# help installing xp from a flashdrive



## Fitseries3 (Dec 7, 2008)

im no noob at installing OSes but this one has me stumped.

im trying to install XP FROM a usb flash drive TO a computer with NO cd/dvd drive. the computer was origially loaded from a usb drive cause there is NO cd/dvd drive or anywhere to hook one up other than usb.

i have tried several guides that i have found via google but none have begun to work. i may be overlooking some simple step here.

i have the xp disc's content on the flashdrive. i have tried using fat, fat32, and ntfs but none have worked so far. 

the computer tries to boot from the drive but then tells me "remove removable media and press any key to continue".

this seems like a catch 22 situation where i will never win but maybe you know more than i do here. 

what am i doing wrong?


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## sneekypeet (Dec 7, 2008)

you have set the USB stick up with the HP bootable image? You may want to shoot infrared a PM as I know for sure he has done this!


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 7, 2008)

sneekypeet said:


> you have set the USB stick up with the HP bootable image? You may want to shoot infrared a PM as I know for sure he has done this!



yup. used hp tool, petousb, and a few others. i also tried the guide doninkansas found.


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## tkpenalty (Dec 7, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> im no noob at installing OSes but this one has me stumped.
> 
> im trying to install XP FROM a usb flash drive TO a computer with NO cd/dvd drive. the computer was origially loaded from a usb drive cause there is NO cd/dvd drive or anywhere to hook one up other than usb.
> 
> ...



Might be a stupid question but have you fiddled with any of the boot settings in BIOS? You would be required to change the boot order just to boot from a removable usb device (as it is not something the BIOS defaults to usually).


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 7, 2008)

tkpenalty said:


> Might be a stupid question but have you fiddled with any of the boot settings in BIOS?



yes but its very limited. 

with the right files on the flash drive i can get it to boot to a command prompt but i cant launch the install from dos.


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## tkpenalty (Dec 7, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> yes but its very limited.
> 
> with the right files on the flash drive i can get it to boot to a command prompt but i cant launch the install from dos.



Read my edit. You're not supposed to launch from DOS anyway, its supposed to be an automated boot into the setup. It sounds ludicrous that the BIOS would omit boot settings.

In the case you have correct boot settings (Boot order, boot setup whatever, something like this: 1. Removable USB/Disk Drive/Media 2. Hard Disk), well then you're doing something wrong. 

I'd recommend using this guide btw: http://www.eeeguides.com/2007/11/installing-windows-xp-from-usb-thumb.html


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 7, 2008)

i got it to boot from the flashdrive every time. its just not doing what it should.


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## Polaris573 (Dec 7, 2008)

Run this file "Drive Letter:\i386\winnt.exe" with your drive letter where indicated and without quotes.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 7, 2008)

Polaris573 said:


> Run this file "Drive Letter:\i386\winnt.exe" with your drive letter where indicated and without quotes.



sweet. that got it started but its asking me to install smartdrive. how do i do that?


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## Polaris573 (Dec 7, 2008)

You need to find a copy of smartdrv.exe and put it somewhere on the flash drive so you can run it.  If you don't it can take up to 5 hours just to copy the files to the hard drive.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 7, 2008)

oh sweet. it boots right into setup now but says that it cant fine the EULA so it ends setup. 

i found the EULA and copied it into like 8 different places on the flash drive and it still says that it cant find it. what now?


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## Polaris573 (Dec 7, 2008)

I don't know what to do about that either.  Is this copy of windows from a CD that was specifically for a DELL, HP, Acer, etc.?  If it was then it would cause a similar problem preventing you from installing windows on a computer that is not manufactured by that brand.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 7, 2008)

its from a genuine xp pro disk.


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## bubje (Dec 7, 2008)

another option is to use a usb floppydrive , download the xp setup on diskette from bootdisk.com(6 diskettes)or from here :http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=535d248d-5e10-49b5-b80c-0a0205368124  and then continue with a usb cd/dvd player with your cd
That is if you have a usb floppy
With floppy i mean diskette of course


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 8, 2008)

now i cant get the flashdrive to boot at all. the computer says....

remove disks or other media

pres any key to restart.

WTF am i doing wrong?


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## Mussels (Dec 8, 2008)

i can make it work in vista, but i never got XP to work either.

The only way i made xp work, was to use a USB DVD drive.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 8, 2008)

im willing to try anything at this point. this 3yr old girl has been begging me for a week now to get it working and i simply cant do it. tell me how. i only have a 2gb flashdrive so i cant just copy it over. bartpe wont build vista disks. 

tell me how. no one else seems to want to help.


