Ignorance is bliss...don't fall for it...its a conspiracy to kill Buddha...

God and Satan don't have BLACK SIDES...

Installing Windows XP from USB Memory drive!!!

Windows is usually installed by using its bootable CD. This post describes a method of installing WinXp from a USB flash memory drive(hereafter referred by USB drive).

Installing WinXP from a USB drive can be helpful when:

1. CD drive is not working.
2. WinXP cd is not bootable.
3. Just for Fun (although risks involved of data loss) !!!

Pre-requisites for installation using USB drive:

1. Check whether your PC is capable of booting from a USB port.
2. USB flash memory drive (at least 1GB and supporting USB booting).
3. HP Utility for making bootable USB
4. DOSFiles
5. WinXP setup.

Limitations:
- Only tested for FAT32 filesystem.
- An option for booting to dos prompt is also added in multi-boot list.

Ensure all the requirements before starting the procedure.

Step -1: Check whether your PC supports USB booting or not.

# Create a bootable USB drive.

1. Download HPUSBformat utilty and DOS files.
2. Install HPUSBformat utilty
3. Unzip the DOSFiles to any location or path(e.g. c:\DOS).
4. Insert your USB drive into USB port. Run this utility.
5. Check the option - Create a DOS startup disk. refer figure --->
6. Give the path or location where you have unzipped the DOSfile.
   
7. Click on start button.
8. System files(MSDOS.sys, IO.sys and command.com) are copied to USB drive. Now copy the remaining files from DOSfiles folder to USB drive.
9. your bootable USB drive is ready.

# Create a bootable WinXP USB drive.

1. Create a folder named winxp in your USB drive although you can use any name you want.
2. Copy winxp setup into this folder.
3. Your bootable WinXP USB drive is ready.

# Check whether your PC supports USB booting or not.

1. Insert bootable USB drive into a USB port.
2. Restart the PC.
3. Enter into BIOS (pressing del, F10 etc. check your PC manual)
4. Enter into the bootorder option where you can change your PC's booting options.
5. If your PC and USB drive supports USB booting, you will see an option for that in the sequence. Otherwise either PC or USB dont support USB booting.
   
6. Set your USB drive as first boot device.
7. Exit saving changes in BIOS.
   
8. If all went correct your PC will boot to DOS prompt(usually c: drive).

You have completed Step-1 successfully.

Step-2 Configuring the harddisk

For those who want to keep their existing partitions move to next step.

You can either install WinXp on drive other than on which OS is already installed or a clean installation on any drive. For installing WinXP it is mandatory to have atleast one primary partition which is active (bootable) too.
To configure your harddisk first decide upon the strategy you will employ for partitions of your harddisk. This means you need to decide on which partition you want to install the OS and which partition you want to make active(bootable). These tasks can be accomplished by using two tools namely : FDISK and FORMAT. These are included in the DOS files. To use these tools properly and decide upon strategy you want to follow on partitioning, you can read:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255867

It may happen that you wont be able to make your harddisk partition as active when booted from USB. In such a case move to next step after partitioning and properly formatting(if required and only FAT32 is tested).


Step-3 Installing WinXP

For those who already have XP installed donot restart and remove the USB drive , just move to copy WinXP setup.

1.Only for clean XP install

1. After properly partitioning. Format the drive which you want to be active with /s switch. This will make the harddisk bootable to that drive with a DOS prompt. e.g. format [drive-letter:] /s. Also copy all DOSfiles from USB drive to this drive.
2. Restart your computer and enter into BIOS setup to again change the boot device sequence. Now keep the harddisk as first boot device.
3. Now your PC will boot to a DOS prompt with drive letter in which you have copied the system files using format drive: /s command.

2. Copy the WinXP setup

1.Now with USB drive in USB port go to i386 folder using cd command. This folder is present in winxp setup. e.g. cd usb_drive:\winxp\i386

2.Now execute winnt command from this location. The command description is given in following link.
winnt command syntax

I will suggest to use only two switches.
winnt /S:Src_path /T:temp_Drive.

The execution of this command do two things. One it creates some temporary system files in the active which help in booting OS. Second it creates temporary winxp setup files
which will be used for installation. The temp_drive is selected usually where OS has to be installed but there are no restrictions. So no deleting of these temporary files is allowed after winnt has been executed. Thus as a consequence you cannot format drive if you want to install XP on same temp_drive and active drive. Thus a prior formatting is recommended if required.

3. When winnt command is executed a Blue winxp setup screen will come with a grey bar at bottom which will show some activity. Be patient. The command is creating temporary files in drives. This may take some time.
At a point the grey bar will disappear and no activity will be visible for some time. Be patient and wait for a yellow progress bar to come. Now this will start copying WinXP setup files to your temp_drive.

4. After all the WinXPsetup files are copied the blue screen will instruct to restart the PC. Please restart the PC. Also remove the pendrive from the USB port.

5. Now a black screen will come like shown for options to choose from for selecting OS. Select install/upgrade option.

6. Again a blue screen will come. Now it will ask you for some inputs like whether you want to install, repair or exit. Select option for install.

7. Now a user agreement will come. Agree upon it and move further.

8. Now it will ask you where you want to install the OS. Select wisely.

9. Now it will ask you whether you want to format. If your install drive is either active or temp_drive move further without formatting. Otherwise choose appropriate option for formatting.

10. Now windows will start copying the setup files to the destination.

11. After copying is complete just follow the instructions.

If all went fine you will boot WinXP upon restart. And just finish some final steps.

This finishes your WinXP installation from USB Flash memory Drive!!!

[Disclaimer : The author is not responsible for any dataloss or any unpredictable consequence after following this procedure. Although the procedure is tested. Please use at your own risk.]