can i install windows xp off an ipod?

Humate · 12 Sep 2006 at 21:33

My laptop hard drive died, and i bought a new one... but i dont have a cd drive or floppy in my laptop (its an ibm thinkpad x41). All i have is a 20GB apple ipod. I can move the ipod to the top of the boot priorty list in the bios... but is there a way i can get my windows xp cd onto the ipod in such a way that i can boot off the ipod and install xp onto the new hard drive i installed?

Otherwise i will have to buy an external cd drive i suppose.

Socaddict · 12 Sep 2006 at 21:40

try setting up a usb flash drive as the boot disc?

Humate · 12 Sep 2006 at 21:43

how big does it need to be? i have a 64 mb usb pen drive i got free at someones stand at a conference

Scythe · 12 Sep 2006 at 21:47

Humate said:
how big does it need to be? i have a 64 mb usb pen drive i got free at someones stand at a conference

At least 700mb for a cd image.

Humate · 12 Sep 2006 at 21:50

can i not boot off the ipod and have the cd files on the ipod as well?

or boot off a little 64 mb usb pen drive and have the cd files on the ipod?

J.B · 12 Sep 2006 at 22:36

this is a crazy post! i doubt ** laptop will give you the option to boot via a USB device! Would probably be easier if you purchased a second hand cd drive

joey1211 · 13 Sep 2006 at 09:08

J.B said:
this is a crazy post!

Do you mean thread? Or are you reffering to your own post.

Corasik · 13 Sep 2006 at 09:30

Maybe this item would be the easiest way to do it, assuming your laptop allows booting from a USB device.

Asus SCB-2424V-U External Slim Combo Drive - Retail (CD-022-AS) (Second item on list. (Or something similiar anyway)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/External_Optical_Drives.html

Nutbusta · 13 Sep 2006 at 09:48

Why not get a 2.5" to 3.5" cable converter,
install it in your main machine (or someone else's)
Make it DOS bootable
Copy XP cd to another directory
Boot to the HD and run setup from DOS

???

Anyone think of a flaw in this plan?

Humate · 13 Sep 2006 at 18:12

You can boot from usb for sure.

Its a 1.8" drive.

I have an external floppy that i picked up from work today... I can boot into dos with that... and maybe have the cd files on ipod. Or i also have a WD 500GB external drive that i can put the cd files on. Should get it done this evening i hope

split · 14 Sep 2006 at 12:57

This would be my way...

Get Boot Disk Essentials here and make a floppy.
Assuming you have all the XP files on your Ipod or and external disc..

Start the computer with your chosen boot disk.
Change to the Ipod or external drive.
Go into the \i386 directory on the Ipod or external drive.
Run WINNT.EXE to begin the install process.

You have to run WINNT.EXE rather than setup.exe.

A:\>X (where X is drive contain XP files)
X:\>cd\i386
X:\i386>winnt

tonyyeb · 14 Sep 2006 at 13:03

split said:
This would be my way...

Get Boot Disk Essentials here and make a floppy.
Assuming you have all the XP files on your Ipod or and external disc..

Start the computer with your chosen boot disk.
Change to the Ipod or external drive.
Go into the \i386 directory on the Ipod or external drive.
Run WINNT.EXE to begin the install process.

You have to run WINNT.EXE rather than setup.exe.

A:\>X (where X is drive contain XP files)
X:\>cd\i386
X:\i386>winnt

This is THE way to do it. When I did my Windows Server 2000 MCP course (and exam) this is how Microsoft tell you build a 2000, XP, 2003 OS when you cant boot from a CD.