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Loading Windows on a Laptop with no CD ROM


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#1
ablib

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Hello all.

I'm trying to load XP onto a laptop that had no CD ROM. So I have a USB CD Rom and of course the BIOS doesn't recognize the USB ROM.

Any suggestions?
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#2
SRX660

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I first would look into the bios and see if you can change the boot order to a external device. You may have to change a setting to where the bios can see the external cdrom drive also.

Beyond that this is the easist method i've found. From another forum that i copied to a text file.

Use another PC.
Go to www.bootdisk.com and get the file to make a boot-floppy for W98-SE. Create the floppy by running this program.
You can buy 2.5"-3.5" adapters. Take the laptop-hd out, connect it temporarily to this other PC as Master and disconnect any other HDs. Using the boot floppy you made make 2 partitions on the Laptop HD , the first one of max. 30GB (and set it active). Format this in FAT32 using format C: /s /u, the second partition uses the rest of the HD, format also in FAT32. Remove the floppy and try to boot that PC. It should boot into C:.
Now connect the original PC-HD back on, and make that laptop-HD the slave. Boot up.
Then copy the full contents of the XP-CD to the SECOND partition of the laptop-HD.

Take the laptop-HD out, set jumpers back to master and put it back in the laptop.
It should boot the laptop into C:. Then go to the laptop's second partition and start XP installation from there (setup.exe most likely). Let XP re-format the C-partition as NTFS. Keep the second partition with XP-files for when you need to (re-)install, and store your updates and other stuff there.

SRX660
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#3
ablib

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I don't have a 2.5"-3.5" adapter. There must be a faster way. I've been experimenting with USB DOS drivers, but I'm not having much luck.
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#4
dsenette

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IF you've got a floppy drive on the laptop you can try the xp setup floppies

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;310994
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#5
ablib

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Upon loading the 6th disc I got the BSOD. twice
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#6
dsenette

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which "the BSOD"
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#7
ablib

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You mean what did the BSOD say? I don't remember, I'd have to run all 6 discs again to see.
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#8
ablib

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ok so the boot disks worked the 3rd time. But then it said that setup cannot find CD ROM. And the computer restarted.

I know the CD ROM works. So what now?
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