VirtualBox: Is there a way to install XP w/o having the cd?

Okay let me first say I have a legit serial key; i took it off an old desktop no one uses anymore (we can use those right?)

but i dont have the XP install cd... if push comes to shove i will just have to i guess torrent an iso and use that to install (illegal ya i know, but kind of silly) but I am wondering if there is any other way to install XP into virtualbox? meaning not needing an iso/install cd?

thx

 

Hum, well let's say that you'll need a firewire external hd, which is basically having a cd.

Since you are going to run trough the graphical mode to install, if you wanted to mount the iso to install it you wouldnt be able too, because it wont have an os or platform to load the iso file from. Best bet would be to get a copy in iso format or image whatever you want to call it and copy it to a cd or a dvd or to a external hd.

But the short answer to installing windows without a cd is no.

PM if you need help.

 

Woops my bad i miss read the question.

Disregard what i said i thought you wanted to install it on a current xp system.

Answer is no. How do you install an os without the files needed?

They can't magically appear there.

That'd be nice tho

 

You don't have to have a CD at all, just the .iso of the CD. You mount that and let VirtualBox run it's magic.

 

i had a feeling i would need to find an iso for it, but i had to ask just incase...

 

Just for future reference, once you do set up XP in VirtualBox, you can transfer your .virtualbox directory (which contains your virtual hard disk) over to another installation after backing it up and install VB on top of it. i.e. no need to reinstall XP if you change distros, or get a new computer, etc. I believe that's legit being a retail copy of XP.

 

Having a serial key does not automatically make what you want to do legal. If the key is associated to a single OEM license, this is not legal. OEM licenses are tied to a specific machine. You can't move the OS from one machine to another.

 

I had an older dell C400 w/o a cd-drive on it. It had Windows 2k when I bought it. I managed to map the cd-rom from my desktop to the laptop and install XP Pro onto the laptop. It was not a smooth process and had a lot of glitches going through it, but it worked nonetheless.

This was 3-4 years ago, and I bought the laptop to surf the net in classes since it was a small 12" laptop. I don't remember details since it was awhile ago, but I know it was a bumpy process. The laptop is still running XP today though and I've never had any issues with it.

 

oh i see. legal loopholes...ugh

 

If it's an OEM, no. The CD is tied to the computer it came with. If it's a retail version, then yes you can transfer it.

 

Yeah, I only buy Retail because of that....theoretically, I could copy my virtual harddrive to 6 different computers in my house, and XP would never know the difference, i.e. know it was on a different computer. Not that I'd do that, given all that I owe to MS. lol

 

Since the OP doesn't specify his location, let me add that this depends on the jurisdiction you are under. Not everything in the EULA is legally enforceable, depending on where you live. In Germany, for example, you can even legally sell an OEM licence (of course you must delete any previous installations).

This is the reason why your average windows cd is localized to a single, non-changeable language ;-)