Burning XP CD

T

Tuesday

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I have a version of Windows stored on my external hard drive, i want to burn this to CD, however it is 2.6 GBs in size anf the CD-Rs that i have can only hold 700 MBs, just wondering if it is possible to burn it as data to a DVD, would it boot properly? or do i have to get a CD-R that can hold 2.6 GBs?

One last question, one of the files is an autorun file, will this ensure that the PC that i want to re-image will pick the CD once i reboot?
 
You can't get a CD-R that holds GBs of data. A DVD+/-R might do it. But precisely what format is the Windows image on your hard drive? If it is already installed then you can't just copy it to DVD and expect it to boot as it would need to be a suitable boot image to do that. If it is an original install image then you would still need to take steps to create a bootable DVD copy of it. Just copying the files will not work. In any case it's not usual (though not impossible) to have "live bootable" DVD version of Windows. See here for example. You'd really need to be clearer about what you're trying to do here to be honest. Finally you should only be copying Windows for (re)installation if you own the necessary license(s) to do so.
 
Thanks Clubman.........It is the original CD contents which i copied to the external hard drive, i have lost the CD since and need to re-install. The files include autorun.ini(i think!), setup.exe and other folders/files etc....So if i can't burn to CD, then i'm looking at Burning the files to a DVD and making it bootable? i think i may have WinImage somewhere which might do the trick....All i need now is a PC with a DVD-Writer......i think!!!
 
Tuesday said:
All i need now is a PC with a DVD-Writer......i think!!!
Click to expand...
You can get external DVD-R(W)s, but if you don't have a friend with one you can borrow may not be an option for you [[broken link removed] if you may be interested in buying one].
 
OK - you should be able to burn it to DVD and run it from an existing Windows installation but I'm not sure that it will be bootable in a blank PC if that's what you need?
 
ClubMan said:
OK - you should be able to burn it to DVD and run it from an existing Windows installation but I'm not sure that it will be bootable in a blank PC if that's what you need?
Click to expand...

Yeah, the operating system has been wiped, and i'm hoping to boot it on a blank hard drive....I'll just have to try it and see how it goes.....thanks
 
You could use Bart-PE to create a bootable Windows CD and then run the windows installation off the DVD copy of XP perhaps?
 
Worth a try.....i have FDISK on a floppy as well which might allow me to boot of the XP DVD.....not sure though
 

There is something else on this drive. Windows XP is a lot less than 2.6 gigs. About 520mb if I remember correctly & it will easily fit on a CD. (Or is it Windows vista?)
Once copied onto a CD it will boot & run provided your BOIS settings are set to look for a boot CD first.
 
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