Install Windows from 2nd partition

[Guest Q]

We need to reinstall Windows XP on an elderly laptop without a currently

working optical drive. The I386 folder is already on the data partition of

the drive - used earlier for running SFC.

 

Is the < winnt.exe /s: d:\I386 > command suitable for the install - after

first navigating to that folder with a boot floppy? That partition is FAT

formatted.

 

A replacement optical drive is on order but will take a week to arrive. And

this laptop needs to be up and running a.s.a.p. (an involved story). A very

recent back-up image of the system exists - on an optical disc! And We don't

have the right adapter handy to hook up the drive to a working desktop to

restore it directly.

 

TIA for any insights.

 

Q

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[Guest Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Re: Install Windows from 2nd partition

 

How to install Windows from the I386 folder

http://www.easydesksoftware.com/I386.htm

 

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Carey Frisch

Microsoft MVP

Windows Shell/User

 

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"Q" wrote:

 

We need to reinstall Windows XP on an elderly laptop without a currently

working optical drive. The I386 folder is already on the data partition of

the drive - used earlier for running SFC.

 

Is the < winnt.exe /s: d:\I386 > command suitable for the install - after

first navigating to that folder with a boot floppy? That partition is FAT

formatted.

 

A replacement optical drive is on order but will take a week to arrive. And

this laptop needs to be up and running a.s.a.p. (an involved story). A very

recent back-up image of the system exists - on an optical disc! And We don't

have the right adapter handy to hook up the drive to a working desktop to

restore it directly.

 

TIA for any insights.

 

Q

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