WinXP install w/o CD drive

Working on a laptop w/ a bad CDROM port. The BIOS doesn't allow booting to USB devices. So- how can I install WinXP w/o CD access? My plan is to format the HD in FAT32 and copy a Win98se boot floppy's contents to the drive (I'll remove the drive and hook it up to a desktop PC w/ an external USB enclosure). Then I'll copy the "I386" folder from the XP CD to the drive. After putting it back in the laptop, I SHOULD be able to boot to it and launch setup by running "winnt.exe" from the I386 folder.... the key word here is 'should'.... ideas? suggestions? Thanx!

hopperdave2000

 

does the laptop have an ethernet adapter? If so, you might look into deploying the OS over the network. I havent ever done so myself, but it shouldnt be too difficult. Otherwise, you're almost better off finding a new cdrom drive or possibly trying a USB cd rom drive.

 

Surely any laptop worth installing XP on is worth fixing the CD?
If you must go the copy over route, you don't need to copy the win 98 stuff to the hard drive just run from floppy.
When you partition the hard drive, don't do the whole thing just do enough to put the XP install files on and leave some space for xpsetup to create and format its own partition.
You can do the copying with direct cable connection via usb, parallel or serial ports using the win 98.
When you've done use one of the MG partition progs to delete and merge the original install partition. (I'd use partition magic since I have it)

Rather you than me, it took half a day last time for an old thinkpad.

Studio T