HELP: how can I install Windows XP remotely?

  • Thread starter Thread starter KevinGPO
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KevinGPO

Hi. I've got a new Toshiba laptop with no CDROM or floppy disk drive. I got
hold of an external PCCard CDROM drive but I still cannot boot up from it.

I want to reformat/reinstall a fresh copy of Windows XP SP2 Professional on
my new laptop, in a repartitioned 7GB space (opposed to the factory default
of taking up 40GB).

There seems to be no way to boot up, except by PXE across the network. I
need someone to help me:

1. Do I need Windows Server? If so, will Windows Server 2000 or Advanced
Server 2000 work? Does Windows (Advanced) Server 2000 contain PXE/DHCP
server? Will it remote boot a remote machine/laptop and install Windows onto
it?


How do colleges/universitys do it? I can see in universities have masses of
PCs all installed with Windows XP. There's no way one guy would go and
installs Windows XP on every 10,000 PCs?, all set up exactly the same, with
security, and all.

How can I install Windows XP on my laptop which I cannot CDROM/floppy boot?
 
KevinGPO said:
Hi. I've got a new Toshiba laptop with no CDROM or floppy disk drive. I got
hold of an external PCCard CDROM drive but I still cannot boot up from it.

I want to reformat/reinstall a fresh copy of Windows XP SP2 Professional on
my new laptop, in a repartitioned 7GB space (opposed to the factory default
of taking up 40GB).

There seems to be no way to boot up, except by PXE across the network. I
need someone to help me:

1. Do I need Windows Server? If so, will Windows Server 2000 or Advanced
Server 2000 work? Does Windows (Advanced) Server 2000 contain PXE/DHCP
server? Will it remote boot a remote machine/laptop and install Windows onto
it?


How do colleges/universitys do it? I can see in universities have masses of
PCs all installed with Windows XP. There's no way one guy would go and
installs Windows XP on every 10,000 PCs?, all set up exactly the same, with
security, and all.

How can I install Windows XP on my laptop which I cannot CDROM/floppy
Click to expand...
boot?

Here is an easy way:
1. Buy a 2.5" to 3.5" ribbon cable adapter. They cost around $5.00.
2 Temporarily install the laptop disk as the secondary master in some
Win2000/XP PC.
3. Create a FAT32 partition of at least 10 GBytes on this disk,
preferably 15 GBytes.
4. Copy the whole WinXP CD to the \386 folder on this partition.
5. Disconnect the internal hard disk of the WinXP/2000 PC and make
the laptop disk the primary master.
6. Boot the Win2000/XP PC with a Win98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com).
7. Run these commands:
fdisk /mbr
fdisk {make partition active}
sys c:
copy a:\dos\smartdrv.exe c:\
8. Put the disk back into the laptop and reboot it.
9. Run smartdrv.exe, then c:\i386\winnt
10. Install WinXP.

Later on you can convert the FAT32 partition to NTFS if you wish.

Warning: Be extremely careful when using the cable adapter. If you
connect it back to front then you will cook your laptop disk.
 
KevinGPO said:
Hi. I've got a new Toshiba laptop with no CDROM or floppy disk drive. I got
hold of an external PCCard CDROM drive but I still cannot boot up from it.

I want to reformat/reinstall a fresh copy of Windows XP SP2 Professional on
my new laptop, in a repartitioned 7GB space (opposed to the factory default
of taking up 40GB).

There seems to be no way to boot up, except by PXE across the network.
Click to expand...

So PXE boot.

I
need someone to help me:

1. Do I need Windows Server? If so, will Windows Server 2000 or Advanced
Server 2000 work? Does Windows (Advanced) Server 2000 contain PXE/DHCP
server? Will it remote boot a remote machine/laptop and install Windows onto
it?


How do colleges/universitys do it? I can see in universities have masses of
PCs all installed with Windows XP. There's no way one guy would go and
installs Windows XP on every 10,000 PCs?, all set up exactly the same, with
security, and all.
Click to expand...
One way is to get the factory to do the installation, including some
software for automatic updating.
 
"Quick and dirty"? I'm deeply offended! :-) I'd call it a "pragmatic"
solution, one that works for a machine that is crippled by an
absence of peripheral I/O devices that I thought everyone took
for granted. I wonder why people buy such devices. Perhaps
the OP's laptop has a "Factory Restore" key on his keyboard
that lets him restore the machine to factory condition when all else
fails. If so then his manual or the FAQ pages on the Toshiba
home page could enlighten him.
 
