How to re-install xp without CD drive

[hmmm]

Hi Guys,
I have Acer Aspire One, with XP, HE, SP3. This notbook has no CD drive and no XP operating system CD.

It is couple of years old but gone very sluggish. I wish to re-install XP on it.

When I double click on winnt32.exe it says "The installation source path specified to Setup is invalid. Contact your system administrator".

Your advice is appreciated.

PS: I have already run Check Disk but made no difference....Thank you.

[chowur]

I found this article,I hope it helps;http://www.wikihow.com/Reinstall-Win...Without-the-CD
Note;step 8 @ the end.You can find these simple commands here

[hmmm]

Thank you Chowur, great article isn't it? I had actually found the same article too. But to be absolutely honest,
Winnt.exe Command Syntax page totally throws me out. I just simply haven't got a clue what to do there... :=(

[DrWho]

Hmmmmm!

I have the same Netbook and I've changed OS's more than once. XP, Win-7, Linux, and back to XP.
I did a C: drive backup before I ever started messing about with other OS's, so I could restore XP
at any time.
Something else you might consider is re-partitioning your HD so you have a place to store things
like pictures, data files and of course, C: drive backups.

That little computer will easily boot from either a Flash Drive or USB External DVD drive. OK?

I just bought an external DVD drive lately for about $20 (I don't remember the exact price)
The first time I wanted to experiment with Win-7 on my netbook, I used a full sized DVD drive,
with a little IDE to USB adaptor and an external power supply to drive the DVD drive.
It was a real Lash-up, but hey.....It worked great.*

* Win 7 was a total bust, on the Netbook, because it does not have the proper Video drivers
for that little display and Acer does not supply them either.

But since your OS is still running, albeit a bit slower, why don't you just clean up the mess,
and your little PC will go back to running like it did when new.

In this forum, we've got a whole thread dedicated to cleaning up a PC. Start there.
On my web site, I've got a lot of help for XP users.

Now that I better understand the limitations of the Netbook, I would do the following, from
day one.
I'd first re-partition the hard drive, so I'd have someplace to store a backup copy of C:,
Then I'd run Ghost 11.5 (from a boot Flash Drive) to make a compressed Image of C: and saved
to D:. (which I did!)

Then I'd install my XPCleanup batch file in the startup folder so I'd get a FREE cleanup of all the
typical JUNK files, every time I boot up the PC.

Then once a week I'd run several other cleanup programs to take out the junk that my batch file
missed, and do a defrag.

Keeping any PC running like new, isn't rocket science, but it does require a little effort.

Good Luck to ya!
The Doctor

[hmmm]

Thank you DrWho, Good advice....You say, "on my web site", 7th paragraph, is there suppose to be a link there please?