cirruslogic

Hi, First post, and a newbie to Linux ..God help you I have a Dell C400 that I would like to install Linux onto, however this computer cannot boot from USB, and I don't have the manufacturers floppy or CD drives available. I would like to go down the route of removing the laptop HD and host on a Windows XP box, with the view to prepping drive, then, the linux installation to be carried out back on the laptop. Problem is, I dont know how..Can anyone advise on how to carry this out please? Thanks