Installing Windows XP from USB pen drive

16
2014-04
  • OrangeRind

    I want to install Windows XP on my desktop computer (only XP) but my CD drive is not working.

    I've only found installation tutorials on how to install it on the pen drive rather than from the pen drive.

    Any ideas on how I can install Windows XP from a USB flash drive?

    • Answers
  • 8088

    The easiest way:

    WinToFlash starts a wizard that will help pull over the contents of a windows installation CD or DVD and prepare the USB drive to become a bootable replacement for the optical drive.

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    WinToFlash is freeware and portable.

  • Eduard Florinescu

    It is very easy also using YUMI which although is intended for linux works also for other OSs including Windows XP:

    If you want to keep the data on the USB pen drive don't check the Format E:\Drive (Erase Content) checkbox.

    enter image description here

    If you happen to not have the iso image of the CD you can create one if you donn't know how you can create it using CDBurnerXP

    And this is how you do that Copy Data Disc:

    How to create iso discs

  • PMGoldstein

    We actually did just this recently for an Acer nettop. I found Win2Flash and other USB booting to be extremely slow, unreliable, and ran into numerous problems. As soon as we ordered a $30 external USB DVD drive, it was installed in seconds.

    It's entirely possible to do this via USB, but if time / future instances are a concern, the drive is a worthy investment.

  • PHPst

    Rufus is also an excellent tool:

    enter image description here

    It can be especially useful for cases where: you need to create USB

    • installation media from bootable ISOs (Windows, Linux, UEFI, etc.) you
    • need to work on a system that doesn't have an OS installed you need to
    • flash a BIOS or other firmware from DOS you want to run a low-level utility

    • Related Question

    windows xp - Easy way to boot WinXP install CD from USB pen drive?
  • Questioner

    Possible Duplicate:
    Installing Windows XP through Pen Drive

    I made an ISO out of my WinXP Pro install disk, but Pebuilder/PeToUSB and UNetBootin don't seem to be up to the task of making it boot from my USB pen drive.


    • Related Answers
  • Qwerty

    Give the instructions from this answer on ServerFault a go.

    http://serverfault.com/questions/2952/boot-and-install-windows-from-a-usb-thumb-drive

    EDIT: I have re-located a tool called WinSetupFromUSB_0-2-3.exe (found loose on Google).

    I am currently using this tool to install WinXP on the remaining partition space on my MSI Wind. So far so good, it is currently installing XP from my USB.

    Will update this answer if everything works out...

    UPDATE: The install worked perfectly. After the USB is built you first need to boot up off the first option in GRUB. Once the initial windows partiotioning and install is done boot off the USB again but wait for a second option to appear. Then select what HDD and partition the install was placed on, then it will run through the second part of installing windows (GUI part). This is needed because otherwise you will get hal errors.

    This seems like the easiest way to get an XP installer onto a USB.

  • Seasoned Advice (cooking)

    how to install Windows XP using a USB flash drive