Booting Windows XP from Live CDs

Dear all,

I have a Toshiba Satellite A50 and I have problems starting Windows (Safe boot is set and somehow it fails to load and keeps going in a loop). It hangs at giveio.sys and I've read the solution to this and I need to get inside Windows to do it.

Another problem arose when I realized my CD/DVD drive cannot read DVDs anymore (only CD) so my recovery DVD is useless.

I have been reading everywhere and decided that Windows PE (Microsoft) (http://apcmag.com/windows_pe_20_a_tiny_version_of_windows_for_system_maintenance.htm) and Bart's PE (builder) can be used to boot and do the necessary changes.

Has anyone used the PE/ live CD of Windows XP before? All I need is another computer running the same OS (Windows XP) and I can build my bootable CD-ROM from there right? Wrong?

Help me out please.

Thanks in advance.

PS. A Friend quickly suggested replacing the internal CD/DVD drive but I'm of the opinion that changing a new drive would need a new driver to be installed and that is possible only in Windows.

System Details (if of any help):

Windows XP Pro SP3
2GB memory
40 GB HDD
Ubuntu is installed but will only run from the DVD

edit: System details

Edited by Dreamchaser_jc, 20 February 2010 - 11:10 AM.

Have a read here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-...ses-lockup.html

<<A Friend quickly suggested replacing the internal CD/DVD drive but I'm of the opinion that changing a new drive would need a new driver to be installed and that is possible only in Windows.>>

Yes, it needs a driver...but the driver is only necessary for Windows to use the device.

An optical drive is obviously functional when Windows isn't running...if a user can run any bootable CD/DVD when Windows isn't loaded, as is the case.

The Live CD (or a hard drive diagnostic or any number of other tools) is a bootable CD containing a non-Windows O/S...and there is nothing to prevent it from running, as long as the optical drive is properly connected and functional.

Louis

Edited by hamluis, 20 February 2010 - 11:37 AM.

Thanks hamluis and cryptodon (can't seem to load the link though).. I'll see how it goes. I'm inside Ubuntu now.

Edited by Dreamchaser_jc, 21 February 2010 - 12:42 AM.