How to: Install XP from U3 USB key, easy!

There is a fix for that, you need to download the gonzor.zip file and extract it to the same directory structure layout in U3 customizer folders.

 

having had problems installing from the USB stick, I borrowed a USB cd drive and it is installing fine now. Does it make a great deal of difference whether I use FAT32 or NTFS to format the SSD?

cheers

 

NTFS format supports larger files over 4gb, while fat does not; I may be mistaken about the fullest extent of the differences, but I do believe that are the major differences.

 

Thank you goofball, I guess I should have gone back and read your first post, I guess I skipped the part about that extra tidbit.

 

NTFS has more indexing/journaling options so it is recommended you use FAT32 if on SSD. Look up the threads in the Windows forums for reasons why you should use FAT32 on SSD.

 

I got a few Sandisk 2GB Cruzer Micro's and went through the process however it BSOD on me on the AAO. For both an Nlited XP disc and TinyXP. At the same location as well. Just when it's about to launch the Windows setup to partition the HD, I get a BSOD with an error code of something like 0x0000007B. I dont have any USB devices connected to the AAO either.

On another PC I tried, I'm able to go to the HD partitioning screen in XP. I don't know if it's because I have a different bootloader/partitions on my AAO. Currently have GRUB, it's got XP, Ubuntu, and BackTrack3 (another linux). Maybe that's why it's not working with the AAO. I plan to wipe out the HD and install XP/Ubuntu again so I'll see if this will work.

It's strange cause my AAO is pretty much stock other than adding 1GB of RAM.

I have used other methods of install XP via USB on the AAO before like PEtoUSB and they have worked. However that method wouldn't let me use TinyXP or my custom nlite'd disc with all my favourite apps.

 

Does anyone know if there is a way to use this method with the official Acer 2 disc (cd and dvd) recovery set? I believe the cd is for booting up the system and the dvd is the drive image, so there would need to be 2 drives replicated or a way to change the disc image during the install.

 

will this work from a non-u3 usb storage device?

 

Okay I just tested my custom nlited Xp install on my Q6600 desktop PC. It installs just fine with the U3 method. The TinyXP install still gives me a BSOD.

Acer Aspire One bluescreens on both nlited XP install and TinyXP.

 

I'm finding that certain installs of Tiny XP rev09 seem to work and other's BSOD. Unable to ascertain as to why though.

It's not just the AAO however, as I also found this with the MSI Wind U90x.

 

I followed your instructions exactly. It boots into setup and starts copying things but when it says 'starting windows' i get bsod. happens every time. nothing else is plugged in.

 

A number of people have had this issue including myself. Can't really point out why it BSOD's just before the install. It works on some machines though.... just not my acer aspire one.

 

HI,

First post from someone new to Linux. I bought my AAO yesterday on the basis that i would be able to easilly update to xp if i didnt get on with Linux. I actually quite like it, but the lack of ability to run I-tunes and a few other bits an bobs means that i would actully rather change the os to XP.

I thought that i would just need to save an iso image of a windows boot cd onto my maxwell 8GB flash memory drive and then interupt the boot sequence on the AAO to do this (never actually done it before).

It seems a little more complex than the above though. Does my flash drive need to be "U3" if so how do i check? Also it appears that either oi have lost my boot cd's for windows, or niether of my computers cam with one? Both were brand new and both have proper official and legal xp running with correct serial numbers but i can not find a boot disk in my house anywhere! Where can i get a bootable iso image of windows from?

Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

There are other ways of making an xp install on a usb flash drive without U3. I've done it before. The U3 way is nicer since I can use my own custom nlite'd ISO.

http://www.liliputing.com/2008/04/install-windows-xp-on-mini-note-usb.html

 

I think the BSOD we get with the Acer and U3 is related to a driver issue now. When I was installing XP on a Sony notebook over the weekend, I noticed it would BSOD on me with the same message 0x0000007b. I tried every disc/USB installation I had. Turns out I had to load SATA drivers by hitting F6 in order to go through with installation. I got the drivers from Sony. I've never had this issue before since my nlited discs had most of the drivers slipstreamed via driverpacks.net.

In relation to the Acer aspire one, with this U3 method, the acer may not be finding either a SATA or CD rom driver for the U3 device.

 

Here is quite a useful link for how to install Windows XP on Acer Aspire One!: http://schifrin.nm.ru/

 

can you go into more detail on how exactly to do this? which drivers do i use and how do i go about installing them and then booting into the install off my u3 stick? thanks

 

Actually I was talking about a Sony notebook. I had to use the F6 to get it to work.

I actually got my nlited disc to fit on a USB key now. It install extremely fast. Basically download USB_MultiBoot_10, it's a package that includes tools to format your USB key and copy over the files from your nlited install xp disc. It'll work any usb key, not just U3. Also it didn't BSOD on any of the systems I've tried so far.

 

OK, Windows xp istalled after i bought a U3 flash drive, I now have a couple of issues that i need to solve. I had to create a new partition to install windows so i created on of 1373mb (which is what the boot menu for windows said i needed), I now only have this much space showing as the total hard disk space available, how do i get in to re partition/add a bigger partition to get my full 120gb back?

Second issue is that the wifi dosent work/wont turn on anymore, do i need to download a new driver for it?

HELP! no hard drive and no internet!!!

 

OK hard disk issue fixed, now can anyone help with the Wifi issue?