reinstalling OS from an external hard drive...?

[joko]

can this be done?

i have a mini laptop, asus, Eee pc, 701SD, Running XP home edition.

i have a recovery disc, but as its small it has no disc drive and says i must use an external one - i dont have one...

so can i copy disc onto ext HD an install from there?

if so, how?

all the files are indivually listed you see...

thanks

[MarkRae]

I'd suggest you get one of these: http://www.amazon.co....qid=1300484969&sr=8-1

[galeck1947]

You must use an external dvd drive via a usb connection to do your install

[RAV1D]

You can copy the OS instalation disc onto a usb flash drive and install it on your computer from that,Iv done it plenty of times. You don't have to fork out on an external drive.I have Windows 7 ultimate on a 4gb flash drive and just run the set up exe file and let it do it's stuff, when the computer automaticly restarts during the instalation it will still know to read from the usb flash drive automaticly so don't worrie about it trying to find the set up from disc after it restarts,It save's where it's info is coming from before it restarts each time during the set up process. Try copy the contence of your recovery disc onto a usb stick via a friends computer with a disc drive then just plug the usb stick into your computer and run it from that.

[ChuckFickens]

↑↑ that's all very nice, but the question is about windowsXP, not windows7 and windowsXP can not be installed from a flash drive using that method.

For re-installation purposes it really would be easiest just to get a USB DVD drive like the one in Mark's link up there ↑↑↑

If you really don't want to spend the £25 odd quid on a DVD drive it is possible to make a bootable USB stick to install XP from, but it's not a matter of just copying the files to the USB stick.

http://www.ocia.net/a...lashdrive/page1.shtml

[joko]

cheers all, its not actually an xp disc that i have - its a specially made asus eeepc recovery disc, and its to set back to factory settings.
i have looked at its contents and it doesnt seem to have winxp on it anywhere!

i do have an ide to usb adapter so i can use the cd drive from my desktop tower as a portable drive, but it wouldnt seem to work on the machine - possibly the usbs are too old now or something

i will try again though
if not ill try chucks page
cheers