Let's say you need to install windows XP on a tiny laptop, or a weird SBC, or you want it to run from an SD card, or just don't want to burn a cd, well this is the guide for you (and for me, i forget these things)

 

Already installed windows XP, this can be a physical computer, a VM, whatever Any hardware adapter you need to interface your storage, sata/ide/cf, etc to usb for example. Windows XP iso, i use the one from MSDN.

ok so 

Now that it's ready, move the drive to the Windows XP computer.

hopefully you already formatted it in NTFS, active.

if not, well go do it, otherwise it will not work.

 

open a CMD prompt, browse to the i386 directory on the CD and run this:

  D:\I386\winnt32.exe /syspart:X /tempdrive:X /makelocalsource /noreboot

where X is the destination drive.

this will launch the normal XP installer, by default it will give you the “Upgrade (recommended)” option, but you need to move that to “New installation (advanced)”

Accept the agreement, Put your cd key, i use this one: B77QF-DP27W-4H68R-72B48-78RPD

 

bypass the updated files, the server is long gone i mean yeah xp.

Now wait while the install continues, this step normally is kinda fast, when it's finished the installer just closes.

<img class="media" src=" alt="" loading="lazy">

Now this is important, browse to the WIN_NT$.~BT and delete the migrate.inf file, this is to prevent the windows installer to default to another letter other than C:

The rest of the install is really simple, move the storage to the destination computer and power it on, it should start the install procedure.

The only thing you need to be careful is the partition step, just press enter to install.

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Now after this, you have a normal Windows XP install process.

• This procedure normally works with the “full” windows XP Pro, probably home, i don't think that nlite modified images will work, but i could be wrong.
• This works with Windows 2000 and 2003 server.
• You can save time by saving the drivers and other stuff on the drive before moving it to the destination computer, you could probably inject the drivers using the IntegrateDrv.exe utilities but i haven't tested.
• This will not work for the Posready, Legacy or other weird but official windows XP versions, the installer and the bootloader is different, iirc they are based on the XP Embedded version.
• Probably this will work for iscsi/lan installs of XP, if you solve the iscsi and network card driver thing.
• i could have used real photos, but windows xp memes are better.