Install Windows XP without floppy or cd drives

I will try to be as detailed as possible, including pictures as i go.
(My laptop is a Dell Latitude CSx, but this will work for any make or model with the same issue)

*Please be...

Click here to read the entire tutorial

Hey there! Thanks for the response!

Everything that I did, I did to the tee on the website below:

Guide: Install Windows without a CD-ROM or floppy drive « this is my defective kit.

The only difference is that I am using a Dell Latitude C640 for the host machine, which has an external floppy drive.

Also, I am using a windows 95 disk instead of 98 to boot and format the drive.

Also, I am installing Windows XP Corp edition

Hey guys,

I have done everything in this tutorial exactly. I am using Windows XP Home genuine disc, IDE adapter, on a Dell desktop.

I install everything and it works great on the desktop, but when I transfer it to the laptop, it says "Invalid system disc"

I have tried this on 3 different hard drives and with 3 different ultraportable laptops. Still no success. There has to be something going on here, something that I am missing. I have looked into the MBR problems and tried everything that the previous person was trying with no success. Should I try a different desktop?


I am installing windows half-way right now and am going to shut it down and transfer the drive over to the laptop on reboot. Hope this works.

I hope I can get some support on this.

Arg, still no success. NTdlr is missing.

This just seems impossible for me. There has to be another method that I can try, maybe something more advanced.

are you installing dos and windows while you are on the desktop, as this will not work. Windows sets up the hardware on installation, thus if they are different...

This worked perfectly for a Toshiba laptop that the DVD-ROM had stopped working. Already had the IDE converter so just installed DOS from my desktop with the laptop hard drive as drive 1, then copied the i386 and smartdrive, then back into the laptop and off it went. Great instructions and the reason I joined SysChat.

Great got my little Tashiba Portege 3110 working!!!

thx, for the newbe outlook on things.

Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!!

There are not enough words to show my gratitude for this valuable information.
I spent numerous sleepless nights to solve my problem and this procedure worked as charm.

I bought a Toshiba Portege R100, which is known to be problematic for installing a fresh copy of windows XP on a new hard drive. I tried everything using the PCMCIA Port Noteworthy CD but nothing works. I tried any driver possible but its just didn’t work for me.

Thanks again!!!

Hey William,

you are a dude - I've been banging my head for ages trying to figure out how to fix a friends laptop with broken CD-drive - you are da man

Never thought of using DOS and another computer with adapter!!!

Just one thing. Instead of ide converter u can use usb interface and laptop computer, but your laptop has to have possibility to boot from usb disk.

Of course like there is in article, DOS is not the smartest one, so it will not install under usb drive but what i did is the following:

boot from win98 and start computer with cd
format this disk with a command format [letter]: /s /q (where letter is a drive letter)

later on i moved files to this partiotion like
smartdrv.exe
himem.sys
emm386.exe

end created config.sys:
device=himem.sys
device=emm386.exe noems
dos=high,umb
files=30
buffers=30


then just copy i386 and move prepared disk to other laprtop

Anyway many thanks...