Can I use WinPE2.0 to install XP from USB?

[DarkScythe]

Hello,

My main system hard drive recently died, so I have the joy of reinstalling Windows on it.

I no longer have any free optical media to use, so I figured another method would be to install from USB.

I had previously installed Vista from my USB drive a few times, and of course for that, I needed WinPE2.0 or something on it first.

In looking around for ways to install XP from a USB flash drive, it seems people need all manners of formatting utilities, and at least 3 different preinstallation environments. I would like to avoid unnecessary formatting and fuss if possible, since I already have a USB drive that I use for installing Vista, and I wanted to know if I could simply remove the Vista files, and drop XP into the drive, since it already contains WinPE2.0.

If not, what is the simplest method? Using the USB Multiboot 10 thing listed in the sticky? (Even though I don't need to multi-boot anything.. just plain XPSP3, and nothing else.)

In the end I'm going to try to slipstream a bunch of drivers (AHCI, etc) into an XPSP3 image I'm creating in nLite. Unattended is not needed, and I'd actually avoid it since I don't need to automate anything - I just need a way to install from a USB drive.

The Vista USB drive is formatted in NTFS with WinPE2.0 on it.

I have another USB drive that I formatted using the HP boot disk tool in FAT32 and have the MS-DOS boot files on it, but I'm not sure if I can use that one for XP either.

Thanks for any clarification.

Edited August 23, 2009 by DarkScythe

[wimb]

Yes, you can use WinPE 2.0 and use XP Setup source folder on USB-stick.

Extract U_XP_SET package to USB-drive.

After booting with WinPE 2.0 from USB you can run USB_XP_Setup.exe to prepare your harddisk for Install of XP.

The Format button of USB_XP_Setup.exe will produce an NTLDR type Bootsector on your Harddisk needed for Install of XP,

whereas normal Format of WinPE 2.0 would result in BOOTMGR type BootSector which would NOT work.

More Info: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21883

More Info on how to use U_XP_SET programs After booting with WinPE 2.0

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...=6800&st=28

Download - U_XP_SET

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Edited August 23, 2009 by wimb

[DarkScythe]

Thanks for the information, wimb.

That looks incredibly complicated though.. And I thought Vista was bad, lol.

What's all that stuff with LiveXP, Win2003 and GRUB4DOS? Is all that really needed?

Part of the reason I wanted to re-use the WinPE2.0 on my existing USB drive was to reduce some of the work, but it seems just as complicated as starting from scratch.

[cdob]

What's all that stuff with LiveXP, Win2003 and GRUB4DOS?

This goes if you build from scratch. You don't need this parts.

Boot existing WinPE2.0 and run USB_XP_Setup.exe.

[DarkScythe]

Well, for some reason WinPE will not boot. The system gives me a boot disk error, even though I've selected the USB-HDD as first-boot device.

Poking around the tools in the U_XP_SET folder, it seems like every single one of those applications needs to completely format the key, which would mean I'd lose the WinPE2.0 already on it.

This is immensely confusing.. I'm not understanding the guides when I am trying to pick up from where I am, instead of starting from scratch.

...Maybe I should just buy a dvd-rw or something.

[jaclaz]

Well, for some reason WinPE will not boot.

.....

...Maybe I should just buy a dvd-rw or something.

Well, it's your decision,but the idea is that you have EITHER:

1. an already booting WINPE
   OR
   
2. you make it booting solving manually the "some reason" problem you are having
   OR
   
3. you use a tool to create a booting WINPE
   

jaclaz

[DarkScythe]

Thanks for the response;

Right, I know those are the options, I just wasn't sure of what exactly to do, and the guides were pretty tough to figure out.

I managed to get by with the Vista installs because I understood lagely what each tool was doing - I'm having a hard time figuring out what the plethora of tools being used here actually do.

I did manage to solve the USB booting problem - I had forgotten I disabled bootable USB drives in the BIOS. unfortunately, it assigned the USB drive C: probably because the replacement hard drive I plugged in wasn't formatted yet.

It was too much work for me to figure out how exactly to proceed from there though, so I broke down and just made a CD, as I don't have a few days to figure out the guides.