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## Mussels (Dec 8, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> im willing to try anything at this point. this 3yr old girl has been begging me for a week now to get it working and i simply cant do it. tell me how. i only have a 2gb flashdrive so i cant just copy it over. bartpe wont build vista disks.
> 
> tell me how. no one else seems to want to help.



to do vista, you need a 4GB flash drive.

Your only options here is really to get a USB to sata/USB to IDE adaptor, and hook a CD/DVD drive up


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## HTC (Dec 8, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> oh sweet. it boots right into setup now but says that it cant fine the EULA so it ends setup.
> 
> i found the EULA and copied it into like 8 different places on the flash drive and it still says that it cant find it. what now?



Have you tried creating an "autoexec.bat" with the command "path=" using the directories of the install?

Could that work?


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## Deleted member 38767 (Dec 8, 2008)

No one asked, so I'll do it: is the system DELL/HP/Lenovo etc.? Most PC of those brands have build in restore.


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## bubje (Dec 8, 2008)

I think your only option to get xp on that machine is to use a external usb cd/dvd drive


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## Wile E (Dec 8, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> im no noob at installing OSes but this one has me stumped.
> 
> im trying to install XP FROM a usb flash drive TO a computer with NO cd/dvd drive. the computer was origially loaded from a usb drive cause there is NO cd/dvd drive or anywhere to hook one up other than usb.
> 
> ...


Doninkansas had a thread about this a week or 2 ago. You have to set the stick up a certain way.
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=77173


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## eidairaman1 (Dec 8, 2008)

ive tried installing XP to a External USB HD before, doesnt work, just to give heads up, im sure its same way trying to install from a thumbdrive.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 8, 2008)

Grasshopper said:


> No one asked, so I'll do it: is the system DELL/HP/Lenovo etc.? Most PC of those brands have build in restore.



no. just a mini itx machine. no brand. new hdd thats dry.



bubje said:


> I think your only option to get xp on that machine is to use a external usb cd/dvd drive







Wile E said:


> Doninkansas had a thread about this a week or 2 ago. You have to set the stick up a certain way.
> http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=77173



i said i tryed that already. the program used in that guide wont even see my flashdrive. don went back and tried to do it again and it wouldnt let him do it either. idk wtf is going on.


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## lemonadesoda (Dec 8, 2008)

I have also spent hours trying to create USB Windows installations and have also failed. I think that it is very *BIOS* dependent. Some newer mainboards can do it. Some older ones cant.

*My suggestion is as follows:*

Put the HDD into another computer. Install XP. Once working, use *sysprep*. Shut down. Move the HDD to the other PC, and boot.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 8, 2008)

it will boot from the flashdrive. i just cant get the files on the flashdrive right. i had it started one time but i forgot to have smartdrv.exe on the disk. i added that one file and it wouldnt work again.


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## Deleted member 38767 (Dec 8, 2008)

lemonadesoda said:


> Put the HDD into another computer. Install XP. Once working, use *sysprep*. Shut down. Move the HDD to the other PC, and boot.



Wouldn't it be easier just to plug the CD/DVD drive from his system on this one for the installation and then remove it?


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## bubje (Dec 8, 2008)

sorry just a little question,have you got a external usb cd/dvd drive?Because if  your able to boot from a usb stick you should be able to boot from usb cd/dvd drive
I got xp installed on a laptop without cd/dvd drive and without diskette and no option to boot from usb.
I used a usb floppydisk drive with the startup diskettes from xp and then continued with the xp cd using usb cd/dvd drive.
like i said before i don´t know if you have a external usb cd drive but this method worked for me


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## 95Viper (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi Fit, boy oh boy, I hope this helps.
I did this about a year ago to a Dell laptop,for my sis-in-law and it worked.

Here is the link to the guy's site http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/

Hope it works for u...


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## W1zzard (Dec 8, 2008)

95Viper said:


> Hi Fit, boy oh boy, I hope this helps.
> I did this about a year ago to a Dell laptop,for my sis-in-law and it worked.
> 
> Here is the link to the guy's site http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/
> ...



good article



> Q: Why Windows 2003 Server Service Pack 1? I want to install XP!
> 
> A: Well that’s exactly the trick, though it’s a bit technical. During booting, Windows resets the USB port and loses your boot device. That’s why an installation from USB normally fails. But by using Windows 2003 Server’s ramdisk feature in the early phases of booting, we circumvent that problem.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 8, 2008)

Grasshopper said:


> Wouldn't it be easier just to plug the CD/DVD drive from his system on this one for the installation and then remove it?



cant. theres no place to plug it in. i dont have a usb cd drive or floppy either.



95Viper said:


> Hi Fit, boy oh boy, I hope this helps.
> I did this about a year ago to a Dell laptop,for my sis-in-law and it worked.
> 
> Here is the link to the guy's site http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/
> ...



i'll try it. thanks.


