Harddrive Windows XP installation – no floppy/CD drive
Contributed by William_Wilson 
Tagged: Windows installation This method costs about $20, but is guaranteed to work every time.
- put the harddrive into desktop PC (buy laptop to IDE converter, suggested: www.tigerdirect.ca)
-format the drive to FAT32 (you can always switch it to ntfs later, with a prog such as partition magic)
- Copy I386 folder from WinXP cd onto the laptop harddrive
- put smartdrv.exe in the root directory (speeds up dos transers)
- install dos 7.10 on drive (free download, but I suggest putting your laptop harddrive in IDE 1 to be sure of it’s detection on startup)
- put the harddrive back in the laptop
-When you turn on the laptop DOS should load, otherwise select it from the list
- run smartdrv.exe (type C:\smartdrv.exe at command prompt)
- run 16bit Windows XP installer (type C:\I386\winnt.exe)
- now let the laptop sit! Even if it appears to stall, it will continue, some older harddrives do not spin very fast and need time to load (5-10min is not an unreasonable wait *with smartdrv.exe installed, expect longer without it!
- follow the Windows installer directions!
(Total time, depending on computer speeds: 1-2hrs – though most of this is waiting for Windows XP to install)
*you will now have dos and windows on the drive, you can remove dos, or leave it, it is up to you!!
**The best part about this installation method is it is much cheaper than buying an external drive, as long as you have access to a desktop computer.
***Any questions or comments about this installation method can be sent to: william_a_wilson@hotmail.com
Hope this helps solve your driveless installation problems!!!
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kkk said on October 7, 2008
No it’s not.
i have exactly the same error.
Frank said on December 25, 2008
I’m a third person with the same problem.
i386 copied ok but running Winnt prompts the setup to copy some files to disk then reboot. After reboot, all that’s displayed is :Operating System Missing”, the Setup GUI does not load.
capotts0710 said on January 26, 2009
when doing the install xp halts and says missing file asms and the file is not on the hard drive
Anonymous said on December 23, 2009
That was funky watching it install from the hard drive! I just wonder how many people chose to format the hard disk during XP Setup! I didn’t in case you were wondering, I left the file system intact and it installed fine. Well that is to say everything barring the trackpad and mouse buttons. Also the style loaded in classic mode. Still sure that can be done easily enough. I didn’t copy the i386 with the ‘xcopy’ command so it’s either that or the pad is shaggered!
Another point worth mentioning is to make sure that your mobo has 2 IDE controllers, mine did not and 3.5 – 2.5 IDE adapters come fitted with only one drive connector. Still, booted the sprog off Moshi-Monsters and cannabalized his to finish the job!
Thank’s for the good info, although this is elsewhere almost word for word so don’t know if your origional authour or not. At least you can spell though, unlike I!
Cheers.
Sandy Riyadi Susiharto said on August 22, 2011
can not creat “WINDOWS” folder during instalation, why ???