How to install xp from pen drive usb drive step by step guide

In this article form our series of XP tips n trick I will show you how can you install XP from pen drive. This trick is best suitable for EeePC, other notebooks, laptops without or broken CD drive.

Perquisites for installing xp from pen drive

• Windows Xp installation disk,

• This file solution.rar

• A working pen drive of at least 2 GB.

We first have to make pen drive bootable and need to put all necessary files in it. To do this go on a running computer which have working CD – ROM.

Now download this file solution.rar and extract it.

Attach a pen drive (caution: - all data will be erase from pen drive)

Now go in the folder where you extracted the files from solution.rar and run HpUSBformat.exe.

This command will auto detect your USB disk, if not, select form the list ( in this example my USB memory stick is drive M: )

Now set these options

• Volume label : - SYSTEM

• Check marks on :- Create a DOS Start up disk

• Select radio button :- Using DOS system files located at:

• Give the path where you have extracted solution.rar (Give the path of DOS folder) files

now you have got an USB disk with bootable DOS system on it.

Copy all other files from DOS folder to your USB disk. ( you can overwrite existing ones)

Put your Windows Xp installation disk into CD-ROM and copy all files from CD to USB drive.

Now your pen drive should look like this

Now you have a bootable pen drive with xp.

Go on computer in which you want to install xp

Boot your laptop with previously prepared USB drive ( if you have problems, just check your BIOS or try to access boot menu, DEL? F10? F11?. In bios set first boot to removable media.)And follow these nine easy step to install xp.

Step1:- When system is booted up, and you see command prompt, type sys d: and hit enter if you see system transferred - you have luck, FAT32 file system is on drive C:, you will not lose your data
- go to step 5
- if any problem appears go to step 2

Step2:-REMEMBER, you will loose all data from drive C:/> - when system is booted up from USB, your drive C: appears as D:

Step3:- Type format d:/q/s to format drive D:
accept and when it is finished, go to step 5 ( you are lucky, you don't need to make partitions)
otherwise go to step 4

Step4:- Type fdisk and hit enter
create new partition ( after restart boot with pendrive in)
go to step 3 and format the partitions and come back here :)
type pqmagic and set your new partition active 
( physical drive 2, Advanced A, set Active - S, are you sure - Y, Exit - X )

Step5:-Type nc and hit enter, and using Norton Commander, copy all files form pendrive to disk C: ( you can overwrite existing ones)

Step6:-Restart Laptop without pen drive in it (it should start from hard drive)

Step7:-Type cd i386 and hit enter (it will enter i386 folder)

Step8:-Type winnt and hit enter

Step9:-this will launch xp installation process and you can install xp as you do with cd.

Re-activating Windows 7 Product Key

When you are done, you should have nothing but unallocated space. (there should be no partitions at all) Then, clean install Windows 7 to the disk. The installer will configure your partitions for you. At a certain point in the stall, you are asked for a product key. Do NOT enter one. Further, uncheck the box to allow for automatic activation.

This first install will not have a product key until later. When it is done installing, you will have a clean, full install that you can't activate with an upgrade key. At this point, you can either: 

a) start an upgrade install of Windows 7 on top of the new install, or 
b) modify the registry and reset the license manager to let you activate the current install. 

The first method is fairly self-explanatory. After the second install, delete the Windows.OLD folder (since it's pointless), and activate using your upgrade key. This is the Microsoft approved way of doing this with an upgrade disk.

 The second requires a bit more work, but is far faster, because you don't have to sit through a second install. 

First, make sure you don't have any pending updates that require a restart. If you do, install them, reboot, and then start this procedure. 

Once your system is stable, open regedit.exe (You can search for it in the start menu) Find this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/MediaBootInstall. Change the value from 1 to 0, and close the registry editor. 

Start a Command shell as Administrator (find it in the start menu, right click on it, and select "run as administrator") You will need to authorize the UAC. 

Run the following command "slmgr /rearm" and wait for the command to complete. (you will be prompted) 

Restart the machine, and head over the the About page. You will be notified that you have 30 days to activate, and near that is a blue link to enter a new key. Click it, enter your upgrade key, and let it activate. If all went well, you should be good to go.