Right..... laptop CD drive is screwed, opens/closes and spins up to speed all fine, just refuses to play cds/dvds.....

 

anyway not bothered about that becuase i got a external dvd writer to use...... BUT...... i've recently been hit with a 'corrupt profile' problem with XP so had to setup another profile and copy all the files (lucky i could view them)......but now, i'm wanting to put a new fresh copy of XP on......my question is before i back everything up on dvds and wipe the HDD ETC.....if i plug my external (usb) dvd drive in........can i boot from it to load windows setup??? cheers

i dont think you can matey, as your computer will wipe all the drivers etc during the format process before it install xp

try it out.

 

Set the laptop to boot from USB in the bios...if possible,

 

Connect the drive, put the XP disc in...and if it offer you, "press any keey to boot from CD" and then starts the XP setup yur laughing.

 

If the set up does start dont worry, just let it run to a point there you can pres F3 to quit.

therfore wiping the drivers needed for the extrernal drive,

No

 

It wont wipe the driver unless you actually choose a partition and press INSTALL.

 

Oh and seeing as the CDrom would be working to make the install....the driver would not be in use as its running before windows is loaded.

 

Not an IT guy are you mike lol

Edited July 27, 200816 yr by bluliz

i would do that anyway - but the drivers will still be loaded on the HDD, without a yes or no answer, the only way i can find out is to go ahead with the install...... because after the format ETC...... im not too confident..... could i use a pc to load windows onto the HDD somehow? i'd buy another laptop as this is 2/3 years old now but apart from cd drive theres nothing wrong with it

as has already been said, if you can get it to boot from the external dvd drive, then its not using the windows drivers, so you can just go ahead and reformat. Alternatively, you could just source a new laptop dvd drive, theyre usually standard, with some manufacturers using adapters, but then you can just rob the adapter off the one you have.

No harm in testing with bootable cd...

most modern Win2000+ aged bios' will allow booting from usb devices... including pen drives

 

then again it working depends on what usb controller the drive has

 

there are usb pen solutions for laptops... compact versions of xp bootable from a pen drive for example... some of these solutions will bypass the error most users get when clicking install from a xp install disc from autorun.

 

I'm on the pda now so I can't dig them out from my pc to give you names but i'll look in the morning!

You will probably find that formtting your PC and starting again your dvd/cd drive will work fine.

Good chance the corruption of files is what is causing the drive problems as well.

You will probably find that formtting your PC and starting again your dvd/cd drive will work fine.

Good chance the corruption of files is what is causing the drive problems as well.

 

 

nah was like that when i got it off a mate, but back then it would read cds and NOT dvds..... so i managed to get fresh XP on...... but now neither work lol

uninstall the drivers for your CD drive and restart the laptop, it might get your drive working again!

Sigh..

 

Most modern laptops will allow you to boot and install windows xp from an external cd-rom drive provided you tell them to boot from an external USB device in the BIOS.

 

Have you tried a CD lense cleaner or a cotton bud and meths on the lense of the internal drive?

 

For those who say "Oh it won't work because there won't be any drivers". Yes it will. Windows uses standard built in "USB Mass Storage" drivers which are generic regardless if you reinstall the machine or not.

 

Hope that helps, and clears up the mis-understandings

Not all USB controllers in these drives use the "USB Mass Storage" standard and may not be suitable to use as boot devices.

 

I have a couple of Freecom USB-IDE controllers which don't use the mass storage standard hence the suggestion of USB Pen drives which are nearly all compatible with the USB Mass Storage which can be used to boot then load Windows Setup via a the possible non-standard external drive.

 

Portable Windows XP Live USB i think was one of them... Although have not had to use one of these solutions for years

Also with windows XP unless you have a service pack 2 on disc it doesnt install usb2 drivers only usb1 drivers.

It does however cover most CD/DVD drives out there and also installs generic drivers on reinstallation.

You can set bios to install by default from external usb/cd/dvd/floppy if you wish but as said a clean install may have the drive working unless its fubar...

 

(build my own pcs and programme them)

right... just checked bios.... i've got FDD/ CD-DVD as options. if i put it to cd/dvd will it recognise that there is a external and not just internal? think im gona get a new laptop lol