Laptop puzzle how to install new harddrive

[scustalow]

I have a friend who has a laptop that the harddrive crashed.He buys a new HD..how can he install it?..the laptop has no floppy drive,and the cd/dvd drive is broke?Any idea?

[redwudz]

A USB floppy drive, or for the OS install, a USB CD drive. You would have to go into BIOS and set the computer to boot to one of them.

There is also a 2.5" hard drive to USB adapter that may work. You could format the drive with any computer that has a USB port. Here's a few examples: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/category_slc.asp?CatId=470

[Poppa_Meth]

That's what I'd do, format it on another PC and copy the installation folder to the HDD then load it into the laptop and install from the HDD.

[ofbarea]

If the laptop can boot feom an USB stick, you may install from there. Once I did install XP in a laptop using my 1GB usb memory stick

[Supreme2k]

I transferred my old 40G hd to my new 120G(using a $13 usb case and Casper XP), installed the new drive, and now use the 40G as a portable (about as big as a cigarette box, usb powered).