OS install without a disk

[erabyss2]

I have an hp pavilion dv6500 with a bad hard drive and a faulty disk drive. Its under warranty but HP is claiming its not. I am looking for a cheap, possibly even temporary fix that would allow my to use my notebook while I try to resolve some issues with HP.

I do have an external hard drive with a blank partition. Im thinking I could use my external hard drive as a temporary internal hard drive. I have swapped theses drives before and know they are interchangeable.


Is there a way to install an OS, Linux or Win Vista, without using a CD?

Thank you for the help.

 

[Yek]

Sure is, you can in fact install XP from a USB flash drive.
Can you use Google or do you need assistance with this?

I dug out the link for you: Windows In Your Pocket : Introduction - Review Tom's Hardware

Cheers,

~ Tkey

 

[Baez]

Linux can be done through USB as well.

 

[Nukem]

Have you tried to reload the OS from the installed partition? You can usually restore it to factory specs that way... if it's just severe corruption in the OS, it might be fixed with doing that. Now the disk drive is another issue.. but it's something to try if nothing else, and if it is dead, then no harm done... you'll need a new HDD anyway.

 

[Alvin.C]

Hello,

About your warranty, have you checked to see if it is still active using the HP Warranty Checker?

 

[erabyss2]

Hello,

About your warranty, have you checked to see if it is still active using the HP Warranty Checker?

Thanks, Ive been there. HP claims they have no record of my warranty. I have the receipts and have sent them copies. HP still denies me my warranty. No its not expired, its "lost" from the HP database.

Thanks everyone. Ill look into installing linux from a USB. I knew it could be run from a USB but never have been able to figure it out.