Install Windows 2000/XP/2003 from USB Stick (Pen Drive)

We already blogged the method to install Windows Vista/7/2008 from USB stick, besides, few readers want the same with Windows XP too. We tried to find out the solution but didn’t get simple and straight forward way to make this. Well now we have solution, to make bootable USB stick to install Windows XP.

Requires:

USB stick (Pen Drive) at least 1GB
Windows 2000/XP/2003 CD or Installation Source
WinSetupFromUSB – A tool from MSFN community

How To:

First of all, plug your USB stick and Open (My) Computer. Right click on USB stick and choose Format… to prepare it.
Download and extract WinSetupFromUSB. Now run the utility.
Mark checkbox corresponding to Windows 2000/XP/2003 Setup and locate installation source or CD that contains I386 or AMD64 folders.
Now click on Go button to start copying installation source to USB stick and finalizing all sort of things.
Once its Done! you can restart your PC and boot from USB stick. You need to follow 3-Steps installation, viz:
1. Text mode setup
2. GUI mode setup
3. Start Windows for first time
Start with First part of Windows installation; When the first step (Text mode setup) completes and system reboots, boot with USB stick again and select Second part of 2000/XP/2003 Setup and complete GUI mode setup. Now instead of boot with HDD, boot with USB stick one more time and choose Second part setup again and keep USB stick plugged-in until you see Windows desktop.

Applies To:

Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003

– UPDATED 01/10/2011

36 responses to “Install Windows 2000/XP/2003 from USB Stick (Pen Drive)”

Shahid

2011-10-30

Hi,
I would like to make a bootable XP SP3 usb. I am interested in unattended installation. If i use the above software, where do i need to copy the answer file ?
Thanks and regards.

Reply
1. Ramesh
  
  2011-10-31
  
  Put your unattended answer file winnt.sif into Windows source folder (I386).
Ben h

2011-10-24

Im trying to install XP and when I select the i386 folder it just keeps saying cannot find TXTSETUP.sif, I have checked and the file is defiantly there but it just keeps coming up with this error.

Reply
1. Ben h
  
  2011-10-24
  
  Never mind I misunderstood the instructions
2. Martin Maletti
  
  2013-02-11
  
  What did you do? I’m getting the same TXTSETUP.sif error.
  Thanks
Vinay Sarmalkar

2011-10-03

Hi,I was trying to setup Winodws server 2003 enterprise edition sp2 with this.It worked.But shown two partitions.1.USB n 2.The Entire harddisk.I have 3 Partitions on the harddisk but it shows the entire harddisk.I cant format the entire disk because i have data on the other partitions of the actual harddisk.
Want help in this regard..
I am using sandisk 8gb usb drive

Reply
Amassine Omar

2011-09-20

cool, thank you

Reply
D_funk182000

2011-09-14

did not work for me…getting error msg…”cannot install Grub4dos MBR2″

Reply
Haythem

2011-08-26

Hi! It really works very good with this tool. however, I have a problem of boot after installing windows server 2003!!! I had a working copy of vista on C drive partition, after installing Win server in D partition, I can no more boot to vista !! The boot sees only the new installed win server !!! from win server, I can see that the vista still exists in C drive but cant boot to it ! Please help me to solve this problem.

Reply
Doctor1nature

2011-08-11

thank you so much.. you are my friend

Reply
Raghavan N.S.

2011-08-09

Thank you, it works !!

Reply
Themajesticleo

2011-07-24

I have tried multiple ways to install XP without a working cd drive…this was the one that did it!!! Thank you so much!

Reply
Joe

2011-06-18

What do i do at the grub command line?

Reply
1. Haythem
  
  2011-08-26
  
  can you please attach a screenshot of what you see in grub cmd ?