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## W1zzard (Dec 8, 2008)

if you get this to work please report back here  it should work just like the xp cd .. insert usb stick, boot, setup loads and can format target partition as ntfs (the dos based install cant do that afaik)


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 8, 2008)

95Viper said:


> Hi Fit, boy oh boy, I hope this helps.
> I did this about a year ago to a Dell laptop,for my sis-in-law and it worked.
> 
> Here is the link to the guy's site http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/
> ...



ok.... i didnt get any of that to work but i did pull the ramdisk files from 2003 sp1 and integrated them into what i already have. im going to try this again my way since the others dont seem to want to cooperate. 

i'll keep you posted


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 8, 2008)

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/13897/how-do-i-use-smartdrv.html

that has got it started. i'll let you know if it finishes. if it does i'll write up a whole how to on this.


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## Wile E (Dec 9, 2008)

Thanks fit. I'm looking forward to seeing the write up. I think it would be way easier to keep my installs on flash drives, as opposed to always burning disks.


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## HTC (Dec 9, 2008)

Wile E said:


> Thanks fit. I'm looking forward to seeing the write up. I think it would be way easier to keep my installs on flash drives, as opposed to always burning disks.



Yeah: i reckon it would, as well.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 9, 2008)

*NOPE*

NOTHING works. 



i got it in start the installer. install all the files... reboot. NOTHING. its like nothing ever happened. waste of 6 hours today trying to get this running. 



what the hell else is gonna go wrong today?

i7 setup is being a total PITA, xp wont install, router died and took down my entire network.

when will it end.


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## bogmali (Dec 9, 2008)

Fit-can you take that HDD and clone it (if you have XP loaded in one of your rigs)? Should be able to boot it up and just install all the drivers once you get it going. Just a thought


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## DonInKansas (Dec 9, 2008)

that's a hell of an idea bogmali.


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## johnspack (Dec 9, 2008)

You need WinSetupFromUSB.  My server's ide controller went and it won't boot from sata,  so flash was only way left,  works perfect for me!  I even used this to install xp64 on it,  again,  no problems.  Go to this topic and dl ver 0.1.1 and read the info.  It's pretty easy actually,  just dump your xp cd contents to a folder,  use petousb tool to format the flash to fat16x(included in the script gui) point to your xp source folder and click go.  When done,  bootable flash drive that will install xp.  Check it out.  http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444


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## HTC (Dec 9, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> *NOPE*
> 
> NOTHING works.
> 
> ...



MAJOR Suxxor, dude 

Question: what options does the BIOS have, with the USB plugged (under USB config)?

In my BIOS, a can choose several options to configure your USB into. Have you tried to change it to "force HDD" (i think that's the right name)?

EDIT

With the USB config in "auto", i can't boot from the USB but, with the above option i can.


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## DonInKansas (Dec 9, 2008)

johnspack said:


> You need WinSetupFromUSB.  My server's ide controller went and it won't boot from sata,  so flash was only way left,  works perfect for me!  I even used this to install xp64 on it,  again,  no problems.  Go to this topic and dl ver 0.1.1 and read the info.  It's pretty easy actually,  just dump your xp cd contents to a folder,  use petousb tool to format the flash to fat16x(included in the script gui) point to your xp source folder and click go.  When done,  bootable flash drive that will install xp.  Check it out.  http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444



We tried WinSetupFromUSB.  The program won't recognize his flash drive.


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## johnspack (Dec 9, 2008)

Darn thats odd,  I used a radio shack centrios (huh?) drive and it worked.  Anyway you could pick up another drive?


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 9, 2008)

bogmali said:


> Fit-can you take that HDD and clone it (if you have XP loaded in one of your rigs)? Should be able to boot it up and just install all the drivers once you get it going. Just a thought



i can but i dont have a "typical" system running a "typical" os like xp. it would be a last hope thing if i did it. really theres no reason this should not work. 



DonInKansas said:


> that's a hell of an idea bogmali.



it works. done it before. lol.



johnspack said:


> You need WinSetupFromUSB.  My server's ide controller went and it won't boot from sata,  so flash was only way left,  works perfect for me!  I even used this to install xp64 on it,  again,  no problems.  Go to this topic and dl ver 0.1.1 and read the info.  It's pretty easy actually,  just dump your xp cd contents to a folder,  use petousb tool to format the flash to fat16x(included in the script gui) point to your xp source folder and click go.  When done,  bootable flash drive that will install xp.  Check it out.  http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444



yup. tried that man. over and over. that prog wont even recognise any of my 8 flashdrives on 3 different computers. VERY different computers. i've gotten setup to start from a build of XP that i made along with some batch files me and w1zz made.(thanks w1zz)



HTC said:


> MAJOR Suxxor, dude
> 
> Question: what options does the BIOS have, with the USB plugged (under USB config)?
> 
> ...



it boots from USB without even telling it to. i have no problem with that part. its the files on the drive that arent quite right. (isnt it odd that this is the second thread you gave me sypathy in today? lol.... its a baaaaaadddd day for mr. FIT. 



