[wikedjoker]

Hello I have a Dell mini 10 netbook and need to reinstall windows xp I have no external drive to hook up to install from the cd. I have a sony 16 gig USB stick and did follow instuctions on how to put xp on it so I could install all seemed to work till i put the usb drive in my netbook and boot form the usb i get "disk error". I am willing to start all over if someone could help the windows xp disk I have is the one that came with the Dell netbook when I bought it so it is the correct operating disk for the netbook and it did have XP in it before I lost it. Thanks to anyone willing to help with this problem.

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http://komku.blogspo...windows-xp.html
http://www.pctipsbox...sb-flash-drive/

[Broni]

http://komku.blogspo...windows-xp.html
http://www.pctipsbox...sb-flash-drive/

[wikedjoker]

Thank you for the post back with the links needed to set up my USB stick. I used the one from komku, it seemed to work great to set up my USB real easy to use with the wizards unlike the other one I would only recommend to more experince users since using the command prompt. Only to get where once trying to format my hard drive I get disk may be damaged The netbook was dropped (not very hard might be a warning to people with they are fragle) and that is how I lost my XP in the first place I'm guessing. Is there a way to tell for sure that my hard drive is bad before I go and get a new one? thanks again for your help Geeks To Go I highly recommend to anyone who has a computer problem and want to try and fix it them self you have saved me before and I'm sure will be back again and will return help when ever I see a problem that I may be able to help with.

[Broni]

You're welcome

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287 (or http://www.bleepingc...ive diagnostic)
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

[123Runner]

Since you do not have a CD drive, you may have to pull the hard drive from the netbook and install it in another computer to run the hard drive diagnostics.
I do not recall any diagnostics that will boot from a USB.

You may have to place in a USB enclosure to do this.

EDIT: Info on booting from a USB
Barts PE to USB

Edited by 123Runner, 26 June 2010 - 06:02 AM.

[wikedjoker]

Thank you. Do I disconnect my Hard Drive in my PC to hook up the netbook drive? I don't have any extra cable to hook up netbook hard drive and leave my desktop hard drive connected.

[123Runner]

The question now becomes....
What type of a hard drive is in the netbook? Is it SATA or IDE?
Then what is the connection in your desktop? SATA or IDE?

I suspect that it is a SATA drive in the netbook so you would need a 2.5 inch sata connection on that end.
Now it depends on what you have available in the desktop.

Your best choice would probably be a USB enclosure that would accept a 2.5 inch SATA drive.

You create the diagnostic CD and then boot the computer.

NOTE: Take a look at the Barts PE to USB first. It may have a drive diagnostic on it.

[wikedjoker]

Yes it is a SATA drive I have had it connected to my desktop before the only problem I had is that I didn't have a extra cable to keep my hard drive in my desktop connected if I hooked up my drive form my netbook. I have since found me one so I will be connecting my netbook drive to my desktop and using the links you provided to check the hard drive. Do I need to have my hard drive from my desktop to be connected? or can I make the cd then connect the netbook hard drive and check it that way? I just thought since the netbook drive don't have a working OS on it I would need to have both hooked up so I can boot up off my desktop and just run the tool to check the other hard drive (the netbook hard drive). Thank for all the help.

[123Runner]

The hard drive diagnostics CD when made correctly will be a bootable CD.
So, since you only have the netbook dive attached to your desktop it should work.
You need to set the desktop to boot from CD.

Be warned: If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool. In this case you can try the seagate diagnostics because that sometimes works.

[wikedjoker]

Thank you for all the help. Ran the hard drive diagnostics not good results too many bad sectors and from what I seen that means I need a new drive. I did pick a new one up even got a little bigger one 250GB. Now my question is would it be better to install the operating system from the usb stick I set up? Or connect the new hard drive to my desktop install OS from the CD cause also have a Dell CD with all the drivers that came with the netbook? Will the hard drive work correctly in the netbook if I install everything on it with it hooked up to my desktop?

[123Runner]

You can not install the OS for the netbook while it is in as a slave in the desktop.