Installing XP on Laptop with no CD-Rom

I just got myself a used laptop, its a Dynabook SS2000.
My problem is that I got it clean and there is no OS installed. I need to install Win XP on but there is no Cd-Rom drive or floppy.
The best way I can think of is to do a remote install over LAN with Windows server. But I dont have win server installed on my computer now (i have xp pro) so its a big pain to install win server just to install an OS on the laptop. So I was wondering if anyone else has a better idea? Any programs that can do it?
Also are there any known complications installing Windows server on a computer that already has Windons Pro? Having them both installed at the same time.

School's got us partitioning our measly 30 gig hard drives so we can run 2000 pro, 2000 server, 98, and red hat 8. All at the same time. Works with no problems.

if your windows server edition is older than your windows pro (for example, win2k server and winxp pro), you won't be able to boot into windows xp after 2k server is installed. Back up your ntdetect.com and ntldr from your xp installation before installing 2k server. Install 2k server, then restore your backed up versions of ntdetect.com and ntldr that 2k server installed. It should work fine then.

Ok, thanks!
I will make the backups, even tho Im planing on installing 2003. I guess its not necassary but I feel better...

So, I guess there isnt any other way of doing this...I was hoping for some nice program but after Googeling it for a while and doing some reading doesnt seem like it works well without a server...

But sugesstions are still very welcome!

You can probably pick up an external usb cd-rom or cdrw drive for pretty cheap and use it. Chances are, you are going to need some kind of optical drive anyway.

Well, I was looking for one the other day. But I only found a couple in the local stores and they were all over $100 which is more than I wanna pay. And I think it has to be a Toshiba (because dynabook is made by toshiba) drive to work with my blank computer and those are even more expensive.

You could take the hd out , connect it to another pc using a converter ( I just bought one from newegg for $20) copy the xp cd to it, put the HD back in the laptop and the install.
Or get a 1gb usb jumpdrive ( can be had for about $50 and they are handy for other things ) and install from that.

mmm....jump drive with operating system install files. Yeah, i want one.

Several of these http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=list&catalog=420&DEPA=0 are under fifty bucks. USB is exactly that, universal, so you can use any kind of drive on any kind of system.

assuming your system can boot from a USB device, of course

A network bootdisk is your best bet. I think this one is the one most use: http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/
more can be found at www.bootdisk.com

On the computer which already has windows, you need to share the CD drive over the network, and put your win XP CD in the drive. Then just access the shared CD-rom by mapping to the networked drive. I know this is "easier said than done", but it is how 90% of network admins install/ghost fresh versions of windows.

Like Prot suggested, an external USB CDROM and floppy drive would be the way to go (IMO). You could then copy the contents of the I386 folder on the CD to the HDD, and run the XP install from the HDD. Download the appropriate setup boot disks (either for the Home or Pro version of XP) from MS here...

How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/q310/9/94.asp&NoWebContent=1

In order to get things started after you've booted to the startup disks, you can type the following command to begin the transfer from the CD to the HDD. Assuming your local HDD is C: and your CDROM drive is D:...

XCOPY32 D:\I386\*.* C:\I386\ /E

If you wish to have the system verify that each file was read and written with 100% accuracy, simply add the /V switch after the /E switch shown above. This command will copy all of the files in the I386 folder on the installation CD as well as all of the folders and files underneath it over to the C: drive in a corresponding I386 folder.

Once the files are copied, all you need to do is run the WINNT.EXE program from the C:\I386 folder, and you should be able to start your installation.