How to install Windows XP from USB flash drive.

[Daniel_Potyrala]

Disclaimer

You are using this guide at your own risk. I don't take any responsibility for any problems.

Introduction

This guide was made due to the needs of HP netbook owners which haven't got optical drive, but it works on other notebooks too.

A BIG thank you to

The MSFN forum members: ilko_t, jaclaz, cdob,porearand wimb for developing procedure of installing Windows XP from a bootable USB-Drive.

Table of Contents:

A What you should do first

B Prepare bootable XP setup on USB-Drive

C  Install XP from prepared bootable USB-Drive

D  FAQ

[Daniel_Potyrala]

A What you should do first

First you will need to get your Windows XP installation disc, copy the contents to a new folder on the hard drive and slipstream the correct SATA driver if required.

How can you chck do you need the SATA driver?

When you will try to install XP and 0x0000007B BSOD will show up then this will mean that you need to slipstream the SATA driver. 

How to do this? All details about it you will find in the link below:

SATA drivers for XP (solution on 0x0000007B BSOD)

      Important

        a) When you will be performing the instructions from the pdf or doc file of the SATA guide then do not choose

          Bootable ISO in the point 7, because you will not burn any CD/DVD. This will also result in lack of a situation 

             which is described in the point 15.

        b) If you have a netbook and there is not installed any Windows system on it then below informations will help you

            to find the correct SATA driver in the SATA guide.

  Consumer netbooks

     HP Mini 700:

• Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

     HP Mini 1000:

• Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

     HP Mini 311:

• HP Mini 311-1000 , HP Mini 311-1100 series models - Nvidia MCP79 (Nvidia ION)

     Compaq Mini 311c:

• Compaq Mini 311c-1000 , Compaq Mini 311c-1100 series models - Nvidia MCP79 (Nvidia ION)

     Compaq Mini 110c:

• Compaq Mini 110c-1000 , Compaq Mini 110c-1100 series models - Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

     HP Mini 110:

• HP Mini 110-1000, HP Mini 110-1100 series models - Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

• HP Mini 110-3000, HP Mini 110-3100, HP Mini 110-3500, HP Mini 110-3600 series models - Intel NM10 (NM10 Express Chipset)
  

     HP Mini 210:

• HP Mini 210-1000, HP Mini 210-1100, HP Mini 210-2000, HP Mini 210-2100 series models - Intel NM10 (NM10 Express Chipset)

     Compaq CQ10:

• Compaq CQ10-100 series models - Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

• Compaq CQ10-400, Compaq CQ10-500, Compaq CQ10-600 series models - Intel NM10 (NM10 Express Chipset)

  Business netbooks

     HP Mini 5101:

• Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

     HP Mini 5102, 5103:

• Intel NM10 (NM10 Express Chipset)

     HP Mini 2102

• Intel NM10 (NM10 Express Chipset)

     HP Mini 2140

• Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

     HP Mini 1101:

• 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

     HP Mini 1103:

• Intel NM10 (NM10 Express Chipset)

     HP Mini 1104:

• Intel NM10 (NM10 Express Chipset)

     Compaq Mini 102:

• Intel 945GSE (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller )

[Daniel_Potyrala]

B Prepare bootable XP setup on USB-Drive

       Important:

       -   Before you will start to do the below instruction be sure that you have done everything what was

            suggested in the point A of this guide;

       -   PeToUSB method requires USB Flash Drive with at least 1GB of storage and up to 2 GB.

Download USB_MultiBoot 10 and unpack this file using 7-zip. Plug USB Flash Drive (we will call it later USB-Drive) to one of USB ports.

Browse to path where you extracted USB_MultiBoot_10 and double click the ' USB_MultiBoot_10.cmd ' file. Next press any key on the keyboard.

In this step you will decide how to format USB-Drive.

Select PeToUSB method by pressing the ' p ' key and then the ' Enter ' key.

The PeToUSB aplication will appear.

Do not change any setting (use default settings) and click the ' Start ' button.

Choose ' Yes '.

Select ' Yes '.

Click ' OK '.

Choose ' Close '.

Now you will have to set few things.

Pres the ' 1 ' key and then the ' Enter ' key to browse to the folder that contains XP files.

In the below example the path is: D:\Windows_XP_Professional_SP3_En.

Confirm your choice by selecting ' OK '.

Now you will add few basic information to the Windows XP setup.

Choose ' Yes ' to start the process.

Note:

The below Product Key is fake.

The real key you'll find at the bottom of the laptop on a sticker (if it has XP OEM licence) or if you used the retail copy then in the box.

You'll see a summary of entered data.

Press the ' 2 ' key and then the ' Enter ' key to select USB-Drive.

In the below example it's visible as ' Removable Disk (U) '.

Confirm choice by selecting ' OK '.

   Important information!!

• After selecting Ok on Windows 7 you will see the information that your flash drive has wrong format just like on the below screenshot.What you need to do to fix this problem? Edit one file from the MultiBoot folder -> USB_MultiBoot_10. Right click it and choose Edit. At the very top you will see a line VER | find "6.0." > nul Change it to VER | find "6.1." > nul When you will do this close the file and save changes. This will allow MultiBoot to detect that you are running the script under Windows 7. If you have problems with editing the file then you may download the file which already edited from here. You only need to enter the MultiBoot folder and replace the old file with this one.
  

Hit the ' 3 ' key and then the ' Enter ' key to make bootable XP setup USB-Drive.

Choose ' Yes '.

Select ' Yes '.

Note:

This will ensure that the system partition will be marked as C letter.

You may press any key on the keyboard to finish the whole procedure.

[Daniel_Potyrala]

C  Install XP from prepared bootable USB-Drive

Plug the USB-Drive to your netbook / notebook USB port and turn it on. Press F10 at startup to enter BIOS.

Go to:

System Configuration -> Boot Options -> Boot Order

and set ' USB-Drive ', ' USB Hard Drive ', ' USB Flash ' or ' USB diskette on key ' as first booting device. Remember to save this changes before you will leave BIOS.

After restart you will see the start menu. Use the ' up arrow ' key to select option 1

and press the ' Enter ' key to confirm this choice.

Windows XP setup will appear.

Press the ' Enter ' key to continue.

Now you will see all existing partitions and the unpartitioned space on the hard drive.

In the below example we have on the list USB-Drive with marked by the U letter and 76 GB of unpartitioned space.I will create now two partitions. One will be for the XP system (40 GB) and second for the data (36 GB).

To create the partition you need to press the ' C ' key.

Of course you should make it according to your needs.

The partitions are created. Select the partion marked by the letter C and press the ' Enter ' key.

In this way you decided that on this partition will be installed XP.

Choose ' Format the partition using the NTFS file systems ' and hit ' Enter '.

Process of formatting the partition has began.

Wait for the restart or hit ' Enter ' to make it quicker.

This time select option two or don't do anything - it will be choosen by default.

Windows XP installation process will begin now.

Choose option 2 or wait for the default choice.

Windows XP welcome screen will appear.

Congratulations! The XP system is finally installed on your machine.

Finally you may safely remove USB-Drive and start installing drivers.

[Daniel_Potyrala]

D  FAQ