Installing XP w/o CD drive questions

[smilejack1]

I have a Toughbook, which currently has no OS installed, and which has only a floppy drive. I need to install XP Pro on it (actually, a version customized via nLite), and ideally, without spending any money on equipment. I know the installation can be done off my flash drive, but I don't know how, and the Toughbook BIOS has no USB boot option. And I can see my desktop from the Toughbook via my wireless network using the NetBoot floppy, but my (non-existent) DOS skills won't get me past just seeing my shared folders. I know if I could copy the installation files (currently copied to my desktop) to the Toughbook and run winnt.exe, it would install that way, but I can't figure out how to do it.

How can I do this installation? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I should note that my computer skills are mediocre at best. I probably can't successfully follow any instructions that don't have every last detail spelled out down to the last keystroke. Thanks again.

[jaclaz]

Lots of limitations, hardware on one side, and poor skills on the other....

Seriously, most probably you'll have to either:

• learn a bit of DOS
  
• ask for help to a "local" friend more skilled
  

If you can see directories on another machine through LAN, you can copy files locally allright.

How big is the hard disk?

How would you like it to be partitioned?

Which OS are you installing? (I mean a "full" XP or a nlited reduced version)

jaclaz

[smilejack1]

Wouldn't mind learning a bit of DOS. I can even spell it if you spot me the D and the O. Answering your questions:

OS - nLite version of XP, but not significantly reduced. Mostly just used to slipstream SP3 and tweak a few things. Left the XP tour out, but not much else.

Disk size ~ 28 GB

Partitions - I want a total of three - C: for Windows, D: for Program Files and Docs & Settings (customized my install to do this via nLite), and other data, and E: to make an image of C: with the fresh install on it.

There are currently 3 partitions on it, by the way, one approximately 8 GB (C:), the other two about 10 GB each, all FAT32. Would like them to end up NTFS, eventually, but the current sizes work for me.

[jaclaz]

Wouldn't mind learning a bit of DOS. I can even spell it if you spot me the D and the O

Sure but the tricky part has always been the S.....

Since you appear to have all the needed space and more, you might want to put all the \I386 in a .zip file, transfer it zipped and expand it in the target machine (you will need a DOS zip compatible app on target).

How are you accessing the network share from DOS?

Something like:

\\xpmachine\folder

If this is the case, you should trying mapping the network path to a local drive:

net use k: \\xpmachine\folder

If you make a single archive, you can use copy allright:

http://www.computerhope.com/copyhlp.htm

Otherwise it might be better to use xcopy:

http://www.computerhope.com/xcopyhlp.htm

jaclaz

Edited March 20, 2009 by jaclaz

[Ponch]

As alternative, I think (never tried), using this, PLOP manager, you should be able to boot from USB, using a floppy. It wouldn't take you much time to try anyway (download plpbt-5.0.2.zip that contains both .IMG and ISO files, expand the .img on a floppy).

I did try to boot from USB using a CD (iso) and it worked.

There is also Bart's boot disks that explains how to build a DOS boot floppy with network support. Providing your network card is listed or not, ... your mileage may vary (I should have put that one between quote tags) .

Edited March 20, 2009 by Ponch

[smilejack1]

If I use any of the suggested methods to copy the installation files to a local drive on the Toughbook, does it matter which partition I copy it to? If I copy it to C:, won't the installation files disappear when I reformat to NTFS during the install? Or does the PE just run in memory?

[submix8c]

Why don't you fdisk/format the first new partition (C-drive) to the size you want to FAT32 (via a Win9x/ME boot disk - downloads on the internet), copy the files over, install, then convert to NTFS later?

(didn't notice any mention of PE previously... you mean PLOP?)

Edited March 21, 2009 by submix8c

[smilejack1]

You can convert the system partition to NTFS after installation? I didn't realize that. I thought you had to reformat to do that. And when I used the term PE, it referred to the Windows pre-install environment. Isn't that what the blue screen which puts Windows on your hard drive is called?

[jaclaz]

You can convert the system partition to NTFS after installation? I didn't realize that. I thought you had to reformat to do that.

No, you can use convert.exe allright.

Do read this seemingly unrelated thread:

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

And when I used the term PE, it referred to the Windows pre-install environment. Isn't that what the blue screen which puts Windows on your hard drive is called?

No, that is called "textmode part" of the SETUP.

PE is a (optionally graphical) Preinstallation System, a sort of mini-XP with no user logged in (the logged user is actually System) in which you can perform almost anything you can do in a "full" XP.

A BartPE, UBCD4WIN or Winbuilder's Projects are an example of "evoluted" PE's form the original WinPE 1.x.

jaclaz

[smilejack1]

Thanks for all the help. Work obligations will prevent me from attempting to implement the recommended procedures for the next few days. But I'll be back if I need more help, and if I manage to achieve my goals without more help, I'll put post up concerning how I did it, just in case anyone is curious. Thanks again...

[jaclaz]

Thanks for all the help. Work obligations will prevent me from attempting to implement the recommended procedures for the next few days. But I'll be back if I need more help, and if I manage to achieve my goals without more help, I'll put post up concerning how I did it, just in case anyone is curious. Thanks again...

You're welcome.

"See" you soon, hopefully with news of a success.

jaclaz

[smilejack1]

It took me a few more months than I expected, but I got the installation files onto my Toughbook via xcopy (took a couple hours' worth of fiddling and Googling dos questions to make it work), and the installation worked. Converted to NTFS via convert.exe, and we're off to the races. Thanks for the help...

[jaclaz]

It took me a few more months than I expected, but I got the installation files onto my Toughbook via xcopy (took a couple hours' worth of fiddling and Googling dos questions to make it work), and the installation worked. Converted to NTFS via convert.exe, and we're off to the races. Thanks for the help...

Only too happy to hear a story of success.

jaclaz

[smilejack1]

For future reference: The NetBoot disk's version of DOS does not appear to have an xcopy function on it. I had to download xcopy.exe from a different source and access and run it from my desktop machine. Just in case anyone else is in the same boat...