Installing Windows using USB connection

The following procedures have been tested to work successfully with various Notebook and Desktop computers by our engineers. Because of the growing complexity of new computer hardware and software, there is always possibility that the USB DOS driver and the installation procedures that we provide cannot enable you to install the Windows OS onto your system. In this case, you may need to check with your hardware manufacturers to determine the problem. Addonics cannot provide any technical support beyond our own products as our technical staffs have no knowledge of the computer hardware and software that you have. Often time, there might be existing hardware problems or damaged installation CDs that prevent the proper installation of the Windows OS. Please note that the current USB DOS driver can only support USB 1.1 speed.

As always, you should make a back up copy of all your important data before reinstalling the Windows OS. Addonics is not liable for data loss, time loss or claim of system damage resulted from the instructions outlined below. We welcome any valuable inputs you can provide us so we can continue to improve our services and products. Please email all your comments to atc@addonics.com or any technical related questions to techinfo@addonics.com.

* Make sure you have enough space in your local hard drive. At least 4Gb or higher. The USB cable is an Addonics USB 2.0 interface cable.

The process involved

> A. Set up the USB drives under DOS mode (step 1 - 9)
> B. Copy folders and files from your Windows installation CD to the hard drives (step 10 - 17)
> C. start the software installation

Installing Windows 2000, XP, 98SE or Me using the Addonics USB CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD/CDRW or DVD-R/RW drive.

1. Download USB DOS driver and Save the file to your hard drive.
2. Use Winzip to extract the file, if you do not have the Winzip program you may get a shareware version here www.winzip.com
3. Once Winzip is installed, use the program to extract the file.
4. Open the folder name USBboot and execute the rawrite2.exe
5. When prompt for the image name, enter dosboot.img
6. Enter the floppy drive as your destination drive, which in general is the A:\
7. Place a disk into the floppy drive and press enter
8. When it is done, reboot with this disk to use the USB devices.
9. CDROM drives will be using the Drive R:\
10. Hard Drives will be using the next letter available. Please note there will be no letter for the hard drive if it has not been partitioned and formatted. If you are not familiar with partitioning or formating a hard drive, please go to the following Microsoft link for the information http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q255867
11. If everything went well, you should have a drive R:\ for the CDROM drive. You are now ready to copy the I386 folder from the Windows 2000 or XP installation CD to the hard drive.
12. At the prompt, go to the C:\drive by typing “C:" then "Enter”
13. At the Local Drive C:\drive, create a Folder name. For example at the C:\prompt type “MD 2k”. Doing this will create a folder name “2K” on your local hard drive.
14. Now type “R": then "Enter” to go to the R:\drive
15. At the R:\ prompt type the following “Path=A:" then press "Enter
16. Now type “Xcopy . /s C:\2k" then press "Enter” (There is a space between Xcopy and the dot)
17. Once the copy process is completed, go to the C:\drive.
18. Open the folder you have created, in this case it is the 2k folder. For example: from the C:\ prompt type “CD 2k" then press "Enter”
19. Now go to the I386 folder by typing CD I386 then Enter, from the C:\I386 type Winnt and enter.
20. Installation should now start. Follow instruction from your Operating System manual on how to install the OS. (Installation will take some time, Please be patient)

Installing Windows 98SE or Me using the Addonics USB CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD/CDRW or DVD-R/RW drive.

The procedures are practically identical to Windows 2000 or XP as described above. Except instead of copying the I386 folder to the hard drive, you will copy the Windows 98SE folder or the Windows Me folder to the hard drive.

1. First, follow step 1 through 10 above. Make sure you have enough space in your local hard drive. At least 2Gb or higher.
2. If everything went well, you should have a drive R:\ for the CDROM drive.
3. At the prompt, go to the C:\drive by typing “C: then enter”
4. At the Local Drive C:\drive, create a Folder name. For example at the C:\prompt type “MD 98” doing this will create a folder name “98” on your local hard drive.
5. Now type “R: then enter” to go to the R:\drive
6. At the R:\prompt type the following “Path=A:" then press enter
7. Now type “Xcopy . /s C:\98" then press "Enter” (There is a space between Xcopy and the dot)
8. Once the copy process is completed, go to the C:\drive. Open the folder you have created, in this case it is the 98 folder. For example: from the C:\prompt type “CD 98" then press "Enter”
9. Now go to the 98 folder type "CD win98" then "Enter", from the C:\win98 type "Setup" and "enter".
10. Installation should now start. Follow instruction from your Operating System manual on how to install the OS. (Installation will take some time, Please be patient)

Destination drive - using USB floppy or other equivalent of removable storage device.

If your system does not have a built-in floppy drive, you may use a USB floppy, ZIP drive, CD or USB hard drive. But your system BIOS must have support for booting from USB floppy, ZIP, CD-ROM or hard drive. Make sure the media that you use to boot the system contains all the files from the dosboot.img in step 5.