XP Boot USB Stick

Most of the following taken from : http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/151992-install-xp-from-usb-without-extra-tools/, just modified to include syslinux support.

Let me know if there are any omissions; it an XP installer bluescreens on boot for me so I can’t actually test.

  1. Obtain an XP iso file
  2. Format drive with one FAT parition, marked bootable.
  3. syslinux -i /dev/sdXX
  4. $ cp /usr/lib/syslinux/bios/mbr.bin >/dev/sdX
  5. $ mount /dev/sdXX /mnt
  6. mkdir /tmp/xp_iso
    mount xp.iso /tmp/xp_iso
    cp -ar /tmp/xp_iso/* /mnt
    umount /tmp/xp_iso
    rmdir xp_iso
  7. cp /usr/lib/syslinux/bios/{chain.c32,libutil.c32,menu.c32,libcom.c32} /mnt
  8. cp /mnt/I386/{NTDETECT.COM,SETUPLDR.BIN,TXTSETUP.SIF} /mnt
  9. Edit /mnt/syslinux.cfg:
    UI menu.c32# Windows XP
    LABEL windows_xp
    MENU LABEL Run Windows ^XP Setup
    COM32 chain.c32
    APPEND fs ntldr=SETUPLDR.BIN
  10. umount /mnt
  11. Boot from the USB stick