Possible to boot from USB CD-ROM?

[Willbo]

I've got to install Windows on a Dell PC which is small form factor and has no CD/DVD installed. I opened it up to install one but the IDE connector is too small for the usual cables.

I've borrowed an external cdrom which connects via USB, will i be able to boot from this? How can it be done....is it just a case of selecting boot from usb in the bios or is there some other way of doing it?

Your advice and help would be appreciated.

 

[Cody]

Scroll through the options of your first boot device there should be one that says USB-CD.

 

[artaxerxes]

It might be easier to remove the hard drive and install windows on another PC... then do the switch motherboard trick. If the BIOS doens't offer what you need.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17693317 has the links to the tricks needed to boot up a HDD installed in a previous system. Simple as loading basic IDE drivers.

There is also

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Installation_on_ThinkPads_without_CD-ROM_drive

which has some increasingly arcane methods... such as over a network.