Bodging an XP install onto another computer via HDD transplant.

Ultra_Extreme · 27 May 2006 at 18:00

I know this is not ideal, ive never attempted it before either. Problem is a have a bothersome lappy (see other thread lol) and cannot get it to boot from CD drive at all. thus i want to put XP on the HDD while on another computer (obviously using the appropriate registration codes, put down them ban hammers). Now while this will undoubtedly cause some driver conflicts XP should on the whole still boot right?

also how can i do this with a USB HDD? will the windows setup allow it? anyone done this before?

Unluckyalf · 27 May 2006 at 18:12

Im not sure that this will work to be honest. When WinXp (and 2k/NT) installs it creates a security id (SID) that is unique to the pc it is being installed on. I am not 100% sure what effect this will have if you move the disk to another pc thugh as i havent tried.
The other thing of course is the way XP works in respect to Licencing, so you may at least find that you will have to re-register XP once installed on the new PC as it sees a change of hardware.
The USB HDD bit will of course depend on whether your bios supports it.

Caged · 27 May 2006 at 21:20

Best bet is to go for a network install.

Ultra_Extreme · 27 May 2006 at 22:50

Caged said:
Best bet is to go for a network install.

oooooo

right this is one thing ive always wanted to do but have eff all idea of how. If you explained it i'd owe you a pint! and if your lucky a hug too lol

Ultra_Extreme · 28 May 2006 at 12:04

Caged said:
Best bet is to go for a network install.

can anyone help on this? struggling tbh, have hooked it up to my router and it actually seems to be recognising stuff but then it says bootfile not recieved. I need to know how to assign it a bootfile? put it in a specific folder that it checks? and what bootfile? will an image work? help this is all greek to me! (kicks himself and wishes he's attended the networking seminars at uni!)

Ultra_Extreme · 28 May 2006 at 12:18

Ultra_Extreme said:
can anyone help on this? struggling tbh, have hooked it up to my router and it actually seems to be recognising stuff but then it says bootfile not recieved. I need to know how to assign it a bootfile? put it in a specific folder that it checks? and what bootfile? will an image work? help this is all greek to me! (kicks himself and wishes he's attended the networking seminars at uni!)

Im assuming i have to set a computer up to act as a DHCP server somehow and thus provide the correct boot info. Man all this info on the net and no one gives any plausible advice on this!

HighlandeR · 28 May 2006 at 13:15

I tried installing XP once on a usb 2.5 lappy drive(usb enclosure) but it said cannot be done error on drive.... so ive tried to install XP on a 2.5 drive using a simple IDE to 2.5 cable and its installed but then once I plugged the 2.5 hdd back into the laptop it wouldnt even load....

Tis a nightmare when your laptop has no usb boot option letalone a floppy or cdrom drive !

I have however heard if u format the 2.5 drive and just copy the winme setup folder to it, u can then plug the drive back into the laptop/it should boot to dos mode and u can install winme on the laptop then and then USB cd/dvd drive.....

and then stick in XP disc and upgrade!

Tis a nightmare tbh but I may go that route but ill try an Acronis universal recovery disc on it 1st, since that has no drivers/hdd loaded thus hopefully shouldnt conflict and should load XP on the laptop.

M0KUJ1N · 28 May 2006 at 13:15

tbh doing a network install is going to be pretty tricky, as the "official supported" Microsoft method is to use RIS, which requires a Windows 2000/2003 Server. There are other methods but they tend to require a pre-existing image to install onto the machine.
Does the laptop have a floppy drive? If so, you could boot from the Windows XP boot floppies (you can download these from www.bootdisk.com) and then insert the CD and manually invoke its setup utility from the command line.

Ultra_Extreme · 28 May 2006 at 14:19

no no floppy. I can seem to boot from usb however i cannot seem to get any form of dos mode booted so that i can run the setup files that i have copied to the HDD.

TBH its looking like the IDE controller is shot. Doesnt seem to see the CD drive and it clicks when activated, it reads and tests the HDD fine however the HDD LED does not show lights consistent with activity. Also for some reason it will not boot to any other media with the HDD activated in bios, as soon as i disable it or set it to something incorrect like CD-ROM my pen drive (with the HP bootloader) boots.

Fricking wierd tbh

EDIT: oh and HDD is fine have run all tests in a caddy under XP

M0KUJ1N · 28 May 2006 at 14:30

Hmm well only other suggestions that you havent tried already are to boot from a USB floppy drive/ CD drive or to take the HD out, start the installation on another machine, do the first stage of the install (i.e. up till the first reboot). Hardware detection isnt done until mini-setup so this should work.

Ultra_Extreme · 28 May 2006 at 14:33

M0KUJ1N said:
Hmm well only other suggestions that you havent tried already are to boot from a USB floppy drive/ CD drive or to take the HD out, start the installation on another machine, do the first stage of the install (i.e. up till the first reboot). Hardware detection isnt done until mini-setup so this should work.

Yeah i thought about that last bit, not sure if win xp allows installation onto USB media, tried earlier and got an error (cannot complete as this computer will not be able to access files) but then the comp i tried it on is an old K6 lump from 1902 and may not have legacy USB boot support (altho does the XP setup loader install the USB drivers?)