Flash Drive Question.

[capo]

I have a flash drive/Usb stick... whatever you want to call it.

Can I put Windows Xp on it, and than plug it in, and than Format my computer? If so, How?

Only ever did something like this, Once. And it was me burning an Iso to a dvd, and re-formatting, but since than.. I have forgotten how to even do that, lol.

[payl]

Maybe look over internet before posting?
http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-28353-install-xp-os-from-pen-drive
http://www.google.com/search?q=Installing+XP+from+pendrive

Only ever did something like this, Once. And it was me burning an Iso to a dvd, and re-formatting, but since than.. I have forgotten how to even do that, lol.

I'm sure microsoft doesn't know howto install their products, but maybe http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978307

[MyeRs]

^ lmao, why do you give such a sarcastic negative response to his question. Not everyone has the time to do that, maybe he just tossed out a question hoping somebody could help since he couldn't find it/didnt have time. You've done this in so many threads though, guess change isn't expected.

[capo]

Payl... lol. I've looked over numerous pages, and can't seem to find the right answer to my question.

And what You've posted didn't help either. I need to know if I can take MY usb, stick it in the computer, and than somehow get this ISO of windows xp onto my usb. Restart my computer, with it plugged in... and Reformat with the usb, instead of burning a DVD, since this computer doesn't have a BURNER on it.

[Justinph5]

Technically only if your BIOS allows boot from USB. If you had a bootable OS on a cd already, you could boot to the CD, then run the install on the USB from there.

[payl]

^ lmao, why do you give such a sarcastic negative response to his question. blablabla

Ah... no 5 minutes to find on google.com , but time to post? And should i search for 5 minutes if i'm not paid? If he can't find it, okay, i can help him.

Payl... lol. I've looked over numerous pages, and can't seem to find the right answer to my question.

Intresting, but okay.

Technically only if your BIOS allows boot from USB. If you had a bootable OS on a cd already, you could boot to the CD, then run the install on the USB from there.

Every new BIOS allow to do that. If he could run paintball 2 without lags, he probably have BIOS which support this.

@topic: Capo, how could we know, if it will work? I don't know what pendrive you have. But, if it have more than 2Gb it SHOULD work. And without trying we can stay guessing. Tell me what OS are you using, i'll write small tutorial in free time if no one will post it before me.

[payl]

Alright, so i found good program to make bootable pendrives which i used myself:
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Creating pendrive
1.Download UNetBootIn
2.Get XP ISO (just don't ask where, you can download it or get from original XP cd).
3.Open UNetBootIn
4.Choose DiskImage
5.Open ISO
6.Select Drive you want.
7.Click OK
It will format pendrive and next it will save CD on it.
All you do on target PC is:
1.Insert pendrive in USB
2.Run PC
3.Hold F12
4.Choose pendrive to boot
5.Enjoy

If F12 doesn't work, try entering setup when computer start (Delete or F2 or F1), and then changing boot priority.

[Cameron]

Technically only if your BIOS allows boot from USB. If you had a bootable OS on a cd already, you could boot to the CD, then run the install on the USB from there.

That's also presuming he has a reader.  And from what it sounds like, if there's no burner, its probably an old PC which won't boot off a USB drive...  In any case if its new, I'd probably do what payl just said, I'd just use whatever software I have on the computer though, in this case imgburn and then just change boot priorities in the BIOS setup.

And can someone tell me why they need to be made 'bootable'?  I don't see the difference in dumping an image on a CD and then onto a USB Drive and then one being bootable and the other not...

[payl]

And can someone tell me why they need to be made 'bootable'?  I don't see the difference in dumping an image on a CD and then onto a USB Drive and then one being bootable and the other not...

When BIOS tries to boot device, it reads first sector, and checks if it have boot information, if it have, it give control to it, if not, BIOS tries other device, or if any doesn't have it display great message "OS not found" :-].
And ISO is just exactly copy of CD, so if CD was bootable, ISO constain these boot informations too. But when you just copy files on it, BIOS doesn't know which file to boot up, so you need to have program which will move some starter informations to first sector.

@topic: If it's old computer, you can try booting from floppy, but i don't know how to do this. You will need to run DOS first, i guess. So, why don't you just burn CD and install XP from it? You can allways connect CD drive when installing...

[Justinph5]

If its the same computer you talked about in the other topic, it's probably old. If you got that new MB, then why not buy a new DVD drive too? They only cost around $15, and its just easier that way...

(or create a new partition, install windows there, then move to that windows, and delete the other partition and combine them.   )

[Cameron]

(or create a new partition, install windows there, then move to that windows, and delete the other partition and combine them.   )

Ahh yes, that could work, relying on the size of the hard drive this time, and also there's more room for error.

@Payl:  Hmm I see what your getting at.  So I presume you mean the first sector it reads from the disc is bootable, wouldn't 'burning' the ISO onto a formatted USB Drive chuck that piece of bootable information onto the first sector as well (such as imgburn, as it will write the iso to a location on a harddrive as well)?  I'd test it for myself, but my board doesn't support booting from a stick.

Edit:  wait yeah I see, so you need to use a proper ISO extraction program that will write them correctly, you can't just extract the files using something that just rips the files out of it.

[capo]

Well, this computer didn't have a burner in it, at all. SO I put my Burner from my other computer in this one, but than realized it only burns cd's and READS dvd's... but it doesn't burn DVD's, which kind of upset me, since I don't have nothing but blank dvd's... lol.

I have another cd/dvd burner from my other computer, That MIGHT work. I actually think it will. But yeah, on another note.

I already found a link to the UnetBootin thing, but since Xp doesn't support Making a USB bootable, I'm kind of screwed doing that. I've managed to get it all set-up, but can not do the disk list, because it does not show my USB being active.

I have a Genuine version of windows... I guess? But for some reason it didn't come with a cd key, and it's not for my computer. It's for a Medion.

It's a really old version of Xp, I think sp1? But since I don't have a serial, I can't Register it, which means I can't Get any window's updates.

And for some reason, This is the crappiest version of Xp I've used. Sometimes, the explorer.exe will stop responding, So i'll go to ---> EndNow, But than it will disappear and than reappear... Over and over again. Which Causes me to restart, but than when I do that... My computer gets to the loading screen, and than keeps rebooting, so I have to keep Repairing. It's a Pain in the arse =[.

So what I'm trying to do is, get an Iso of windows, which I've already done, but need to get it burned. Or atleast find a decent Product key for the version I got now so I can Register and do a window's update or something, lol.

 Sigh... But I am getting a new computer/parts in like a week or two. But am giving this to my sibling, so They can have something to do.

[Cameron]

Medion... sounds like a laptop/computer from Aldi.  In which case yeah they won't give you the CD Key unless its on a sticker somewhere in the documentation or on the box itself.  I remember having to set one up and it just does it and verifies with interwebs.  Btw, if the key was registered on one computer, you won't be able to register it on another computer with a different components anyway.  Then again if you did get it to work, those XP things are pointless from companies like that, cos they put all of their junk into the system (for example HP has their HP updates and HP bars, etc), in which case personally I wouldn't bother with it.

But if that ISO of XP you have is legit and has a legit key, or will work with windows update or something, give it to a friend and get them to burn it for you?

[pvtjimmy]

Medion... sounds like a laptop/computer from Aldi.

you guys have that in australia as well???!?! LOL

[Cameron]

you guys have that in australia as well???!?! LOL

Yeah they came in a few years back.  It's like mums favourite shop.  I hate it, never has any of the good stuff.  AND THEY DONT SELL VEGEMITE.  THATS JUST NOT RIGHT.  Always run out nowadays