How to boot from a USB device using an ISO image

I want to re-install Windows XP on my laptop.

I have the ISO image for Windows XP.

How can I boot from a USB device using simply my ISO image of Windows XP?

My laptop is an IBM T42.

If you are running Windows Vista, see the link below (but this doesn't work for Windows XP)

Boot and Install Windows from UBS thumb drive

TedBuckly2

Posted 2009-06-12T14:25:12.920

Reputation:

Answers

It's not quite as easy as just copying the files or the image to the usb stick. The USB stick looks like a harddrive to the system, and needs to be setup as a bootable hard drive. Check out this post:

ServerFault - Boot and Install Windows from a USB thumb drive

easel

Posted 2009-06-12T14:25:12.920

Reputation: 231

1I'll upvote this as well, good reference to a good solution.. – None – 2009-06-12T14:49:47.163

@easel - The DISKPART command linked above does not recognize USB harddrive in WinXP (only VISTA). So I can't use the instructions linked above. – None – 2009-06-12T15:19:09.833

I am not sure if this works for Windows XP, but I have used UNetbootin in the past to boot a variety of floppy and Linux ISO images:

enter image description here

Goyuix

Posted 2009-06-12T14:25:12.920

Reputation: 6 021

I just tried this, having used unetbootin several times for Linux, but it did not work for a Windows 8 image. – Segfault – 2012-05-27T22:44:54.410

Provided it's a bootable ISO, yes.

That being said, since it's an IBM thinkpad, check your BIOS to make sure USB/external drive boot is enabled, and you're presented with a boot option.

Greg Meehan

Posted 2009-06-12T14:25:12.920

Reputation:

Yes, bootable ISO but HOW do I extract the ISO on to the USB and make it bootable? – None – 2009-06-12T14:41:36.633

ah.. There's a plethora of different ISO extractors out there, I personally like this one; http://www.magiciso.com/tutorials/miso-isoextractorwin.htm, there's also BBIE: http://www.nu2.nu/bbie/. If the image that you're extracting is bootable and your BIOS is set to boot from external media, you should (theoretically) be able to simply connect USB, reboot and rock-and-roll.

– None – 2009-06-12T14:46:38.463

I stumbled across a tiny program called Rufus. Lightweight, does the trick.

enter image description here

SirRobin

Posted 2009-06-12T14:25:12.920

Reputation: 21

I know this can be done easily with Linux distributions, but it always requires you to place the contents of the ISO on the USB drive. Windows will likely act more or less the same if the Windows installation software is able to 'see' the USB disk during boot and install.

If you want to try, go like this:

Extract the contents of the ISO onto the USB drive
Make the USB drive bootable with fdisk
Try and boot and install from it

No guarantees though...

wzzrd

Posted 2009-06-12T14:25:12.920

Reputation: 322

@wzzrd, would you mind describing in more detail how to exactly perform this task? Thanks – None – 2009-06-12T14:40:19.660

2No, I wouldn't, but since Sam Cogan edited your post to point to a pretty well formulated answer there, I think you would be best served checking that out. – wzzrd – 2009-06-12T14:52:53.363

WinToFlash is a picky program and if it doesn't have the ISO it created in the choice. It also doesn't recognize every USB stick.

Try Ultra ISO.