In
KevinGPO said:
Hi. I've got a new Toshiba laptop with no CDROM or floppy disk drive.
I got hold of an external PCCard CDROM drive but I still cannot boot
up from it.
Click to expand...

Besides the other great suggestions, which should help you, did you set the
CDROM to be the first bootable drive in the BIOS and allow to boot to other
media?

--
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

If this post is viewed at a non-Microsoft community website, and you were to
respond to it through that community's website, I may not see your reply
unless that website posts replies back to the original Microsoft forum.
Therefore, please direct all replies ONLY to the Microsoft public newsgroup
this thread originated in so all can benefit or ensure the web community
posts it back to the original forum.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT, MVP
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server Directory Services
Microsoft Certified Trainer
Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations.
=================================
 
Alas, the OP has no CD ROM.


"Ace Fekay [MVP]"
In KevinGPO <[email protected]> made this post, which I then commented about

Besides the other great suggestions, which should help you, did you set the
CDROM to be the first bootable drive in the BIOS and allow to boot to other
media?

--
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

If this post is viewed at a non-Microsoft community website, and you were to
respond to it through that community's website, I may not see your reply
unless that website posts replies back to the original Microsoft forum.
Therefore, please direct all replies ONLY to the Microsoft public newsgroup
this thread originated in so all can benefit or ensure the web community
posts it back to the original forum.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT, MVP
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server Directory Services
Microsoft Certified Trainer
Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations.
=================================
Click to expand...
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
boot?

Here is an easy way:
1. Buy a 2.5" to 3.5" ribbon cable adapter. They cost around $5.00.
2 Temporarily install the laptop disk as the secondary master in some
Win2000/XP PC.
3. Create a FAT32 partition of at least 10 GBytes on this disk,
preferably 15 GBytes.
4. Copy the whole WinXP CD to the \386 folder on this partition.
5. Disconnect the internal hard disk of the WinXP/2000 PC and make
the laptop disk the primary master.
6. Boot the Win2000/XP PC with a Win98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com).
7. Run these commands:
fdisk /mbr
fdisk {make partition active}
sys c:
copy a:\dos\smartdrv.exe c:\
8. Put the disk back into the laptop and reboot it.
9. Run smartdrv.exe, then c:\i386\winnt
10. Install WinXP.

Later on you can convert the FAT32 partition to NTFS if you wish.

Warning: Be extremely careful when using the cable adapter. If you
connect it back to front then you will cook your laptop disk.
Click to expand...

If I were doing it, that's exactly how I'd go about it.

Good advice.
 
In
Pegasus (MVP) said:
Alas, the OP has no CD ROM.
Click to expand...

But the OP mentioned:
Hi. I've got a new Toshiba laptop with no CDROM or floppy disk drive. I
got
hold of an external PCCard CDROM drive but I still cannot boot up from it.
Click to expand...

My curiosity is whether the system will see the PCCard as a viable drive to
boot from in the BIOS. I haven't worked with a PCCard as a drive controller,
so I'm not sure. Buit if it's anything like a USB attached CDROM, I assume
it would find it and can be selected as the bootable drive.

Ace
 
option3)
(instead of pulling HD and loading I386 directory directly to hd (it
would work))
(or setting up PXE (lot of work for one system))
requires a USB Key (256 megs at least $35)
ON Another station
Format the Key with
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/hpcpqdt/us/download/20306.html
This makes the USB key bootable.
Load the I386 dir to the USB Key

Install as per normal with the options you want. Make sure the KEY does not
stay in pass the first reboot or it will be C: drive and the HD will be D:
That does not effect function but does throw people off.

Mark Crouse, MCSE, Security+, CCA
 
In
Mark Crouse said:
option3)
(instead of pulling HD and loading I386 directory directly to
hd (it would work))
(or setting up PXE (lot of work for one system))
requires a USB Key (256 megs at least $35)
ON Another station
Format the Key with
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/hpcpqdt/us/download/20306.html
This makes the USB key bootable.
Load the I386 dir to the USB Key

Install as per normal with the options you want. Make sure the KEY
does not stay in pass the first reboot or it will be C: drive and the
HD will be D: That does not effect function but does throw people off.

Mark Crouse, MCSE, Security+, CCA
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Mark. I hope it helps the OP.

Ace
 
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