Network install WINXP

[LasseFJ]

Hi all!

I just got a Toshiba Tecra 8200, PIII 800Mhz, 256Mb ram, 10Gb HD, with a PCMCIA card that has network capabilities. 10/100mbit ethernet.

It's got a CDROM drive, and it's really bad at reading, even new, cd's. That means that i cannot install Windows XP from that drive, but i can boot into DOS.

I formattet the drive, and made 2 FAT32 drives. Then it got to me that the CDrom was very bad at reading cd's.

Now my only options to get data (eg. i386 dir with subdirs), from my stationary to my laptop is:

1: Get at 2.5" -> 3.5" converter and put the drive in my stationary pc.
It would cost some money.... and i'd really like to do option 2.

2: Install via network.

I don't know how to install over network, but i guess it has something to do with the "PEX" option in the boot menu....

My guess would be that i'd connect the laptop with the stationary PC with a RJ45 jack and install some sort of server software on my stationary PC, and then it would somehow allow me to boot the laptop from some sort of image that would be on my stationary PC.

Any help would be appreciated!


LasseFJ

 

[Markware17]

Your best bet is to go out and buy a new CD/DVD drive. It's going to cost more to go out and buy the server OS and get a machine to run it on and configure it than it is the actual drive itself. The Remote Installation Service also has limitations as you can see it the article below. There are also a limited amount of NIC drivers that are supported by RIS.

Here is something I pulled off this site just so I didn't have to type the process all out.http://channels.lockergnome.com/it/archives/20041124_windows_server_2003_part_i_remote_installation_service.phtml

Windows Server 2003 includes a utility called Remote Installation Services (RIS). This is probably the most powerful tool for deploying operating systems because of its flexibility, the operating systems it supports, and its overall ease of use.

The version of RIS that ship with Windows Server 2003 can be used to deploy any of the following operations:

* Windows Server 2003 (all versions)
* Windows XP
* Windows 2000 Server (all versions)
* Windows 2000 Professional

When you use RIS, computers connect to the RIS server during the boot phase and begin the installation of the operating system across the network. The operating system can be installed by using the installation files on the source CD or by using images created with RIPrep.

In order to use RIS to deploy operating systems, the following requirements must first be met:

* There must be an NTFS partition on the RIS server separate from the boot and system partition to store images.
* There must be a DHCP server on the network to assign remote clients and IP addresses.
* A DNS server must be available on the network for clients to locate Active Directory services.
* Active Directory must be installed as it's required by the RIS servers.

The requirements on the client side are fairly straightforward. They must obviously meet the minimum requirements to install the operating system, have a network card conform to the PXE specifications, and the BIOS must be configured to boot from the network card.

So what actually happens when an operating system is deployed using RIS? The general steps that occur are outlined below. It's a good idea to have an understanding of what occurs because it will make it easier to troubleshoot problems if and when they do occur.

1. The target workstation is started. During the boot process, using either the PXE-compliant NIC or the RIS boot disk, F12 is pressed to begin the process of remotely installing the operating system.
2. The client receives an IP address and Globally Unique Identifier (GUID).
3. The client is referred to a RIS server on the network.
4. The RIS server queries Active Directory to see if a computer account exists for the workstation. If so, the client is referred to a designated RIS server and prompted for credentials. If no computer account exists, the RIS server that responded prompts the user for credentials.
5. Once the user is logged on to the server, a list of images is displayed so the user can choose the required one.
6. At this point, the installation of the selected operating system begins.