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04.26.2007 at 06:42AM PDT, ID: 22535771
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Installing Windows XP FROM a USB Flash Drive

Tags: xp, flash, drive, usb, windows
I am trying to INSTALL Windows XP FROM a USB Flash drive.. I have been messing with this for over 2 days with no luck.

I have a PC that is able to boot from USB. I was able to boot Acronis True Image from USB flash drive. I was able to boot BartPE via pe2usb via the USB drive.. It MUST be possible to boot and install XP from USB drive..

I've tried using Flasboot using the "create bootable flash disk as a copy of bootable CD-ROM" but I get:

Loading boot sector...
Initializing destination media...
Disk geometry parameters for target USB disk:
      Cylinders = 124
      MediaType = 11
      TracksPerCylinder = 255
      SectorsPerTrack = 63
      BytesPerSector = 512

Writing files...
*** Error: Specified CD-ROM disk or image file is neither ISOLinux-based nor floppy emulation mode bootable CD-ROM; thus it cannot be converted"

Any help to get this accomplished would be GREATLY appreciated. I see many have tried but have yet to find someone who has succeeded. Let's do it!

Thanks


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Question Stats
Zone: Storage
Question Asked By: TBIRD2340
Solution Provided By: johnb6767
Participating Experts: 4
Solution Grade: A
Views: 574
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04.26.2007 at 06:59AM PDT, ID: 18981475

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04.26.2007 at 07:16AM PDT, ID: 18981625

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04.26.2007 at 07:44AM PDT, ID: 18981920

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04.26.2007 at 07:49AM PDT, ID: 18981983

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04.26.2007 at 08:56AM PDT, ID: 18982614

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04.26.2007 at 09:18AM PDT, ID: 18982815

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04.26.2007 at 09:33AM PDT, ID: 18982965

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04.26.2007 at 09:36AM PDT, ID: 18982993

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04.26.2007 at 01:10PM PDT, ID: 18984770

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04.26.2007 at 02:35PM PDT, ID: 18985360

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04.27.2007 at 06:58AM PDT, ID: 18988990

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04.27.2007 at 07:45AM PDT, ID: 18989417

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04.28.2007 at 06:08AM PDT, ID: 18994259

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04.26.2007 at 06:59AM PDT, ID: 18981475
 
04.26.2007 at 07:16AM PDT, ID: 18981625
I don't want to RUN Windows on my Flash drive I want to INSTALL it from the Flash drive.

Basically I want to use the Flash drive as if it were the XP Install CD.
 
04.26.2007 at 07:44AM PDT, ID: 18981920
ok

Do this:
Go to any computer that has Xp on it or you can get it from the winXP disc, and copy the i386 folder and paste it to the usb flash drive.

Now if you can set the flash program to auto boot the file
 X:\i386\winnt.exe
I assume X to equal the drive of your usb device.

Let me know how it turns out


 
04.26.2007 at 07:49AM PDT, ID: 18981983
For making a boot disc.. trying looking here:
 http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/ntboot/

Maybe the information can work same method on a usb device.
Also make sure you usb dev has ample space size
 
04.26.2007 at 08:56AM PDT, ID: 18982614
No, you can't just copy the I386 directory over to the flash drive. You also can't tell Flashboot to make the USB drive bootable and boot using X file..

The size of the USB drive is not an issue..
 
04.26.2007 at 09:18AM PDT, ID: 18982815

Rank: Genius

You could try making an .iso of the CDRom, like using MagicISO, and then use Ghost to copy it to the Thumb drive. Never tried it though...

http://www.magiciso.com

Also, had this in my favs...Again, Never tried it.....

What follows is a recipe on how to install Windows XP from USB
http://www.vandomburg.net/articles/2006/03/15/installing-windows-xp-from-usb
Accepted Solution
 
04.26.2007 at 09:33AM PDT, ID: 18982965

Rank: Master

Allegedly you can do it.  You need a 512M USB drive, larger ones won't boot.

http://www.vandomburg.net/articles/2006/03/15/installing-windows-xp-from-usb

see this, about 2/3 the way down (also note the false statement about Experts-Exchange at the top!)

the nu2.nu site has TONS of stuff that you could probably piece together.  Including tools to extract the boot image from your XP install CD.
 
04.26.2007 at 09:36AM PDT, ID: 18982993

Rank: Master

 
04.26.2007 at 01:10PM PDT, ID: 18984770
My point exactly
 
04.26.2007 at 02:35PM PDT, ID: 18985360

Rank: Master

     Cylinders = 124
      MediaType = 11
      TracksPerCylinder = 255
      SectorsPerTrack = 63
      BytesPerSector = 512

I think that means you have a 1G USB drive? 124*255*63*512 = 1,019,934,720

MSDOS, which is probably what the XP pre-install uses, will not boot a USB larger than 512.  I don't know why, I suspect IO.SYS gets confused.  You just get a single flashing cursor.  Other operating systems, including FreeDOS, work fine.  You'd think someone would have a fixed IO.SYS by now, since bootable thumb drives are getting popular, but I couldn't find one.
 
04.27.2007 at 06:58AM PDT, ID: 18988990
JohnB, this works AWESOME:

http://www.vandomburg.net/articles/2006/03/15/installing-windows-xp-from-usb

And it's not true that it won't work with a 1gb drive because that's what I'm using. I've taken it a step further and I'm using nLite and silent / unattended installs.

D:\i386\winnt32.exe /unattend:winnt.sif /syspart:C: /tempdrive:C: /makelocalsource

I added the /unattend:winnt.sif and that's what adds the unattended part..
 
04.27.2007 at 07:45AM PDT, ID: 18989417

Rank: Genius

Glad you got the answer....Have a great day!!
 
04.28.2007 at 06:08AM PDT, ID: 18994259
Just a litte credit you know for pointing you to the "\i386\winnt32.exe " way.
 
 
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