Install Windows From HDD?

[SoreGums]

Its all dandy making these Slistreamed CD's to take where ever we want, just wondering if anyone has any idea how to make the CD a HDD partition instead and boot/install from that?

Like I only have one computer here and the burner has just turned sour, made 10 coasters & 1 useable CD the last 3 days. . . . Might just be the cable, but I don't know. So I'm wondering if there is a way to make a HDD partition a Windows XP CD.

I mean once I got Windows installed I can just use the ISO I've got with Daemon Tools if I actually need to use a CD, etc.

Hope that's clear what I'm asking, your thoughts/links?

[Glowy]

Why not use a vmware machine.

test it a gazillion time without the chance of coasters

[peachy]

Create a second partition if you don't have one already. Copy the I386 folder into a folder called windist. Then run

winnt32 /unattend:[answer file]

where [answer file] is your unattend setup file, e.g. unattend.txt. This will perform an upgrade install on the c:\ partition, but overwriting some files of your existing c:\windows directory, but leaving c:\Documents and Settings alone. You end up with duplicate Administrator accounts. Also, your exisiting Program Files directory is also left alone. The other alternative is to format the d:\ partition as FAT32 and run the install from a DOS boot disk. This will give you the chance to reformat the c: partition. Then run

winnt /unattend:answer file

[Bilou_Gateux]

Set these switches to NO in XPCREATE.INI

DOCD=NO
DOISO=NO

and run the installation from the disk\partition\XPCREATE_folder\CDROOT

for example, i've have build an install on my external USB drive second partition (letter H:) in a folder named 2KCREATE.

The command is :

H:\2KCREATE\CDROOT\i386\winnt32.exe /s:H:\2KCREATE\CDROOT\i386 /unattend:c:\unattend.txt /syspart:c: /tempdrive:c: /makelocalsource /noreboot

I have a stable running installation in C:\WINNT and i make a parallel install on the C: drive in second folder by using special settings in WINNT.SIF/UNATTEND.TXT

[Unattended]
TargetPath=\WINNT.1
ProgramFilesDir="C:\PFiles"
[GuiUnattended]
ProfilesDir = C:\Profiles

more details here :

Reference winnt.sif commands explained

[SoreGums]

Thanks for the replies.

Just to clear up the first point (use VMware, don't make coasters). There is nothing wrong with the ISO images, its the Physical Hardware that is faulty, The Actual CD-Burner, or MB or Cable or Interferance from something I don't know, I just know I cant burn anything, I repeat can't burn anything without making coasters..... Plus I'm running an OLD PII450, 128 RAM, GF2MX, VMWare is not an option really.... (Well not one I'm prepared to wait for, to complete a simple test of a working ISO)

Then in reply to Bilou_Gateux, peachy:

So I can just winnt32.exe from a dos boot, with a FAT32 partition... Gee that was easy. I assume if I go hunting on MSDN/KB I can find out all about this file? I imagined that the boot CD program was specail somehow and not that straight forward. . . .

I do all ready have a WINNT.SIF file setup that I use, Just not able to make CD's anymore cause my Burner has died . . .

Thanks for your help

(btw the CD-Burner reads fine, just doesn't burn anymore.....)

[GreenMachine]

Do yourself a favor, and don't even bother trying to burn any XPCREATE CDs on that burner. Once they start failing, you will only waste your time and patience wondering whether the CD or data is at fault.

On the other hand, there is no reason not to install from a local HDD source. As Bilou suggested, the key is in how you call WINNT.EXE, or WINNT32.EXE, and there is plenty af reading available on that.