Acer Aspire One D250 - Installing Windows XP Pro

Hi all!

I just bought the Acer Aspire One Netbook D250. The Aspire One came with Windows XP Home Edition and I wanted to install the XP Professional OS. However, the Aspire does NOT have a CD Rom drive so I bought an external CD Rom drive. I tried to do the boot sequence so the Aspire One will boot first on the external Cd Rom drive but it did not work. Long story short, I can not install another OS on this Aspire One.

When I put the XP Pro disc in the external CD Rom, It seems to work until the RESTART part and it locked me. I had to continue restarting the Aspire One. I think I really screw up the Aspire One original Home Edition OS because now I restart windows, it ask me if I want to use Windows Home Edition or Windows XP Professional? If I pick the Windows Home Edition, it goes back to the original OS, which is somewhat great but how do I DELETE the Windows XP Professional installation that I can not complete? Good thing I don't work in the IT Department for a business!!! :lol:. If only every time the Aspire One restart and Boot directly to the external CD Rom drive, I can continue the fresh installation of Windows XP Professional OS.

Does anyone know a way to install a new OS for the Aspire One D250 Netbook? Is there a way to install a new OS with an external CD Rom drive?

Thanks for any advice!!!!!!!!

 

I should also let you know I am TRYING to install Windows XP Pro SP2. The Aspire One came with Windows XP Home Edition SP3. So I am actually down grading to a SP2. Either way, the restarting of the Aspire One still boot on the HDD rather than the external CD Rom drive.

I also tried the F12 method and pick the which drive to boot and the USB external CD Rom does not even show up in the option. When I hit the F12, here is the Boot Option Menu:

1. IDE 0: ST9165361OAS
2. Network Boot: Atheros Boot Agent

Where is the option for my external USB CD Rom drive???

However in the BIOS or Setup Utility, the USB CDROM is listed under Boot Priority Order. I moved the USB CDROM all the way to the top or number one on the list. Right now here is the order in the Boot Priority Order:

1. USB CDROM:
2. USB HDD:
3. USB FDD:
4. IDEO: ST9165361OAS
5. IDE1:
6. Network Boot: Atheros Boot Agent

 

sounds like the external usb cd rom isn't working correctly for you. Perhaps try it on another computer and see if you can get it to boot from there. Looking at your list in the 2nd post, it's not showing up because otherwise it would be listed as usb cdrom : acer dvd xxxxxx or whatever model/type it is.

The other work around is to copy the files to a usb stick but you will need to modify the usb stick so that it's a bootable usb stick (you'll need to download some software to make it do this), viewtopic.php?f=70&t=13460

 

TechMark,

Thanks for your advice! I will try the USB method and hope I don't blow up the Aspire One. :lol:

 

TechMark or anyone,

Alright, I was able to run from the USB Flash drive. However, when I got to the part where I had to pick the partition chooser, my only choice is the usb stick (U. How can I get my hdd to show up? I am not even seeing the C: drive for an option to install Windows.

That is where I end up with the installation. Is there a way to make the C: drive to show up at that part of Windows installation using USB Flash drive?