How to boot from a USB device using an ISO image

I want to re-install Windows XP on my laptop.

I have the ISO image for Windows XP.

How can I boot from a USB device using simply my ISO image of Windows XP?

My laptop is an IBM T42.

If you are running Windows Vista, see the link below (but this doesn't work for Windows XP)

Boot and Install Windows from UBS thumb drive

8 Answers

It's not quite as easy as just copying the files or the image to the usb stick. The USB stick looks like a harddrive to the system, and needs to be setup as a bootable hard drive. Check out this post:

ServerFault - Boot and Install Windows from a USB thumb drive

2

I am not sure if this works for Windows XP, but I have used UNetbootin in the past to boot a variety of floppy and Linux ISO images:

1

Provided it's a bootable ISO, yes.

That being said, since it's an IBM thinkpad, check your BIOS to make sure USB/external drive boot is enabled, and you're presented with a boot option.

2

I stumbled across a tiny program called Rufus. Lightweight, does the trick.

I know this can be done easily with Linux distributions, but it always requires you to place the contents of the ISO on the USB drive. Windows will likely act more or less the same if the Windows installation software is able to 'see' the USB disk during boot and install.

If you want to try, go like this:

1. Extract the contents of the ISO onto the USB drive
2. Make the USB drive bootable with fdisk
3. Try and boot and install from it

No guarantees though...

2

WinToFlash is a picky program and if it doesn't have the ISO it created in the choice. It also doesn't recognize every USB stick.

Try Ultra ISO.

Try DAEMON Tools Lite.

How To Install Windows 7 Beta From A USB Drive To An HP Mini 1000 (Without Vista) explains how to use it to install Windows 7 from a USB drive. Just alter the instructions for your Windows XP ISO.

Good luck!

Try WinToFlash (link)this worked fine for me

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