BleepingComputer.com: Booting from USB flash drive for Gateway MX3410

My mx3410 laptop's cd-drive does not work. It gives me read errors, when I try recovery from CD. Is it possible to copy contents of my gateway CD to a USB flash drive and boot from the USB?

My second option: I could try pulling out my Desktop's HDD and installing the laptop 2.5inch hdd into my desktop and then use the cd-drive on my desktop PC. Will that work?

This post has been edited by rsd79: 15 June 2009 - 09:28 PM

<<It gives me read errors, when I try recovery from CD..>>

"Recovery" is not the same thing as installing XP. Which do you want to do?

Some links you might want to peruse, http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls...mp;oq=&aqi=

Note that many of the comments are pure conjecture and nothing I would consider recommending for guidance.

Gateway info on repair/install methods built into that computer, http://support.gateway.com/s/SOFTWARE/Medi...MLXPH1asi.shtml

<<I could try pulling out my Desktop's HDD and installing the laptop 2.5inch hdd into my desktop and then use the cd-drive on my desktop PC. Will that work?>>

I don't know, but I suspect that it won't.

There's nothing that indicates that your files for recovery/restore would run on an optical drive which is on a different system. In fact, (IMO) it appears that the net result would be...overwriting the system files of the XP installed on the 2d system. It depends on how the restore/recovery CDs are configured to work. Perhaps you can call someone at Gateway and get a better answer.

Louis

This post has been edited by hamluis: 16 June 2009 - 07:58 AM