Can XP Be Installed From the HD

[fiberglasscivic]

I've got a Sony Viao that won't read any CD's. I'm trying to re-install XP and want to know if I can start the install from the HD if I copy the setup files to a directory on a separate partition from the one I want to install to. If possible, can I add a listing to the boot.ini file that will allow me to start the install?

[illuminati_2k]

yes u can install from hd just copy the files and run the setup

[jaclaz]

I've got a Sony Viao that won't read any CD's. I'm trying to re-install XP and want to know if I can start the install from the HD if I copy the setup files to a directory on a separate partition from the one I want to install to. If possible, can I add a listing to the boot.ini file that will allow me to start the install?

Yes, I guess it is possible to boot to the XP SETUP from BOOT.INI on internal hard disk, though I don't think there is a complete guide/tutorial for it, but question is if your CD does not work from where will you copy the setup files to the HD?

Is your current install working?

If yes you could make a temporary install on another partition, delete current operating system, boot from the temporary install, use WINNT32.EXE to re-install the OS, then boot from the latter and remove the temporary install.

You may be interested in this:

http://www.msfn.org/board/Install-XP-from-USB-f157.html

all you need is a (at least 1 Gb - or if you reduce the source a 512 Mb) USB stick, and the procedure is fully automated by Wim_b's batch script.

Otherwise I guess you can find in the "historical" thread there the needed info, but you'll have to do some experiments.

Or you could use the "old" WINNT way (that has some limitations):

www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713

Or do something similar to the above using some sort of PE to start the WINNT32.EXE.

jaclaz

[fiberglasscivic]

I have the setup files on a 1G Flash Drive. My primary PC doesn't have USB 2.0 slots, just 1.1 and my desktop is incredibly slow. Transfer of large files or large numbers of files to the flash drive takes forever. Thanks for the info on the XP Setup From USB threads. I'll continue reading everything and will consider it an option. I'm going to have to look up info on multi-booting XP if I want to create a recovery partition on the laptop. My first attempts to create an install startup using boot.ini failed.

I already re-installed XP on the laptop by installing from the working partition to the non working partition. The biggest problem I had was trying to get the setup files to stay on the D: drive instead of the C: drive. I got it to work before all was said and done. XP is now only installed on the C: drive, as clean as I could get it (was never able to format the drive) but the person using the laptop fowled it up again so I'll be re-installing XP on it soon.

[jaclaz]

My first attempts to create an install startup using boot.ini failed.

Sure, it's not that easy.

Using grub4dos grldr (possibly invoked through NTLDR/BOOT.INI) is fairly simple to start a setup by chainloading SETUPLDR.BIN, but making a "recovery" partition is definitely a different and more difficult chore.

See this anyway:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=18045

that provides a way to boot a PE from a non-first partition, as a start.

jaclaz

[fiberglasscivic]

I tried using the gtldr to load the setupldr.bin file from the i386 folder. It actually started the setup process but couldn't find txtsetup.sif. I checked to verify that it was in the i386 directory and it was so I don't know what's causing the problem. It may be that I'm trying to boot from an NTFS partition. I noticed that spacesurfer had a problem with that message appearing when trying to load from a USB HDD. I'll do some research on it and see what's causing the problem. Thx for the link. Lots of helpful information.

[jaclaz]

I tried using the gtldr to load the setupldr.bin file from the i386 folder.

By default when on HD the source files should be on /minint INSTEAD of /I386.

You can edit SETUPLDR.BIN to keep /I386 on HD, see this:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...=21312&st=7

However, do check the Install fromm XP Multiboot_8.cmd, all problems have been solved in there, you can "borrow" any idea from it.

jaclaz

[fiberglasscivic]

You are so full of useful information that it's not funny. I'll read up more on the links you posted and browse through the forums a while more and see what I can turn up on using a PE to install WinXP. Looks like that will be my best bet and probably the most successful. I'll keep posting what I find here.