This topic will guide you step by step to install Microsoft Windows XP on an ASUS Eee PC netbook, which is pre-installed with a Linux distro and does not have a CD/DVD drive. This guide also applies to other versions of Microsoft Windows (Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows 7) and can be helpful if you want to reinstall your operating system, but don't have a working CD/DVD drive.
Step
Step 1. Create a USB boot disk
Download this zip file and unzip the file to your desired location.
Step 2. Go to USB_MultiBoot_10 folder and double click on USB_MultiBoot_10.cmd
A Command prompt (cmd) box will appear. Press any key to continue.
Step 3. Format your USB drive
First, type H and the tool screen for formatting HP disk storage will open. Follow the prompts to format the USB drive. Make sure to check the Quick Format box. You can also format the USB drive using the Windows FAT32 format if the program can't find your USB stick.
Step 4. On the command screen, change your drive type and provide the source path of the XP installation
First, type 0 and press Enter so that the USB Stick appears on the last line. Then, type 1 and press Enter and select the path Microsoft Windows XP. (Search for your CD drive or the path on the hard disk where you saved your XP installation files). If you receive a message about "winnt.sif," press Yes.
Step 5. On the Unattended Install screen, enter all the required values and your serial license key
If you fill in these fields now, Windows will not ask for any information during installation.
Step 6. At the command screen, type 2, press Enter, then select your USB drive
Step 7. Prepare to copy files from disk to USB stick
At the command screen, type 3 and press Enter; You will see some files copied to the USB drive. If you are asked, "Copy XP and extra sources on the USB?", select Yes. If you select your USB drive when using Windows 7 it says "has not fat fat32 or ntfs format and is not valid", you need to open USB_MultiBoot_10.cmd, look for VER | find "6.0." > nul, and change it to VER | find "6.1." > nul to reflect that you are running the script on Windows 7; then fsutil should recognize your drive correctly.
Step 8. Copy files from disk to USB stick
When you get the message, “FileCopy to USB-Drive is Ready - OK – Success, press Yes (make the USB stick in XP installation the drive to boot U:) and press any key.
Step 9. Plug the USB stick into your Asus Eee PC, turn on the netbook, and change your BIOS preferences
On the first screen, press F2 to enter the BIOS menu. In the BIOS menu, go to the Advanced tab and change the OS Installation on Start. Then, go to the Hard Disk Drives tab > Boot and select the USB drive as the first drive. Make sure your USB stick appears first in Boot Device Priority. Select Exit & Save Changes.
Step 10. When the netbook is restarted, select the installation option TXT Mode Setup Windows XP – Never unplug USB-Drive Until Logon
The Windows XP installation will start (format it with quick NTFS, create a partition).
Step 11. After your setup reboots, complete the installation
Choose options 2 and 3. This installation will take about 20-40 minutes. After rebooting, the computer will be logged in to your Windows XP user account.
Step 12. Find all Windows drivers for your Asus Eee Pc from the manufacturer's drivers site
(Some people suggest that you install ACPI driver and Chipset first.) Once done, restart your netbook and enjoy.
Tips
- This process can take up to an hour and a half. If you don't use the "Unattended install" option, try waiting on your computer during the installation process as you will be prompted for various inputs during the installation (i.e. date, time zone, network settings).
- Change the boot order on your Asus Eee Pc: set the USB drive as your primary/first drive.
- Activate your Windows as soon as you are online and get all the latest updates from Microsoft.
- For help with installation, see this step-by-step Windows installation guide.
- You can use the nLite tool for your light version of Windows XP ISO (optional).
Warning
- Make sure you have a valid Windows license key or your computer will not work properly.
- Backup all the information from your Asus Eee Pc before you start the final installation.
- The files you need for the USB drive are coded from third parties and downloaded from the internet. Scan with antivirus before extracting the file.
- Don't do this if you're not sure what you're doing. The author is not responsible for any damage to your property while carrying out this process.
