Dell latitude laptop

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I have a Dell Latitude laptop that I am trying to install Windows XP
SP2 on. This laptop has no CD drive or floppy drive and doesn't support
USB boot devices (tried USB floppy and USB DVD\CD drive). I also tried
ghosting a Windows XP image that I previously created from another
computer but it hangs while booting into normal and safe mode (which I
expected). Does anyone have any idea how I can do this? Any help is
greatly appreciated!

Patrick
patmnet@yahoo.com

 

[Mike]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

patmnet@yahoo.com wrote:
> I have a Dell Latitude laptop that I am trying to install Windows XP
> SP2 on. This laptop has no CD drive or floppy drive and doesn't support
> USB boot devices (tried USB floppy and USB DVD\CD drive). I also tried
> ghosting a Windows XP image that I previously created from another
> computer but it hangs while booting into normal and safe mode (which I
> expected). Does anyone have any idea how I can do this? Any help is
> greatly appreciated!
>
> Patrick
> patmnet@yahoo.com
>

I've had the same problem with ghosted XP drives.
Looks like another instance of M$ helping you not pirate their software
by making life difficult for everyone. I get pissed every time I think
about the hundreds of hours I've wasted over stuff like this.

I've fixed this problem by booting a win98se floppy and running
fdisk /mbr. Without a floppy, you obviously can't do this. Maybe you can
install the drive in another system and run fdisk. Not sure it will
help, but might be worth a try.

You don't say what Latitude you have, but anything new enough to run XP
should take a floppy.

I have a floppy, 24X cdrom plus cable to run the floppy externally off
the parallel port. All tested good on a Latitude CPiA 400. Make an
offer/trade something from the list in the sig.

mike

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks, but it's a hardware issue that I could fix if I could get a USB
CD drive to work to boot XP from and do a repair installation. The main
problem I am having is trying to figure out how to get the OS installed
without the CD or floppy.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

hokay, ghosting a previous install of windows will only work if the
HALs the same: i.e. if it's a similar chipset. i've done it on lats
(PIII CPx models) by using a desktop Intel PIII XP build, which does
work. It doesn't if I build it on my Athlon XP desktop, as the HALs
different.
Easiest way for a clean install is get a 2.5 to 3.5" IDE adaptor and
stick the laptop drive in a desktop. If you've access to a similar
chipset desktop, install XP as usual then it'll often work on swapping
back into the laptop.
If you can't do this, then put the laptop drive into the desktop,
format it as FAT32, and using a dos boot floppy, do a FORMAT C: /S to
make it bootable.
Copy the I386 folder including hidden files to C:, then return drive to
laptop.
Boot off newly bootable hard disk, and you'll get a DOS prompt.
CD C:\I386 and then run WINNT.EXE - the XP install will start from the
I386 source folder and continue as usual. When you've got XP
installed, next trick is getting all your drivers on it. If you're
lucky, XP (particularly XP SP2 slipstream) will get most of your
drivers working - if you can get the network card working you're good
as you can use the network to transfer any other installation files you
need.
If not, get yourself a copy of BartPE - bootable windows preexecution
environment. it's a "live CD" you boot off that will (without
installing anything to hard disk) give you a GUI that's network aware.

i'd forget about doing a repair install, they don't usually work and
it'll be a mare without any installation media on CD.
hope this helps
ric

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks Ric,

I actually did get this working before I read your message. I did end
up taking the HDD out and moving it to a desktop and doing format /s.
Then I copied the i386 directory to the HDD from the network while
connected to the desktop PC. The only difference from the way I did it
is that I had to load himem.sys and smartdrive to get it to work. Also,
I had to edit the boot.ini file to only show booting into Windows XP.

Where were you the day I posted?....haha

When a CD drive is available, doing a XP repair has always worked for
me when using a ghost image from another motherboard. It may be that we
always use Intel motherboards. Although I have done it across different
chipsets.

Thanks for your help!!

Pat

 

[qsrkhan]

Hi. there ur solution's. first sorry my English is too week but i,ll b try to do my best because i have same problem n i have solved.

1. remove yur dellc600 hardrive.
2. plug this hardrive in another laptop witch have CDROM drive.
3. make two or more partition in ur dell hardrive from another laptop
4.then instal WINXP in ur dellc600 hardrive from another laptop.
5. when u complete installation then copy WINXP CD in D Parition
6. start instalation again from D partition where u have copy the XP Cd.
7. in second instaliton chose new instalation
8. when thay restart dont on ur another laptop.
9. remove ur hardrive from secondry laptop.
10. plug ur c600 hardrive in ur c600 laptop.
then chose instalation option from booting menu.


when you don don Forget ay thenx me at qaiser.ok@gmail.com

Hope u will b done

 

[qsrkhan]

Hi. there ur solution's. first sorry my English is too week but i,ll b try to do my best because i have same problem n i have solved.

1. remove yur dellc600 hardrive.
2. plug this hardrive in another laptop witch have CDROM drive.
3. make two or more partition in ur dell hardrive from another laptop
4.then instal WINXP in ur dellc600 hardrive from another laptop.
5. when u complete installation then copy WINXP CD in D Parition
6. start instalation again from D partition where u have copy the XP Cd.
7. in second instaliton chose new instalation
8. when thay restart dont on ur another laptop.
9. remove ur hardrive from secondry laptop.
10. plug ur c600 hardrive in ur c600 laptop.
then chose instalation option from booting menu.


when you don don Forget ay thenx me at qaiser.ok@gmail.com

Hope u will b done