Installing Win2000 over XP - Help

[LeeUK]

Hi,

I have acquired a Compaq Evo N400c subnote laptop which is running Windows XP Professional. As being a subnote laptop it does not have a CD-ROM or Floppy Disk drive. I want to install and run Windows 2000 Professional but with having no CD-ROM drive I can't just boot from the CD, format and install as usual. The only way I can install Windows 2000 is to copy the setup files off the CD and onto a USB Flash Drive and try and install from within Windows XP, but when I try and run the install I just get the message saying that the current installed version of Windows is newer than the one I'm trying to install and will not let me continue with the install.

Is there any way round this at all? I really want to get Windows 2000 running on this laptop.

I know there is a drive bay compartment available for the N400c that clips onto the bottom on the laptop to add CD-ROM functionality but I don't want to spend money on getting one of these as this will be the only time it would get used.

Also the N400c does not have the option of USB boot from within the BIOS so can't boot from a USB drive either.

I will appreciate any imput on this situation.

Thanks

 

[Matt-Page]

Not easily no,

Can you borrow/buy an external CD drive? They are not that expensive, or you could buy one, use it and take it back/sell it.

You could install it via a network source, if you can network boot.

With no bootable USB, no CD or Floppy drive it isn't going to be easy, and the manufacture probably image it using ghost or similar.

 

[badbob]

Windows 2000 was available from CD boot, not sure if you can install from a USB CD-ROM though. Probably need a PCMCIA IDE card or something like that, that's if you can choose boot option.

 

[Matt-Page]

You can initiate the boot using Floppies as well, not sure if you could then use a USB source for the Install as an install device, might be drivers out there but then i have never tried.