DonInKansas said:


> We tried WinSetupFromUSB.  The program won't recognize his flash drive.



yup. me and you have been trying ti figure this out since last week. thanks again for your help bud. 



johnspack said:


> Darn thats odd,  I used a radio shack centrios (huh?) drive and it worked.  Anyway you could pick up another drive?



its a brand new drive. i opened the seal package last week.

EDIT: multi-quote....... FTW! (thanks again w1zzard!)


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## HTC (Dec 9, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> *it boots from USB without even telling it to.* i have no problem with that part. its the files on the drive that arent quite right. (isnt it odd that this is the second thread you gave me sypathy in today? lol.... its a baaaaaadddd day for mr. FIT.



Maybe that's the problem: it boots fine but not in "hdd" mode (don't know how else to phrase it).

If it ain't that, then lemonadesoda's (reply #25) and bogmali's (reply #38) suggestions are the only way i can think of to do it, @tm


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 9, 2008)

it boots from the flashdrive and will begin to install windows. it when the computer reboots that the problem is noticed. its like it never installed a damn thing. 

here.... this explains it...



> Q: Why Windows 2003 Server Service Pack 1? I want to install XP!
> 
> A: Well that’s exactly the trick, though it’s a bit technical. During booting, Windows resets the USB port and loses your boot device. That’s why an installation from USB normally fails. But by using Windows 2003 Server’s ramdisk feature in the early phases of booting, we circumvent that problem.



source... http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/

i have done that but its not working the way it should im guessing. 

i think the problem here is i have built the entire xp "disk" myself. NONE of the bartPE or similar PE builders are working as intended so the files arent being integrated/prepped as they need to be in order to work properly.

i went out and bought 2 new flash drives and they wont work either.


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## johnspack (Dec 9, 2008)

Also,  you don't have any other flash drives, memory card readers ect enabled or installed?  They must not be for it to work.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 9, 2008)

only one at a time.

it's flashdrive, sata drive, mobo, cpu , psu. thats all the whole computer is composed of.


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## johnspack (Dec 9, 2008)

One last dumb question,  are you trying to do that under xp/64 or vista?  I've never tried to do it under vista/7 so don't know if it works.
Edit:  sorry, create the drive,  under which os?


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 9, 2008)

i have tried it from xp32(laptop), vista64, 7(32bit).

im doing just the regular xp32. 

i have a xp reg disk, xp sp1 disk, xp sp2 disk. and a few custom builds.


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## johnspack (Dec 9, 2008)

Darn,  the only thing I'm basically doing different then,  is doing it on an athlon system.  Were any of your systems athlon based by any chance?  Seems so weird,  cause it just works so well on my systems,  it's actually faster to install from than cd or dvd,  I love it......


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 9, 2008)

how about this....

install VMwarefusion on my main rig.

install xplite build in vmware.

ghost/clone it to the usb drive.

ghost/clone it to the minipc

might work if xplite is small enough. 

i dont have anything larger than a 2gb flash drive atm.


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## Wile E (Dec 9, 2008)

Does this PC have another available SATA port? You could just hook up a SATA DVD with the case sitting open, as a temporary measure.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 9, 2008)

Wile E said:


> Does this PC have another available SATA port? You could just hook up a SATA DVD with the case sitting open, as a temporary measure.



nope. the drive slides into a single slot. no other ports. not even ide. there is NO ide or floppy connector on the mobo. the whole thing is a total PITA BUT it does have a C2D mobile 2.4ghz chip in it that ROCKS in such a small machine.... along with 2gb of ram. its a pretty sick little box but it was never intended on being repaired i guess.


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## Wile E (Dec 9, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> nope. the drive slides into a single slot. no other ports. not even ide. there is NO ide or floppy connector on the mobo. the whole thing is a total PITA BUT it does have a C2D mobile 2.4ghz chip in it that ROCKS in such a small machine.... along with 2gb of ram. its a pretty sick little box but it was never intended on being repaired i guess.



So it's essentially a lappy sans screen.


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## 95Viper (Dec 9, 2008)

I don't know

Here this guy installs it on an eee pc701, no sound and in Russian(I believe),but you can watch his step by step...pretty interesting. Notice the two usb drives and what he does at the end or near the end.

Good Luck, Young Skywalker...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOhhDYMT3Ng


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