Help making a bootable USB flash drive

[Vishera]

Okay so i had windows vista dual booted with linux mint and somehow managed to delete the master boot record. so i am now trying to use a windows XP iso i had on my friend's laptop to make a bootable USB flash drive, obviously to install XP. however i am at a loss as to how to make this work. if anyone has a program or any method that i can use to get this up and running i would REALLY appreciate it. by the way this laptop's optical drive is busted so burning the iso is not an option.

 

[Zuzzz]

I would guess something like ISOBuster or MagicISO would be your best bet. Just extract the image to you USB. Make sure the PC you wish too boot the USB stick is capable of booting from said USB. G/L

Z

 

[c627627]

...obviously to install XP. if anyone has a program or any method that i can use to get this up and running i would REALLY appreciate it. by the way this laptop's optical drive is busted so burning the iso is not an option.

Yes. For Windows XP, use WinToFlash and on the boot menu, SELECT: 1st, text mode setup

http://wintoflash.com/download/en/

Double click on WinToFlash.exe to start the program. 


If the program is blocked from accessing the internet - it will still work.


When creating Windows XP 64-Bit installation, the following error may be displayed when installing Windows XP 64-Bit:
".SIF file used by setup is corrupted or missing:
Value 0 on the line in section [SourceDisksFiles] with key "SSA.EXE"


To prevent this error from showing up, before creating a Windows XP 64-Bit USB drive:

WinToFlash > Process Steps TAB > UNCHECK: Add additions files for installation process (SSA)

For Windows 7/8, connect your USB Flash drive then type this in Windows 8/7/Vista DOS [Windows XP DOS cannot be used for this]:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk #
[of USB Flash drive]
• clean
• create partition primary
• select partition 1
• active
• format fs=NTFS quick
• assign
• exit


Now copy all contents of Windows 7/8 ISO to the USB Flash drive, then reboot and hold F8 or F12 to get a boot selection menu from which you can choose to boot from the newly created USB Flash Drive.

Optionally, delete autorun.inf (because autorun.inf files are now routinely intercepted by antivirus software.)

 

[Vishera]

i only have 4GB of RAM so the 64 bit version of XP isn't necessary right?

 

[c627627]

I posted that about 64-Bit version of Windows XP because I copy-pasted it from my notes, and it is the only way to make a 64-Bit version but

do not install a 64-bit version of Windows XP, absolutely not. That is a different OS, go with standard 32-Bit Windows XP you already have and ignore any notes about the 64-Bit version.

 

[Vishera]

how much RAM will i have access to? and will i have a 30 day actvation period (i plan on ordering 7 within the next month but i need a PC for school)

 

[c627627]

The only performance difference between Windows 32-Bit and Windows 64-Bit is that Windows 32-Bit cannot use more than 4GB of RAM. However, most programs do not use more than 4GB of RAM. Professional graphics machines and folding machines (for example) benefit from more RAM but the vast majority of other Windows programs do not - other than if you put your machine to sleep (rather than turning them off), in which case there would be benefits to having more RAM available.

Windows 32-Bit is compatible with more older hardware when compared to Windows 64-Bit and Windows 32-Bit generally had less problem issues when compared to Windows 64-Bit.


Also, Windows XP 64-Bit is a *completely* different OS from Windows 32-Bit. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is based on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 codebase. Because Windows XP Professional x64 Edition comes from a different codebase than 32-bit Windows XP, its service packs are also developed separately.

Service Pack 2 is the last released service pack for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. There was no Service Pack 3.


I would not go with Windows XP 64-Bit, I would install Windows XP 32-bit instead.


Windows XP 32-Bit is also useful to have in a dual boot configuration with modern OS like Windows 8 64-Bit.

 

[Vishera]

unfortunately for now XP is going to be the only OS. i hear windows 8 sucks anyhow

 

[c627627]

Windows XP will reach End Of Life stage in April 2014. After that there will be no more updates available for it. Windows XP does have some advantages like compatibility with older hardware. Windows XP also allows you to group files or folders on different parts of the screen whereas in Windows 7/8, you can *only* do this on its Desktop and nowhere else. Windows 7/8 has no option to turn Auto-Arrange off.

Windows 7/8 Search Engine is more difficult to use and not as reliable as Windows XP Search Engine.


However, although you are correct that Windows 8 sucks out of the box, Windows 8 can be made actually useable if you install this:

http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/


Then do this:

 

[c627627]

You can find a custom Start Menu button to use yourself, or here are Windows 7 and Windows XP buttons you can use.
Windows 8 does not suck any more if you install Classic Shell freeware as instructed above.


This is the *only* legitimate freeware link for Classic Shell:
http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/

Beware of imposter fake sites charging people money to use Classic Shell freeware.