Installing Windows XP without Bootable CD

I have an HP Pavilion ZE5170 Laptop where I just bought a new 40gb hard drive to install Windows XP on. But when I put the Windows XP installation disk in, the laptop doesn't boot to it, even when the DVD drive has been set to be the first bootable device in BIOS. The DVD drive has always worked fine before this too.

So, my question is...how can I install Windows XP onto it? I've already made a DOS bootable diskette and installed drivers to access the DVD drive, but none of the programs I've tried work under DOS. Am I supposed to use some other special bootable diskette?

Google for instructions on how to make a Slipstream XP install. It'll be bootable and have the latest service pack integrated at install time.

>>2 exactly. or reburn your XP as a image file on a cd, itl work.

Thanks, but I just tried it, and it didn't work. The problem seems to be with the laptop totally unable to boot anything off the DVD drive. The only way I can boot this laptop is with either a diskette or the older hard drive that was in it before.

You have installed XP off of that drive in the past?

You can download a set of setup floppy images for Windows XP.  They just boot up the computer and look for the install media.  It's annoying because it is 6 disks and not one.

>>6
Thanks for the info. That worked perfectly. Now it's finally booting.