How to get windows XP on my laptop

[weboo]

I have a laptop thats a bit dated. Its Celeron with 512mb ram but has no CD or bootable usb port(from bios). Space restricting, this thing is very small, but ideal for trains, sat nav in car etc

The machine is locked with windows2000 pro and I have no password to get in and back on the network.

I plan to put XP on it but how can I without a CD, a windows password or a bootable usb drive(bios limiting). Take out the drive and build on another laptop and put back in?

[TheMonkey]

Taking out the disk rarely works as XP doesn't generally survive changing chipsets etc. I had a splitter that allowed you to use two IDE devices from a 2.5" IDE connector and an adaptor to connect another 3.5" IDE device (in your case CDROM). That and an old AT PSU (with a real on off switch) to power the CDROM means you can connect a CDROM to the machine and install normally.

If anyone knows anything better I'd be glad to know!

[VectraMan]

Can you not copy the contents of the XP CD onto the HDD (by taking it out and connecting it to something else)? I'm not sure if you can make that boot straight to the install, or whether you'll need to get something like DOS(!) on there first.

[Toad]

If you have a floppy disk drive then go to this site..

http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Download the 1.4Mb image and create the boot disk. Boot off it and reset the local Administrator password to blank.

[Cowboy Bob]

Sounds like a case for The Ultimate Boot CD - http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ - which includes the above link as well as tons of other useful little utilities.

Every techie should have a copy of this kicking around...

[Spacecadet]

If you have a floppy disk drive then go to this site..

http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Download the 1.4Mb image and create the boot disk. Boot off it and reset the local Administrator password to blank.

That works on servers too

Saved my ass a couple of times when people have left the company and taken the admin password with them!

[1yearlater]

As above, reset Administrator Password using ERD Commander.

www.winternals.com

Brilliant tool, used it on an NT4 monitoring machine, a few months back.

[DimPrawn]

That ERD commander is a bit pricey!!!!

$499
7-day temporary license

[Cowboy Bob]

That ERD commander is a bit pricey!!!!

$499
7-day temporary license

Typical PHB decision. Why use a free tool when you can pay through the nose for one instead?

[1yearlater]

Certainly does cost a bit! Nice tool if you can get hold of it tho.

SpaceCadets floppy should do the same thing.