How to Install Windwos XP from USB stick.

I am sure most of you wonder how to replace your current windows on a laptop that doesn't even have a CD-rom , or how to install a fresh copy on it. Well first , you need the following application http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=1054 and then you need another PC , and a CD or DVD Rom , and a Windows Xp Cd , of course. You also need a 2.0 USB stick less then 2 Gig's or it won't work.

Here is a more detailed way and download links : (Source msfn.org )

Unpack USB_MultiBoot_10.zip to your Harddisk in a simple Path without SPACES.

Major Changes and Support:

- Basic Use Involves only Selecting XP Source Folder and USB-Drive Target
to make USB-Stick which can be used for Install of XP on Mobile PC like e.g. ASUS Eee subnotebook

- USB_MultiBoot.cmd is Vista Compatible, but requires User Account Control OFF.
The bootmgr BootSector made by PeToUSB is Detected and
Converted to NTLDR Bootsector ( No need anymore to use BootSect.exe separately )
XP as OS is Preferred for Speed of FileCopy to USB ( 10 min instead of 30 minutes for Vista OS )

- Advanced Users can make USB-MultiBoot SuperStick or Harddisk,
when selecting Multi_boot.ini and MULTI_CONTENT Source offering a large variety of
handy computer tools available via boot.ini GRUB4DOS or SYSLINUX Menu

- Siginet's RyanVM Integrator or nLite can be used to Integrate Windows UpdatePacks in the XP-Source.
http://integrator.si...ex.php?download and http://www.nliteos.com/
The Complete XP-Source is Copied to XP LocalSource Folder $WIN_NT$.~LS on USB-Drive
Take care that your XPSOURCE Folder is located on your Harddisk in a simple Path without SPACES.

- Supports the use of BTS DriverPacks located in OEM Folder on USB-Drive - http://driverpacks.net/DriverPacks/
For Install of XP on a modern system with SATA Drives it is needed to use DPsBase.exe
for Integrating in your XPSOURCE BTS DriverPack Massstorage with TXT Mode Enabled.
In that case a lot of Extra RAID SCSI and SATA Drivers (about 120 extra) are Integrated which appear in the
XP Setup BootFolder $WIN_NT$.~BT on USB-Drive and can prevent a lot of XP Install Boot Problems.
First use RyanVM Integrator and than use DPsBase to Improve your XP-Source.
The program supplies a Customised presetup.cmd and changes the winnt.sif file for use of DriverPacks.

- For USB-Harddisk use Menu Option 0) to Change USB-stick in USB-Harddisk.
Because that makes that rdummy.sys is used and this is essential for using USB-Harddisk.
rdummy.sys makes Fixed USB-Harddisk seen in XP Setup as Removable Device.

- boot.ini and winnt.sif Files and $OEM$Folder are User Selectable,
Handy for Windows 2003 and Non Standard Installs and for making MultiBoot USB-Drive
Use the supplied winnt.sif file, which is copied to file Current_winnt.sif in Folder w_sif
For Unattended Install use the build in Edit UserData Setup to give ProductKey and TimeZone.
Use for Preparing USB-Drive Only winnt.sif file without an [Unattended] Section and with MsDosInitiated="1"
The Current_winnt.sif File is adjusted for this and copied by USB_MultiBoot.cmd to $WIN_NT$.~BT folder on USB-Drive.

- OEM or nLite winnt.sif File is detected in XPSOURCE and Auto Changed for Install of XP from USB.
In that case All Setup Parameters come from XPSOURCE and therefore Empty $OEM$_X Folder is Selected.
For UNATTENDED XP Install use the build in Edit UserData Setup to Change the 8 required parameters.
Give ProductKey and TimeZone used in Current_winnt.sif Copy of your winnt.sif

- Change $OEM$ folder to your needs, which is copied to $WIN_NT$.~LS folder on USB-Drive
CMDLINES.TXT is used for making UserAccounts and install of Registry Tweaks at T-12
Info see: http://unattended.ms.../unattended.xp/
ren_fold.cmd was changed such that $OEM$\$1 and $OEM$\$$ folders are copied
as usual to systemdrive (usually C:\) and systemroot (usually C:\WINDOWS) respectively.
For anything else you want to copy from USB-Drive, you can add similar lines to ren_fold.cmd,
which is executed at T-9 by the Section SetupParams of winnt.sif file
Or Use CMDLINES.TXT and useraccounts.cmd in the $OEM$ Folder for Extra Copy Commands.

- Supports also USB-Drives having FAT32 or NTFS Format, thus overcoming the 2 GB limit of FAT Format.
NTFS Format allows larger DriveSize and is very useful for Install of XP from USB-Harddisk.
Besides NTFS Format is handy for Install of Vista from USB via GRUB4DOS chainload of bootmgr
FAT32 is extremely slow in Windows XP FileCopy during TXT Mode (has anyone an idea why ?),
whereas NTFS Format of USB-Drive makes everything go faster than with FAT Format.

