Windows XP is still a widely used operating system, even with Windows Vista easily available.
Many find Windows XP one of the best operating systems ever created, and even getting better (with Service Pack 3 soon available).
This tutorial will teach everyone that has an uncommon system (like us), having only USB-boot, the precise instructions to install Windows XP SP2 on a computer without CD-ROM drive, floppy disk and network boot.
We were actually getting tired of running around the Internet and not finding a good solution, so here we are.
You'll need the following:
- Windows XP CD
- A pen-drive having at least 1GB space (an iPod Shuffle 1st gen was used here).
- Another pen-drive (for Gparted) - we used a 256MB pen-drive, although we think a 64MB one is enough.
- A computer capable of USB booting (a Dell Optiplex GX620 was used here)
- Gparted
- This file right here
- Unzip the downloaded file to a directory. Here we will use C:\Dos as the directory.
- Insert the 1GB pen-drive.
- At this directory, you'll find a file named HpUSBformat.exe. Run it, and it should detect the pen imediatelly.
- Choose the following settings:
- FAT32 as the filesystem.
- SYSTEM as label.
- Quick format
- Create a DOS startup disk, using DOS system files located at: C:\Dos (for us, correct this if you unzipped the file to a different directory).
- Click Start. And the pen should now be bootable.
- Copy all the files at C:\Dos to the pen-drive. It will ask you to overwrite some files. Accept that.
- Copy all the files and folders from Windows XP CD to the pen-drive.
- Eject the pen.
If not, learn here how to make one.
Preparing the partitions:
- Boot Gparted LiveUSB.
- We will now erase the entire MBR and partition table. THIS WILL DELETE ALL YOUR DATA.
- Open a terminal.
- Write dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda bs=512 count=1 (assuming hda is your hard-drive).
- Reboot with the pen inserted. It will boot Gparted again.
- Create a 4GB partition, FAT32 filesystem at the beggining of the hard-drive.
- Mark the partition as bootable (Right-click on the partition, choose Flags and mark boot as true).
- Click Apply and wait until it's done.
- Remove Gparted USB pen and insert the 1GB pen.
- Reboot.
- Boot with the 1GB pen inserted. It will open a DOS shell.
- Write sys d: and press Enter. Your system is now bootable.
- Write nc and press Enter (sorry for the program language, if someone has an english version, it would be much appreciated).
- Press Alt+F2 to change one of the hard-drives to D: . Choose it and press Enter.
- At the C: drive, choose the first file of the list and Press F5. At the destination, write D:\ . Press Enter.
- Do this for all the files and folders on C:\.
- Exit nc and remove the pen.
- Reboot.
- Boot your computer.
- Write cd i386 and press Enter.
- Write winnt and press Enter.
- Voilá. Let the fun begin.
We sure were happy!