Member Avatar for Gray.Death

I have a Windows XP Installation iso and need to install it from a Flash Drive onto an old PC that I'm giving to my wife's grandmother. I tried a few programs to make the flash drive bootable, but I have yet to find one that will accept an iso file as a source. Any suggestions?

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A short, practical summary that builds on the replies from , , , and : Windows XP installers are older (NT5-era) and often need extra handling to run from USB. For reliability, use a tool made for XP-era installs rather than a generic ISO-to-USB copier — WinSetupFromUSB is explicitly designed to prepare XP/2000 sources and can add the driver support the text-mode installer needs. Rufus can create USB media from ISOs too, but XP results vary by motherboard and tool version. (winsetupfromusb.com)

Practical workflow (no command lines here): 1) Confirm the target PC’s BIOS can boot from USB and move USB ahead of HDD/CD in the boot order (as noted). 2) On a Windows host, run WinSetupFromUSB, let it partition/format the stick as an MBR/active volume (or use the tool’s auto-format), then add the XP source. 3) If the prepared stick won’t boot, test the ISO in a VM or try a different USB key — some sticks behave poorly as boot media. See the WinSetupFromUSB FAQ and RMPrepUSB guides for formatting and transfer details. (winsetupfromusb.com)

Troubleshooting common XP-specific failures: a 0x0000007B or early setup hang is usually a missing mass-storage (SATA/AHCI) driver. Options are: set SATA mode to IDE/Compatibility in BIOS; use WinSetupFromUSB’s driver-injection/DPMS/F6 support; or slipstream the correct drivers into the XP source with a tool such as nLite before creating the USB. If the usual USB install route fails, a WinPE-based copy-and-run approach (copy XP files to the internal disk and run winnt32) is a reliable fallback. (winsetupfromusb.com)

If the PC’s firmware won’t boot USB at all, burning an XP CD or using a cheap external USB DVD drive is the simplest fix (as suggested). Another option is to burn a tiny CD with Plop Boot Manager and use it to chain-boot the USB stick. Avoid using only USB‑3.x ports for XP installation unless you’ve injected USB3 drivers; plug the installer into a native USB‑2.0 port when possible. (plop.at)

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Member Avatar for dave9151982

Well the Iso file needs to be burned as an image on the usb. Here is a good site that should help : http://www.isotousb.com/ .

On second note, you may need to enable usb bootable devices in the bios, and older computers may not have the option.

Signed,
Surgeongeneralswarning

Edited by dave9151982
Member Avatar for tinstaafl

In case you need it here's instructions on making a usb drive look like a bootable cd. Not sure how well it works but you might find it useful.

Member Avatar for Chrizur

Get Linux on the PC instead? At times i find linux alot easier to use rather than Xp and is alot more secure. but might just be personal preffrence, but i guess when you think about it Xp might be way easier to use for a older lady.
And the only tip i have to offer for the usb problem is go into your bios and set it to boot from usb instead of cd-drive or HDD(no clue what your using at the moment but change it to usb).
Would perhaps just be easier to burn a CD with xp instead of using a usb if your having tons of problems with installing it from a usb.

Member Avatar for awandest

Hi Gray, You can create a bootable usb using winxp by follow these steps from this site http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-USB-Bootable but what you are going to do in step 8: change this code BOOTSECT.EXE/NT60 H: to BOOTSECT.EXE/NT52 H: that will work.

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