I've got a laptop with a failing CD drive. I need to get another one, but I don't have the money at the current time to get one. However that's not my MAIN problem.

The real question is that I need to reinstall Windows. Badly. Mostly everything is broken (including Search and Internet Explorer) and it takes forever to boot. Only a few programs actually still work properly. The only real solution I've seen is completely reinstalling Windows, which I'm perfectly fine with. But without the CD drive, I obviously can't. I got the idea of making a CD image of the XP INSTALL disk from another computer, copying it to the laptop, and installing it from a partition on the HARD drive. The only problem is that I don't know how. I already have a 4 GB partition on the computer, which should be SUFFICIENT for an XP install disk. I'm just wondering if its possible. Thanks.

If not, I've also heard you can install Windows from a flash drive (not to a flash drive). If anyone has details on this also, it would be very much appreciated. I miss having a fast, fully functional computer. 

DemacheSince it's a laptop why not just visit the manuf. site and follow the instructions for running the Recovery from the hidden partition ? ?This one doesn't have a recovery partition. The only way to recover it is through a CD. I think it got wiped when I reinstalled at some other time (really nasty trojan).

*Off-topic: Your SIGNATURE was our school's quote of the day last Tuesday. lol.