Windows install without CD-Rom

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The_Unbeliever

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Now you got a second hand laptop/desktop for free/at a good price.

Now you want to install Windows on said laptop/desktop.

Is it possible to move the HDD over to another PC/laptop, do a partial install, move the HDD back and do a complete install? Or is there another procedure?

Regards

Libs
 
Install it in a VMWare VM, or Virtualbox (using a VMDK hdd file), or either if using the laptop disk directly.
Run sysprep on it with the mass storage drivers enabled.
Ghost it to the laptop drive if necessary (ghost supports vmdk files).
Boot normally and install drivers etc. If the drive is SATA you'll probably need to emulate ide for it to boot okay (depending on the VM setup you used).
Update the HAL to match the CPU type.

I have an empty (4MB) 30GB VMDK file that I can upload somewhere if you want. Think I generated it with QEMU, was a pain in the ass to get working. Didn't have a system to install VMWare on, and discovered that you can't install it in a Virtualbox VM :o :D
 
I'm missing the point here. Why? Is it a netbook without a dvd/cd rom or why do you need to go through all the suggested hassles?
 
Ja, I think pretty much all laptops allow you to boot from USB or "external devices". I know there are lot of linux distributions with USB-specific installs. Not too sure about a Windows one, but I'm 100% sure its possible. If you can't find an answer - Google it:)
 
timvdwest said:
Ja, I think pretty much all laptops allow you to boot from USB or "external devices". I know there are lot of linux distributions with USB-specific installs. Not too sure about a Windows one, but I'm 100% sure its possible. If you can't find an answer - Google it:)
Click to expand...
No, the older laptops with USB cannot use it to boot. The BIOS does not allow it. One may have to transfer the entire i386 directory onto the new HDD and start from there.
 
Sackboy said:
No, the older laptops with USB cannot use it to boot. The BIOS does not allow it. One may have to transfer the entire i386 directory onto the new HDD and start from there.
Click to expand...

In this case it's a Dell Latitude 520 laptop. There is an option to boot from USB, but it does not work. The external CD-Rom does work on another system however, so it is not the external USB CDRom.
 
The_Librarian said:
In this case it's a Dell Latitude 520 laptop. There is an option to boot from USB, but it does not work. The external CD-Rom does work on another system however, so it is not the external USB CDRom.
Click to expand...
Is this option setting in the BIOS? It's not going to be default.

The external CD rom does not get 'found' until part of Windows has booted, so whether it's working or not is not that relevant at this point.
 
The_Librarian said:
Now you got a second hand laptop/desktop for free/at a good price.

Now you want to install Windows on said laptop/desktop.

Is it possible to move the HDD over to another PC/laptop, do a partial install, move the HDD back and do a complete install? Or is there another procedure?

Regards

Libs
Click to expand...

most of my os is installed via USB.
 
Sackboy said:
Is this option setting in the BIOS? It's not going to be default.

The external CD rom does not get 'found' until part of Windows has booted, so whether it's working or not is not that relevant at this point.
Click to expand...

I tried Linux, Knoppix, a lot of other install CD's but it just doesn't see the external CD-Rom unit.

Same CD-Rom unit works perfectly on another PC (yea, even my older Fujitsu Siemens Amilo laptop).

Will try again during the course of the day.
 
xp is extremely simple! i did a flash xp and got it right the first time. really simple. i think the program was KOMKU.
 
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