No.
The quick and easy way: borrow a working CD drive
The hard way:
google "RIS" which is short for remote installation service (or server?).
You'll have to install a Windows 2000 Server. I think Microsoft changed the
name to "Windows Deployment Service" on Windows Server 2003. Not sure what
it's called on Windows Server 2008.
I successfully installed Windows 2000 Pro on a laptop that doesn't have any
(internal/external) peripherals. The laptop only has an 10/100 ethernet
port. It boots off the network. The laptop then looks for a RIS box and
automatically kicks Windows setup. Btw, this isn't over WiFi though. I did
it over wired connection (ethernet).
Might be worth a shot if you're into learning new stuff and have so much
free time :-)
"Ned" <nedsden@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3F5138DA-1B74-4DE7-B789-DE1C636D2413@xxxxxx
> To anyone,
>
> Is it possible to boot one laptop on my wireless network from my mapped cd
> drive on another laptop on my wireless network. I know I can install
> software from my mapped cd drive to another laptop, because I did it this
> weekend. But now I want to take it one step further. I'm working on my
> friends laptop with an inoperable cd drive. We want to reformat his hard
> drive and reinstall the operating system. I want to know how I can get his
> laptop to boot from my mapped cd drive. I running Vista on my machine with
> the mapped drive and my friend is running XP on his machine with the
> inoperable cd drive. I need the step by step process on how this can be
> accomplished.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ned