In the Format Menu one can Select:
P) PeToUSB - FAT Format - Max 2 GB
Install of XP from USB in 30 minutes - Buffalo FireStix 2 GB
FAT Format Supports Direct Booting with MS-DOS using MULTI_CONTENT
Do NOT Select here FileCopy of BartPE

H) HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool V2.0.6 - NTFS Format - use X_CONTENT
Install of XP from USB in 16 minutes - Corsair Flash Voyager 4 GB USB-stick

N) No Format - Use USB-Harddisk with FAT or NTFS Format by Windows XP

Use MULTI_CONTENT Folder only with FAT Format USB-Drive
for Support of Direct Booting with MS-DOS from boot.ini Menu
Use X_CONTENT Source Folder for making NTFS or FAT Format USB-Drive
with Support of Booting from DOS Floppy Images via GRUB4DOS Menu

HP Format Tool Enables to make large USB-sticks with NTFS Format which are very useful,
but is missing the option of PeToUSB to Install BartPE on USB-Drive.
The program was changed such that BartPE http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
or UBCD4Win http://www.ubcd4win.com/index.htm can be added now for all Format Options to USB-Drive
by Selecting BartPE Source Folder in the Main Menu. Remove with Cancel.
So don't use PeToUSB for Install of BartPE anymore, but only use PeToUSB to make FAT Format USB-Drive.
Using Cancel in BartPE Source Folder Selection, Disables the Install of BartPE on USB-Drive.
FileCopy to USB-Drive begins with USB Content Source Folder, followed by the XP Setup Source Folder
and finally the BartPE Source Folder is copied when a valid path was given with option 5)

- FAT32 and NTFS do not support Direct Booting into MS-DOS FREEDOS and Windows PE 2.0
Unsupported Boot Options are automatcally removed from the Menu's.
GRUB4DOS via boot.ini is in any FileSystem very powerful, especially using chainload of BootLoaders.
But GRUB4DOS also allows to Boot from MS-DOS or FREEDOS Floppy Images and to Boot from Linux.
http://grub4dos.jot.com/WikiHome
http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/wiki/index...ub4dos_tutorial

- BootSector Files are made with dsfo / dsfi from the once with mkbt.exe copied BootSector,
instead of Install, Copy and Reset of BootSectors using mkbt.exe for making each BootSector File.
MakeBS3.cmd of jaclaz is used for making NTFS BootSector Files,
where SETUPLDR.BIN was Renamed to XPSTP according to the 5-letter limit requirement.

- Windows XP Recovery Console from USB is supported and by launching it via GRUB4DOS Menu
Booting Direct with XP Recovery Console has conflict by unwanted launching XP Setup.
The program CMDCONS_Folder.cmd can be used separately,
which makes Recovery Console folder cmdcons by parsing DOSNET.INF File.

- Overflow Control has been added by measuring DiskSize, FreeSize, XP-Source and
Multi_Content Source Folders using ASP Drive Object and Visual Basic Scripting.
SEE: http://www.w3schools...p_ref_drive.asp
http://www.robvander....com/index.html

- Excluding LANG and WIN98X Folders from Copy to USB can be Selected,
which reduces the XP-Source on USB-Drive by 135 MB
Reduction of the XP WINDOWS Folder can be achieved with nLite
but do NOT select Operating System Options-->Manual Install and Upgrade for removal.

XPSOURCE Space Saving Tips see: http://unattended.ms...xp/view/web/57/
You can Safely Remove the XPSOURCE folders:
WIN9XMIG, WIN9XUPG and WINNTUPG - This will free up 37.6 MB
LANG - 99 MB and cmpnents - 22.6 MB ( Needed for MCE / Tablet PC only )

- The Folder usb_cfg_extra provides scripts for BartPE Menu http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
For the Automatic Install of Programs after Install of XP from USB
we can use a script for the very handy Windows Post-Install Wizard (WPI) http://wpiw.net/

- In WPI script there is the option to run SFC /purgecache which deletes the dll cache and
which is a very simple way to reduce the WINDOWS Folder Size by 360 MB
The Result is a XP WINDOWS Folder Size on Harddisk of only 785 MB inclusive all Updates.

- Supports Portable WinTools which run direct from GO-Menu button in a VISTA or XP environment
http://www.dirk-loss.de/win-tools.htm
http://users.pandora...USBMemStick.htm

- Direct Booting with MS-DOS from USB-stick with boot.ini Menu is prepared as follows:
You only have to add from Win98 MS-DOS BootFloppy the files IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS to
the MULTI_CONTENT Folder and file COMMAND.COM to the folder DOS of the MULTI_CONTENT Folder.
These Hidden System Files are only visible in Windows Explorer after adjusting Tools > Folder Options

Run USB_MultiBoot.cmd and choose FAT Format with PeToUSB (max 2GB stick) and
Select Multi_boot.ini as boot.ini (option B ) and MULTI_CONTENT as Source (option 2) in the Main Menu.
The supplied config.sys of the MULTI_CONTENT folder regulates that for MS-DOS
the COMMAND.COM is found in the DOS folder so that confusion with FREEDOS is prevented.

- Direct Booting with FREEDOS from USB was Removed since there were too few cases successful.

- More Help with Bookmarks is available in the Help_Info Folder in USB_MultiBoot_10.zip

- Use of MultiBoot_10.cmd and everything in this Guide is COMPLETELY at your own risk.