[lindab220]

is it possible for me to install xp home on an external hd and boot to it without having anything installed on the actuall pc?

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depends on your system....only if it supports booting to an external device.

[gerryf]

depends on your system....only if it supports booting to an external device.

[lindab220]

ok i'm pretty sure it does, but would i have a problem with drivers not being installed?

[gerryf]

no they would install to the external device.....very few systems currently allow booting to external devices unless they are relatively new

[lindab220]

ok thanks a lot, but how would i get xp onto the external drive in the first place?

[gerryf]

the same way you would get it on a drive.

set your machine up so that the external device is bootable (frist device)....insert windows xp cd (which is bootable), boot computer

when windows setup asks where you want it installed, direct it to that drive.

are you even certain this device is bootable

[lindab220]

well when i insert the installation cd and hit f10 for booting options it gives me four options: 1. from cd 2. from the hard drive 3. from and external device 4. from lan
i'm not sure but i think my hd is busted, which is why i'm trying to boot from an external, because if i can do that, then it guarentees it's my hd that's the problem.
right now i have my external connected to a different pc that works, so can i install windows from the other computer (not damaging or erasing it) and then connect the hd to the one that doesn't work and boot from it?

Edited by lindab220, 27 June 2005 - 10:29 AM.

[gerryf]

that will not work on windows xp...it is very harddware sensitive and moving a harddrive from one pc to another will not work (if you want it to boot).

Additionally, both motherboards must allow booting from an external device for you to even contemplate it.

Let's back WAY UP.

You've got a computer that does not work and you suspect harddrive....why.

[lindab220]

because it won't let me format and reinstall windows. right now it doesn't do anything, windows doesn't start. i've tried formating but it stops in the middle and says it can't complete the format

[gerryf]

does this system have a floppy

[lindab220]

no...it's a gateway laptop too, if that's useful

[gerryf]

using windows setup, did you try rmeoving the existing partition?

[lindab220]

yep and then i try formating, but to no avail

:edit: i understand that it could be a number of problems, but i really think it's the hard drive that has a bad sector or something. the problem is i don't want to buy a new hd just to see that it doesn't work and not be able to return it...but i don't want to spend 100 bucks getting diagnostics run on it just to find out that is was the hd. that's why i'm exploring other possibilities first :edit:

Edited by lindab220, 27 June 2005 - 11:16 AM.

[gerryf]

gateway should have included a diagnostic disk with the laptop---can you find it?

[lindab220]

no it didn't come with one....is there anywhere i can download one for free? it'd have to be self booting