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Thread ID: 96393 2009-01-09 01:51:00 install windows on laptop with broken DVD drive? chojin (9841) Press F1
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736602 2009-01-09 01:51:00 I have an old laptop which im trying to install windows on. the DVD drive doesn't work so i transferred the harddrive to another laptop and installed windows from there. Now when i have the drive back in the original laptop windows won't even load in safe mode. Im guessing this is because of differences in hardware between the two machines. Also the bios doesnt have the option to boot from usb so cant attack it from that direction. Is there anything i can do short of replacing the DVD drive?
Thanks for any help in advance!
chojin (9841)
736603 2009-01-09 03:10:00 Yep sometimes that happens.

What I'd try is re-do it, but when Windows does it reboot bit after its first initial load - then put the drive back in the original and see if it will continue from there.

If it won't well then you'll need to get a new drive - you can get USB DVD drives you know..........
pctek (84)
736604 2009-01-09 03:36:00 Also the bios doesnt have the option to boot from usb so cant attack it from that direction
There are ways to overcome that limitation, though I can't seem to be able to rediscover that link from Google.
Renmoo (66)
736605 2009-01-09 03:39:00 yea i tried that but without the disc it didnt seem to do anything. does it still need the install disc after the reset during install? also since the bios doesnt have an option to boot from usb i couldnt use a usb dvd drive, or could I? chojin (9841)
736606 2009-01-09 04:29:00 you ll have to reinstall but instead of install from another pc/lappy just format the drive then copy the contents of the I386 folder to the hard drive
then run this install from there on the system you want to install to.
you will need to boot from usb stick though goto bootdisk.com for instruction on how to make a bootable usb device
beama (111)
736607 2009-01-09 05:02:00 is it possible to access a dvd drive on another computer thru network before windows boots? hueybot3000 (3646)
736608 2009-01-09 06:21:00 Just move the HDD to another computer and format using the "System" switch. Then copy the I386 folder to the drive and put the drive back into the original computer.
On booting up you will end up with a flashing cursor prompt. Change directory into the I386 folder. Then just enter the instruction WINNT
Or, providing the folder is called I386,
C:\I386\winnt
pheonix (36)
736609 2009-01-09 06:35:00 i don't think so, but if do manage to do that, i don't think u can install a whole OS when u can't even install simple webcam drivers pcuser7895 (12979)
736610 2009-01-09 07:02:00 ahk makes sense, ive never tried it. installing from usb is the hardest thing ive done with installs hueybot3000 (3646)
736611 2009-01-09 07:23:00 woudn't u have to boot into windows to install the USB Dvd drive? pcuser7895 (12979)
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