CentOS - Jun 2009 - suggestions for installing CentOS 5 via USB?

I'm having problems installing CentOS via a USB drive.

First, I tried using Unetbootin, but with no avail. The 8MB netinstall 
doesn't work, and the big DVD image doesn't work either.

http://lubi.sourceforge.net/unetbootin.html

Then I tried this

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-centos-5-live-install-via-windows/

with a CentOS DVD file, and that did not work (just hangs). I tried to 
use the live cd, but then found out that I cannot install the OS with 
the live cd (like you can with Ubuntu).

I don't have easy access to Linux or spare computers, so I used my 
Windows laptop to dd to the USB.

**********************************************
C:\installs\dd>dd if=c:\installs\CentOS-5.3-i386-bin-dvd.iso 
of=\\.\Volume{5a5e4
fb1-b53a-11dd-b7f4-001492190322} --size --progress bs=1M
rawwrite dd for windows version 0.5.
Written by John Newbigin <jn at it.swin.edu.au>
This program is covered by the GPL.  See copying.txt for details
3,971,014,656
3787+1 records in
3787+1 records out
**********************************************

Then I tried to install the bootsect.bin bit

**********************************************
C:\installs\mkbt>mkbt -x d: bootsect.bin
* Expert mode (-x)
Size=0bytes OEM="" VolLabel="" FileSys=""
**********************************************

I then booted to it, but it didn't work!

Any suggestions?

From: Rogelio <scubacuda at gmail.com>
> I'm having problems installing CentOS via a USB drive.
Here's how I did my USB key (minus the kickstart part) but you need a linux
(in a VM or from the live CD)...
And you will have to change devices names!

1. Create a small VFAT partition, then a big linux one:

fdisk /dev/sdg

     Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
  /dev/sdg1   *           1           3       23126    6  FAT16
  /dev/sdg2               4        1023     7873380   83  Linux

mkfs.vfat -n BOOT /dev/sdg1
mkfs.ext2 -m 0 -b 4096 -L DATA /dev/sdg2

Unplug/plug => /media/BOOT and /media/DATA

2. Install syslinux on the VFAT partition:

syslinux -s /dev/sdg1
cd /media/BOOT
cp -rv /mnt/cdrom/isolinux syslinux
mv syslinux/isolinux.cfg syslinux/syslinux.cfg
rm -f syslinux/isolinux.bin
vi syslinux/syslinux.cfg

  append method=hd:sda2:/centos

3. Copy the CentOS ISOs to the linux partition (I had to use the CD ISOs because
the DVD ones would get corrupt on my USB key for some reason):

mkdir /media/DATA/centos
for i in 1 2 3 4 5 6; do cp -v CentOS-5.3-i386-bin-${i}of6.iso
/media/DATA/centos/; sync; done
for i in 1 2 3 4 5 6; do diff /IOL/CENTOS_repo/CentOS-5.3-i386-bin-${i}of6.iso
/media/DATA/centos/CentOS-5.3-i386-bin-${i}of6.iso; done

4. Optionaly (?), to be sure that it boots:

dd if=/usr/share/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sdg

JD