Win XP USB Won't Boot

DekHog

DekHog

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OK, not often I'm stumped and exasperated with an IT problem, but this one has my back up.

A friend gave me his laptop to wipe and reinstall XP on. It has to be XP as it runs some vehicle diagnostic software that still only runs on this OS.

Problem. His laptop won't boot from a bootable XP USB stick. I tried two XP images, three ISO to USB apps and five USB sticks to no avail - it just boots straight into the current install of XP.

I obviously thought something up with the laptop, so ordered a cheap USB DVD Rom...... as an afterthought I tried a Win 10 USB install on it and it booted from the stick no problem. As another afterthought I then tried both XP USB sticks I had in my own laptop, and guess what. No boot. It just skips right over and boots into the current OS.

Answers on a postcard.... [emoji19]
 
Have you tried pressing F2 to get into the boot controller and setting USB as the 1st device? Also: have you confirmed that the USB stick and the DVD have bootstraps on them?
 
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Yup, done all that. Boots OK from a Win 10 stick though. Must be a different process for XP - it's a long time since I've used it but, thinking back, don't think XP natively supports USB install....
 
I don't remember ever being able to boot from USB under XP. I always used a CD drive.
 
Sky said:
I don't remember ever being able to boot from USB under XP. I always used a CD drive.
Click to expand...
What it boots from is a function of the BIOS, not the operating system, the problem here is the BIOS is not going to the bootloader on the USB stick to run the stub that is the installer for XP, or the installer itself doesn't recognise USB drives even if the BIOS can get its boot sector loaded.

Unfortunately it has been way way too many years since I looked at what the installer for XP could and could not do so I don't know what the solution is, if any, apart from using a CD / DVD.
 
It sounds like the BIOS is set to boot in UEFI mode, you need to switch it back to legacy, probably as simple as that.
 
Another possibility is that you need the drivers for USB on a floppy. I've done a lot of XP installs, though not for a very long time, but I do remember earlier machines needed to boot from a floppy with CD drive drivers and some basic DOS tools before you could start installing the OS from CD.

Curiously, I also recall HP computers used to be able to handle a USB drive at BIOS level, but the windows NT that was being run on the box I had to use did not recognise USB devices and HPs help line didn't know that - windows NT didn't do USB.
 
Mikesphotaes said:
DVD drive is the way to go!
Click to expand...

It's on the way!

Ham said:
It sounds like the BIOS is set to boot in UEFI mode, you need to switch it back to legacy, probably as simple as that.
Click to expand...

No UEFI BIOS on this thing, it's too old for that.....

There's a software called WinToFlash that claims to be able to do it using a GRUB bootloader, but I'm not paying $100 for the Pro version, which is what I'd need to get the GRUB Option.....
 
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DekHog said:
It has to be XP as it runs some vehicle diagnostic software that still only runs on this OS.
Click to expand...

This laptop isn't going to be connected to the Internet then and won't be installing anything else, putting discs / USB sticks in the thing from other sources, etc?

It's dead OS, unsupported, no patches and security fixes and very much at risk using it. Except if you have one of the embedded versions of XP and a special deal with Microsoft, as the banks do for their ATMs.

Anyway, can't even run the software on a later version when setting the application in XP compatibility mode? No updates for the software?

Is it an issue where it needs hardware drivers that don't exist for later versions?
 
DekHog said:
It's on the way!



No UEFI BIOS on this thing, it's too old for that.....

There's a software called WinToFlash that claims to be able to do it using a GRUB bootloader, but I'm not paying $100 for the Pro version, which is what I'd need to get the GRUB Option.....
Click to expand...
To get get Grub for free: get any Linux bistro and install it. You will get an option on install as to whether you want to retain the original OS (ie XP) as well the Linux. Go for that option, install Linux, install the new XP and delete the old XP and Linux partitions.
 
deadkenny said:
This laptop isn't going to be connected to the Internet then and won't be installing anything else, putting discs / USB sticks in the thing from other sources, etc?

It's dead OS, unsupported, no patches and security fixes and very much at risk using it. Except if you have one of the embedded versions of XP and a special deal with Microsoft, as the banks do for their ATMs.

Anyway, can't even run the software on a later version when setting the application in XP compatibility mode? No updates for the software?

Is it an issue where it needs hardware drivers that don't exist for later versions?
Click to expand...
It will only run the vehicle diagnostic software with a dongle and no internet access. He says it wouldn't run in compatibility mode in Win 7, so I took him at his word.

The Windows drivers for after the initial install aren't a problem as I've backed them all up to a self-installing executable from the current installation, but these are the Windows drivers and not suitable for the install process. Once it can find the hard drive I'm all but done.

Will use the drivers from the link in the post above with nLite, so the drive should then be found. I can get my hands on a USB FDD, but wouldn't have a clue where to get a disk for it these days! [emoji3]

Edit: Sorry, there is no link above, but someone from another forum posted the correct drivers for the install process.
 
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DekHog said:
Will use the drivers from the link in the post above with nLite, so the drive should then be found. I can get my hands on a USB FDD, but wouldn't have a clue where to get a disk for it these days!
emoji3.png
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I still have a USB floppy drive & discs here (and un-opened pack for installing DOS 6.2 IIRC somewhere).
 
Did M$ make an XP install boot floppy?
I remember 95/98 ones, 'cos that was from a time when BIOS support for bootable CDs wasn't univerersal, but not XP. The OEM packs didn't come with one.
 
Tori_T said:
Did M$ make an XP install boot floppy?
I remember 95/98 ones, 'cos that was from a time when BIOS support for bootable CDs wasn't univerersal, but not XP. The OEM packs didn't come with one.
Click to expand...
Can't remember any boot floppy for XP - I do remember Windows NT driving me insane as the floppy set for install was about six floppy discs if I remember correctly!
 
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