Installing Windows on a netbook

Jonny69 · 13-01-2009, 11:14

Gud tog everyone

I've been eyeing up a netbook so I can maintain my website during my long commute and it seems you can get a pretty well specced up machine for under £300. I need Windows so I can install my legit copy of Dreamweaver but I have two issues: many come with Linux and the others have Windows pre-installed with all their manufacuter hacks.

I don't want all that crap on my machine and I usually reinstall Windows bare with just the drivers. Problem is none of these machines have CD drives so is it possible to install Windows from scratch?

Can you put Windows XP on a machine that ships with a Linux distro? Are the drivers available? Do they have a bios and set to boot from USB?

Matblack · 13-01-2009, 11:53

Go for the Advent 4211, it comes with an unadulterated copy of XP with just the extra drivers for the webcam and onboard sound, I love mine and it comes to work withh me almost every day. Don't worry about it being a PC World item, its a rebadged MSI Wind. In general most of the netbooks I've played with haven't been buggered about with too much as far as Windows goes.

MB

Matblack · 13-01-2009, 12:03

If you really want to do a reinstall my machine can boot from a USB HDD/CD/FDD so those options would be there for you. Not sure if Windows can be installed on a bootable USB Stick?

MB

Daz · 13-01-2009, 12:08

It can't be installed on a USB stick (the kernel just has no support for handling living on a removable device), but Vista and above can be installed from a USB device with a bit of tinkering.

Matblack · 13-01-2009, 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

It can't be installed on a USB stick (the kernel just has no support for handling living on a removable device), but Vista and above can be installed from a USB device with a bit of tinkering.

I meant from

MB

Stan_Lite · 13-01-2009, 13:10

I recently bought the Samsung NC10 with XP installed. I seem to think it didn't appear too adulterated but I didn't faff about with it too much as within two hours of owning it, it was running Ubuntu.

Windows aside, it's a cracking little machine (DRZ has a thread somewhere about it). The screen is excellent - I saw the NC10 and the Advent together in the shop and the screen on the Samsung was definitely clearer than the Advent. The keyboard is very nearly full size as well, which makes typing this so much easier than some of the smaller fiddly ones. Battery life is also excellent on it - this quote from PC Pro:

Quote:

Originally Posted by PCPro

Our light use battery test saw the NC10 stop just short of the seven-and-a-half hour mark, and heavy usage only dropped that to 4hrs 11mins.

Review here.

It also looks damn good too.

NokkonWud · 13-01-2009, 15:47

Mother has a Samsung NC10 and it uses the light version of XP home made for netbooks, so not much can be changed anyway as MS require certain specifications. You also get a windows disc with it.

It's a brilliant machine, quick, looks stunning and I really want one. Badly.

loki · 13-01-2009, 16:38

I got an Asus 900A for Xmas. It came with A really crappy version of Debian that you couldn't really do anything with. So Installed XP by the manufactureres instructions with little problem. It worked fine but I wanted to get a bit more adventerous so I went with eeeBuntu. Now that runs sweet and has everything built into it I need.

13-01-2009, 11:14	#1
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Installing Windows on a netbook Gud tog everyone I've been eyeing up a netbook so I can maintain my website during my long commute and it seems you can get a pretty well specced up machine for under £300. I need Windows so I can install my legit copy of Dreamweaver but I have two issues: many come with Linux and the others have Windows pre-installed with all their manufacuter hacks. I don't want all that crap on my machine and I usually reinstall Windows bare with just the drivers. Problem is none of these machines have CD drives so is it possible to install Windows from scratch? Can you put Windows XP on a machine that ships with a Linux distro? Are the drivers available? Do they have a bios and set to boot from USB? __________________

13-01-2009, 11:53	#2
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	Go for the Advent 4211, it comes with an unadulterated copy of XP with just the extra drivers for the webcam and onboard sound, I love mine and it comes to work withh me almost every day. Don't worry about it being a PC World item, its a rebadged MSI Wind. In general most of the netbooks I've played with haven't been buggered about with too much as far as Windows goes. MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"

13-01-2009, 12:03	#3
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	If you really want to do a reinstall my machine can boot from a USB HDD/CD/FDD so those options would be there for you. Not sure if Windows can be installed on a bootable USB Stick? MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"

13-01-2009, 12:08	#4
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	It can't be installed on a USB stick (the kernel just has no support for handling living on a removable device), but Vista and above can be installed from a USB device with a bit of tinkering. __________________ apt-get moo

13-01-2009, 15:47	#7
NokkonWud BD Recruitment Officer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Smogville Posts: 3,880	Mother has a Samsung NC10 and it uses the light version of XP home made for netbooks, so not much can be changed anyway as MS require certain specifications. You also get a windows disc with it. It's a brilliant machine, quick, looks stunning and I really want one. Badly. __________________

13-01-2009, 16:38	#8
loki Vodka Martini Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 871	I got an Asus 900A for Xmas. It came with A really crappy version of Debian that you couldn't really do anything with. So Installed XP by the manufactureres instructions with little problem. It worked fine but I wanted to get a bit more adventerous so I went with eeeBuntu. Now that runs sweet and has everything built into it I need. __________________ PC & Console LAN 9th-11th July