How to install Windows XP from Hard Drive?

Question

Once I have seen a guy installed windows 98 from his hard disk which was copied there from a bootable CD. He did some MS Dos works and installed it without CD. It installed so fast cause was installing from hard disk. Now my question is, Is it possible to install Windows XP in that same way? If then how, Kindly give full instructions. My XP is legal version.

Yahoo has so many members. Maybe you have already mentioned it here. But kindly do it again. If there is any solution then I can find it here. Thanks for cooperation.

Answer 1

There are lots of way to run xp setup from HDD.



1. Just copy a folder i386 (don't needs to copy whole xp cd) from XP CD on D: or any other drive not C:



boot from windows 98 CD and on dos prompt go to drive where you copy the i386 folder

as d: or e:

go to directory i386 (command on DOS is ((cd i386)) Enter

type WINNT and Enter

..... your windows xp setup start as from CD....

2. Boot from win98 CD, Format your C: drive, with command (Format C: /S /Q ),

also copy three files on C: these are smartdrv.exe , himem.sys & config.sys from 98 CD, Edit config.sys add these lines (Device=c:\himem.sys) clear all other lines if present in config.sys files.

Now eject your 98 cd from Cd Rom & restart the system form HDD, system go on C: automaticaly just type SMARTDRV.EXE and Enter. now repeat these...>

go to drive where you copy the i386 folder

as d: or e:

go to directory i386 (command on DOS is ((cd i386)) Enter

type WINNT and Enter

..... your windows xp setup start as installing from CD....









.....

Answer 2

This recipe describes how to install windows xp from harddrive.



1. First, you need to copy your Windows XP Setup CD contents to your harddrive. NOTE! I recommend saving the xp install files/folders to a seperate partition than where your going to install xp to (ie. have setup files at d:\winxp\ and then install xp to c:\ drive)



2. Now, you will want to boot your pc with the windows 98 se bootdisk with smartdrv.exe on the floppy (increases data transfer speed by ten-fold in dos!). You do not need to boot with CD support since we’re installing XP from the files on your harddrive (in my example, D:\winxp\)



3. Once you get to the command prompt, you can format the partition where you are installing xp if you want (ie in my example, the c:\ ) by typing: format driveletter: replace driveletter with the drive (ie format c: in my example). And go through the prompts.



4. Once that finishes, change drives to the drive with XP on it.

In my example: D: then enter.

THen: CD WINXP (change directory to winxp folder) and enter



Now i will want to enable smartdrv, just type: smartdrv and then type it again. THe second time you type it and hit enter it will show the status of the drives and cache’ing.



5. Now, change directory to the i386 folder, by typing: cd i386 (this folder’s full path in my example would be D:\winxp\i386\).

Then type winnt to start the installation.



Just install XP like normal.



So now your probably asking yourself, why would i do this or need to know this? Well, i re-install my OS quite a bit. I get bored or it gets too cluttered so i just format and re-install. I don’t really have to backup my files either since i have my “my documents” folder located on a seperate partition (got two harddrives: hd1: c: (winxp files, program files) d: (pure program files only) hd2 m: (my music, games) j: (my documents folder) r: (ripping folder)



Hope that helps someone. :-)

Answer 3

I am going to make this nice and easy for you. Make sure the set up files are all on the drive, and nothing else. Use a separate drive than the one you're installing to. Put it in and boot from it, even a flash drive works. Just boot from it. Using the BIOS boot menu just select the correct drive and it should run setup.

Answer 4

1. First, you need to copy your Windows XP Setup CD contents to your harddrive. NOTE! I recommend saving the xp install files/folders to a seperate partition than where your going to install xp to (ie. have setup files at d:\winxp\ and then install xp to c:\ drive)



2. Now, you will want to boot your pc with the windows 98 se bootdisk with smartdrv.exe on the floppy (increases data transfer speed by ten-fold in dos!). You do not need to boot with CD support since we’re installing XP from the files on your harddrive (in my example, D:\winxp\)



3. Once you get to the command prompt, you can format the partition where you are installing xp if you want (ie in my example, the c:\ ) by typing: format driveletter: replace driveletter with the drive (ie format c: in my example). And go through the prompts.



4. Once that finishes, change drives to the drive with XP on it.

In my example: D: then enter.

THen: CD WINXP (change directory to winxp folder) and enter



Now i will want to enable smartdrv, just type: smartdrv and then type it again. THe second time you type it and hit enter it will show the status of the drives and cache’ing.



5. Now, change directory to the i386 folder, by typing: cd i386 (this folder’s full path in my example would be D:\winxp\i386\).

Then type winnt to start the installation.



Just install XP like normal.



So now your probably asking yourself, why would i do this or need to know this? Well, i re-install my OS quite a bit. I get bored or it gets too cluttered so i just format and re-install. I don’t really have to backup my files either since i have my “my documents” folder located on a seperate partition (got two harddrives: hd1: c: (winxp files, program files) d: (pure program files only) hd2 m: (my music, games) j: (my documents folder) r: (ripping folder)

Answer 5

Two identical answers? Copy and paste much?

Answer 6

you need to go to your bios by pressing F2 as soon as you switch the computer on , use the arrows to go to the boot tab then to set to boot from dvd/cd rom set it to number 1 (if i remember i think you set it by hitting +/- )



is this what you mean ?