How to install Windows XP externally

[AmateurPCGuy]

I have a Samsung N150 Plus with Intel Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM. Its currently running Windows 7 Ultimate and its so friggin' slow. Like 3 minutes on boot-up- kind of slow. I wanted to downgrade it to Windows XP but there's one problem: the keyboard. The Left Shift, Left Control, A, Q, 4, 6, 8, 0, Page Up, Backspace and nearly ALL FUNCTION KEYS don't work. Due to unavailability of replacement keyboard within my area, I can't fix it. (Can't afford online products).

 

Now this idea pops into my head: What if I put the hard drive of the N150 to another PC/laptop, put Windows XP on it, put it back on the laptop, and install drivers and programs form there. Now the Q's are:

 

1. Will it work? and;

2. If its going to work, how?

 

I need the answers to this kinda ASAP because this laptop is my daily driver to school (for watching movies, file transfers and fixing stuff because I'm the so-called-go-to-guy when a teacher breaks his/her laptop) and having a slow drive really gives me some downtime.

[qwertywarrior]

I wanted to downgrade it to Windows XP but there's one problem: the keyboard. The Left Shift, Left Control, A, Q, 4, 6, 8, 0, Page Up, Backspace and nearly ALL FUNCTION KEYS don't work.

 

 

just use a usb keyboard for the install

 

 

i recommend using Lubuntu or other light weight linux distributions than a horribly old OS

[Hazy125]

Do as qwertywarrior said with the usb keyboard, it will be so much easier. But to answer your question, yes, you can put the hard drive in another computer to install the OS and put the drive back into your atom machine(I have a similar machine, it's in pieces all over the place). But yes, you can do that, I did that with my desktop as I needed to install windows 7 on a hard drive from my laptop because my laptop had a dvd drive

[qwertywarrior]

Do as qwertywarrior said with the usb keyboard, it will be so much easier. But to answer your question, yes, you can put the hard drive in another computer to install the OS and put the drive back into your atom machine(I have a similar machine, it's in pieces all over the place). But yes, you can do that, I did that with my desktop as I needed to install windows 7 on a hard drive from my laptop because my laptop had a dvd drive

i remember upgrading my motherboard and the hard drive refused to boot

 

from what i read

because of the different south bridge on that board

the drivers (during install) was different

there is a fix  for it but i cant recall where i found it

just google

[AmateurPCGuy]

Do as qwertywarrior said with the usb keyboard, it will be so much easier. But to answer your question, yes, you can put the hard drive in another computer to install the OS and put the drive back into your atom machine(I have a similar machine, it's in pieces all over the place). But yes, you can do that, I did that with my desktop as I needed to install windows 7 on a hard drive from my laptop because my laptop had a dvd drive

can you tell me how to do it? i'm currently busy with my school projects, exams and sh*t and I have no time on buying a USB keyboard. Besides, i can pretty much live without the broken keys (Copy-Paste method on A, On-Screen Keyboard on other keys)

 

just use a usb keyboard for the install

 

 

i recommend using Lubuntu or other light weight linux distributions than a horribly old OS

Ubuntu? No. Just, No. I haz no idea how to use Ubuntu.

[qwertywarrior]

can you tell me how to do it? i'm currently busy with my school projects, exams and sh*t and I have no time on buying a USB keyboard. Besides, i can pretty much live without the broken keys (Copy-Paste method on A, On-Screen Keyboard on other keys)

 

Ubuntu? No. Just, No. I haz no idea how to use Ubuntu.

firefox is on the left libre office is there and just install vlc

[Hazy125]

can you tell me how to do it? i'm currently busy with my school projects, exams and sh*t and I have no time on buying a USB keyboard. Besides, i can pretty much live without the broken keys (Copy-Paste method on A, On-Screen Keyboard on other keys)

 

Ubuntu? No. Just, No. I haz no idea how to use Ubuntu.

Unbuntu is terribly easy to pick up, you can do everything without even going to the command line because it's so refined.... At least as far as linux is concerned 

 

Almost every internal HDD uses a sata connection except for those which use m-sata or a proprietary connector, very few manufacturers even consider that though. So it's literally as simple as taking the drive out of your N145 plus or whatever laptop it is and plugging it into the sata port of your other computer, there should be a standardised power/sata interface combo which is standard for most laptops to plug it into. Of course you will need remove the drive form your other PC/laptop if it doesn't have a spare sata connector. Then you just do the clean install like you normally would and put the drive back into your N145.

 

So, short version

1. Take drives out of both laptops

2. Put the N145 drive into the other laptop

3. Do a clean install of Windows XP

4. Put the drive back into the N145 plus and the other drive back into the other laptop

[micedits]

I would use a light weight linux os instead of xp, after the drop of support for it from microsoft you are likely to get some nasty issues with it. 

[AmateurPCGuy]

Unbuntu is terribly easy to pick up, you can do everything without even going to the command line because it's so refined.... At least as far as linux is concerned 

 

Almost every internal HDD uses a sata connection except for those which use m-sata or a proprietary connector, very few manufacturers even consider that though. So it's literally as simple as taking the drive out of your N145 plus or whatever laptop it is and plugging it into the sata port of your other computer, there should be a standardised power/sata interface combo which is standard for most laptops to plug it into. Of course you will need remove the drive form your other PC/laptop if it doesn't have a spare sata connector. Then you just do the clean install like you normally would and put the drive back into your N145.

 

So, short version

1. Take drives out of both laptops

2. Put the N145 drive into the other laptop

3. Do a clean install of Windows XP

4. Put the drive back into the N145 plus and the other drive back into the other laptop

Definitely trying it out now

[AmateurPCGuy]

Definitely trying it out now

Here's an update: I had a hiccup on formatting the Hard Drive because Windows Setup says "its damaged". Fixed it using GParted (Formatted the drive ahead). I'm already downloading the Samsung drivers to see if it works.