How to install without a CDROM

[ZenMasta]

I am trying to restore a laptop with any operating system I can but I think the cdrom is broken. I have tried installing xp but part way through I get an error.

I burned a copy of Ubuntu 8.04 and tried booting from the live cd but only once have been able to get to the desktop and launch a browser. Most of the time it seems to crash half way through, I'm not sure if its because the drive stops spinning or something else that causes it to stop (and thus the drive to stop spinning). I have also tried choosing the install option instead of booting from the cd with no success.

I have a 4GB Flash Key and I was wondering if there is a way to install from the flash key.

[oilchangeguy]

I am trying to restore a laptop with any operating system I can but I think the cdrom is broken. I have tried installing xp but part way through I get an error.

I burned a copy of Ubuntu 8.04 and tried booting from the live cd but only once have been able to get to the desktop and launch a browser. Most of the time it seems to crash half way through, I'm not sure if its because the drive stops spinning or something else that causes it to stop (and thus the drive to stop spinning). I have also tried choosing the install option instead of booting from the cd with no success.

I have a 4GB Flash Key and I was wondering if there is a way to install from the flash key.

sounds like a bad cd drive. if the computer can be set to boot from usb, yes you can do what you're asking. if it can't boot from usb, check ebay for a cd drive for your computer.

[ZenMasta]

Yeah I suspected as much but I was hoping not to spend any money.
There isn't a boot from usb but there is an
"Internal Network Adapter boot" however, I don't know how that works.

[ZenMasta]

Is there a really lite cd i could burn and boot to that only had a command line where I could say, download to disk and install from a file? I can get a cd to work for a short period of time but that's about it.

[Sef]

I am trying to restore a laptop with any operating system I can but I think the cdrom is broken. I have tried installing xp but part way through I get an error.

If you have access to the internet, then do a net install (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation).

[Pumalite]

Or you can try unetbootin:
http://lubi.sourceforge.net/unetbootin.html