... without a cd drive or floppy drive.

I need to install Windows onto a laptop. However, I can't login to the system, and there is no CD drive or floppy drive. Well actually I do have a DVD drive, however that is connected via USB and I am unable to boot with a CD. Do any of you guys know an alternative method for install?

Two different ways comes to my mind; one elegant and one with more work involved.

Is it possible for you connect the laptop to a LAN? Then *if* you have dos-drivers for the laptop NIC you can connect it to the LAN and to another machine where you have the win-cd copied (or from the cd directly of course). Then copy the files from the other machine to the laptop and install from there.

No LAN, or no drivers (see above)? I have once opened a laptop and removed the hdd. Then I connected it directly to the IDE-interface at the mainboard at another machine. Formatted and copied the os.
This method also applies when changing hdd in a laptop, from a small sized to a decent one...
Warning: Pay some attention to how the harddrive is formatted in the laptop. If it's formatted in the laptop (using the laptop BIOS) it isn't to take for granted that the BIOS of the other machine automatically identifies the drive as formatted. In this case adjust the settings at the other machine's BIOS accordingly.

I hope all this makes some sense to you. What do you mean you can't login to the system? And is there nothing in the manual about restoring the system, or about how to boot from the DVD?

If you are installing Windows XP, insert the CD to the DVDROM and go for a new installation. The computer will reboot and launch the Windows setup.

If you have got two hd partitions, and installing Windows 95/98: then copy the whole CD to the other partition and reboot the computer. Assuming you have got DOS because you have Windows 95/98, press F8 when rebooting and go for command prompt. Access the other hard disk. I am sorry I am not sure if the format command works in this method. But hopefully it should work. Back your data first !

C:\ D:
D:\cd Win98
D:\Win98\format C:
D:\Win98\setup.exe

Just another option, if the circumstances match yours. :)

Sorry .unicorn but I don't understand your LAN method. Do I have to boot with any sort of bootdisc for this method to work? Could you please explain to an idiot like me how to do this. :)

Also could you tell me how to get to the hard drive of the laptop?

Thanks.

I'm sorry craftyc, but you are wrong; it's me that's an idiot....:)
I should have read more carefully, now I see you have no way to boot except from the harddrive.

So, go for the second method. Tear out the harddrive according to the manufacturer's instructions. If no such are found: Turn the laptop upside down. Find the screws and remove them. Then turn it right again and see what parts that fall off. Or find some other way - all laptops I have seen provide a way to fling them open.

Careful here, you need to find out how the hdd is formatted (see previous post). You also need an adapter to connect the tiny hdd to the ordinary IDE-controller. If you think all this sounds very hard I think you should ask some experienced friend for help. On the other hand this is a method that I have used and thus know to work.
There might be other ways but this is how I should have done it.

Are you *sure* this laptop comes without any possible way for the owner to recover it into "start"-status? It seems pretty new (considering it has an USB-port and a DVD-player) and it might be possible to get some service where you bought it. What brand and model is this?