Installing XP on a laptop w/o CD-ROM support.

[thunder96x]

The CD-ROM in my laptop is malfunctioning, so I cannot boot off the OS disc provided to reinstall the OS. I'm looking for a way to install XP on the laptop w/o cd-rom support, so my question is:

Is it possible to remove the hard drive from the laptop, place it in an external HD kit, hook it up to a known good computer, and install XP using the known good's CD-ROM on to the laptop HD?

Not sure if the settings of the known good would interfere with the installation, as I've never tried it..

If not, what other options do I have to get XP on the laptop?

 

[IBMan]

that wouldn't work because the 2nd computer has a different HAL than your laptop, you might be able to get it to boot off of an external cd-rom thru USB if you have that functionality, or you could make boot disks with floppies but i don't know if you'd get much further, you could have the source folder of the XP disc on your network...these are basic ideas i cant really go into detail but im sure someone else could...

 

[thunder96x]

I figured I wouldn't be able to install it via another computer.. always hope though. ;-) I considered installing it via external USB CD-ROM, but I do not think it has the option for USB CD-ROM boot in its BIOS (its an old Dell). I didn't see the USB FDD option either in the BIOS.

So.. that's where I'm stuck.

 

[Osiris]

You can use a network bootdisk and install xo from a network if you have that option