed no fragmentation).


R,

[mattbiernat]

Take the harddrive out, put it in a working machine. Partition into 2: make the first one bootable, the second one only 2 gb or so in size and copy the XP install CD and specific drivers (if any). Put it back in your machine, boot and install. When finished: delete the install files and put the swap file here (guaranteed no fragmentation).


R,

i don't quite understand this... so please correct me if im wrong. On my thinkpad I will do the following to my HD:
Partition 1
- make it bootable
- (this will be the partition where my windows XP OS resides right?)
Partition 2
- copy windows XP CD files into it.

now... i remove my HD from the thinkpad and I put it into my vaio. Now, will my vaio boot into Windows XP from Partition 1 or will it start the installation process from Partition 2?

[MASS]

I have maked 2 partitions formated in FAT32 in DOS in another computer. I instyalled the files during XP installs and I was asked to reboot computer, after reboot nothing happens at all it just keeps starting over, kinda resets itself. I altered the MBR and then formated the harddrive once morte, and now after copied the XP files and restarting the computer says "there is not any operative system on the computer". Whatta heck I´ve installed many computers before this, the same thing is on both my machines ?!?! Why can´t I install XP ? After copied the install files the MS-DOS part of the install is finished computer should boot into XP mode and beginning to install XP.

[thuur]

Take the harddrive out, put it in a working machine. Partition into 2: make the first one bootable, the second one only 2 gb or so in size and copy the XP install CD and specific drivers (if any). Put it back in your machine, boot and install. When finished: delete the install files and put the swap file here (guaranteed no fragmentation).

i don't quite understand this... so please correct me if im wrong. On my thinkpad I will do the following to my HD:
Partition 1
- make it bootable
- (this will be the partition where my windows XP OS resides right?)
Partition 2
- copy windows XP CD files into it.

now... i remove my HD from the thinkpad and I put it into my vaio. Now, will my vaio boot into Windows XP from Partition 1 or will it start the installation process from Partition 2?

Sorry, my explanantion was a little short.

Take out the harddrive.
Put it in a working system, preferably as slave drive. If you're unable to do so, put it in a system that has FDD and CDD.
Boot the system from a floppy or cd with harddrive tools.
Partition into 2: both FAT32, the first one bootable (and active), the second one can be just 2 Gigabytes (use the rest for the primary partition).
Copy WXP files (and drivers if any) to the second partition.
Take the drive out and put it back in your computer that has no CDD or FDD.
Boot it and run Setup from the D: drive. Install drivers where nesseccary. Target should be to have a running OS with network connection. From here you can access anything.
Empty the second partition and place the swap file here (Properties of My Computer, Advanced, Performance Settings, Advanced, Change and place a fixed size file (max=min) of about 1,5 times your internal memory).


Good luck!

R,

[MASS]

I have maked 2 partitions formated in FAT32 in DOS in another computer. I instyalled the files during XP installs and I was asked to reboot computer, after reboot nothing happens at all it just keeps starting over, kinda resets itself. I altered the MBR and then formated the harddrive once morte, and now after copied the XP files and restarting the computer says "there is not any operative system on the computer". Whatta heck I´ve installed many computers before this, the same thing is on both my machines ?!?! Why can´t I install XP ? After copied the install files the MS-DOS part of the install is finished computer should boot into XP mode and beginning to install XP.

Never mind my question
Run FDISK and the D:\ was the active on... put the Active on C:\ so now it works like a charm