Is it possible to install Windows XP on, and boot from, USB-harddisk ?
The motherboard BIOS support "Boot from USB-HDD".

--
Bjarne Duelund

The thing to do is to try it. Then report back here with your finding to
help others with the same question. I suspect that, if it works, it will
only be good for the computer that installed the O/S on the USB hard drive.

Try to use it on another computer (this is your ultimate intention, right)
and the hardware will be incorrect and prevent booting.

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)

"Bjarne Duelund" <bdn@_REMOVE_maerskdata.dk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is it possible to install Windows XP on, and boot from, USB-harddisk ?
> The motherboard BIOS support "Boot from USB-HDD".
>
> --
> Bjarne Duelund
>

Good in theory, very slow performance will be the result. So don't impede
the performance of your computer.

If you want to have a 'portable' Windows environment, get a removable hard
disk caddy. This will connect to the IDE interface on the motherboard.

They cost about $10.00.


"Richard Urban" wrote:

> The thing to do is to try it. Then report back here with your finding to
> help others with the same question. I suspect that, if it works, it will
> only be good for the computer that installed the O/S on the USB hard drive.
>
> Try to use it on another computer (this is your ultimate intention, right)
> and the hardware will be incorrect and prevent booting.
>
> --
> Regards:
>
> Richard Urban
>
> aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)
>
> "Bjarne Duelund" <bdn@_REMOVE_maerskdata.dk> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Is it possible to install Windows XP on, and boot from, USB-harddisk ?
> > The motherboard BIOS support "Boot from USB-HDD".
> >
> > --
> > Bjarne Duelund
> >
>
>
>

"Bjarne Duelund" <bdn@_REMOVE_maerskdata.dk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is it possible to install Windows XP on, and boot from, USB-harddisk ?
> The motherboard BIOS support "Boot from USB-HDD".
>
> --
> Bjarne Duelund

It maybe possible but I have tried and have not been able to do so. Based
upon what I have tried, including disconnecting my fixed disk drives to make
the USB-HDD the only HDD on the system, I think the only way it can be done
is to mount the HDD as a fixed drive, load XP onto it then remove the drive
and instal it into an enclosure. Think it should be OK then. I suspect
WINXP is coded to prevent it installing on a removeable drive. If anyone
has installed it on a USB HDD I'd very much like to know how.

>

"Richard Urban" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> The thing to do is to try it. Then report back here with your finding to help others with the
> same question. I suspect that, if it works, it will only be good for the computer that
> installed the O/S on the USB hard drive.

I can not try it, since I don't have the MB (yet).

> Try to use it on another computer (this is your ultimate intention, right) and the hardware
> will be incorrect and prevent booting.

Actually not - It is my experience that external USB drives are more silent than internal
harddisks, and I would build a total silent PC with a fanless mini-Itx motherboard.

--
Bjarne Duelund

"Edward W. Thompson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> Is it possible to install Windows XP on, and boot from, USB-harddisk ?
>> The motherboard BIOS support "Boot from USB-HDD".
>>
> I suspect WINXP is coded to prevent it installing on a removeable drive. If anyone has
> installed it on a USB HDD I'd very much like to know how.

Probaly so. But why can you select "Boot from USB-HDD" if it's not possible ?

--
Bjarne Duelund

I can boot from the USB-HDD but not WINXP. I can boot to DOS and I am
pretty sure all the DOS based Windows versions, but not WINXP. If I could
load WINXP onto the external HDD it would boot but I can't even load WINXP
onto the external drive, the loading sequence gets to a point when it
reboots and promptly crashes.


"Bjarne Duelund" <bdn@_REMOVE_maerskdata.dk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Edward W. Thompson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>> Is it possible to install Windows XP on, and boot from, USB-harddisk ?
>>> The motherboard BIOS support "Boot from USB-HDD".
>>>
>> I suspect WINXP is coded to prevent it installing on a removeable drive.
>> If anyone has installed it on a USB HDD I'd very much like to know how.
>
> Probaly so. But why can you select "Boot from USB-HDD" if it's not
> possible ?
>
> --
> Bjarne Duelund
>
>

What you want to do is totaly possible as long as your Motherboard
supports it. My ASUS P4P800 is one of them that does. As for running
things more quietly, you can buy or make sound proof casings for your
hard drive inside the case. Personally, I use foam packaging material
and have my drive standing upright. I can barely hear it when I am
defragging or other things that make a lot of HD noise.

----
Nathan McNulty


Bjarne Duelund wrote:
> "Richard Urban" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>The thing to do is to try it. Then report back here with your finding to help others with the
>>same question. I suspect that, if it works, it will only be good for the computer that
>>installed the O/S on the USB hard drive.
>
>
> I can not try it, since I don't have the MB (yet).
>
>
>>Try to use it on another computer (this is your ultimate intention, right) and the hardware
>>will be incorrect and prevent booting.
>
>
> Actually not - It is my experience that external USB drives are more silent than internal
> harddisks, and I would build a total silent PC with a fanless mini-Itx motherboard.
>

I am unsure to whom you are responding but if you are responding to the
effect it is totally possible to boot from a USB HDD to WINXP (provided your
HDD allows booting from an USB-HDD, as does mine), do you know how to load
WINXP onto the USB-HDD directly? While I would agree that it seems possible
to boot into WINXP from a USB-HDD, the problem is, at least for me, how to
load WINXP onto the external drive directly. What I mean by directly is
without having to install the HDD as a fixed drive then after loading WINXP
remove it and reinstall it to an external enclosure.

If you have actually achieved this I, and others I am sure, would like to
know how it is done. I think I have tried 'very trick in the book'
including trying to install from the i386 folder on the fixed HDD but
without success, that is the installation proceeds to a certain point thern
the system crashes with a 'protection' error (BSD).



"Edward W. Thompson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I can boot from the USB-HDD but not WINXP. I can boot to DOS and I am
>pretty sure all the DOS based Windows versions, but not WINXP. If I could
>load WINXP onto the external HDD it would boot but I can't even load WINXP
>onto the external drive, the loading sequence gets to a point when it
>reboots and promptly crashes.
>
>
> "Bjarne Duelund" <bdn@_REMOVE_maerskdata.dk> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Edward W. Thompson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>
>>>> Is it possible to install Windows XP on, and boot from, USB-harddisk ?
>>>> The motherboard BIOS support "Boot from USB-HDD".
>>>>
>>> I suspect WINXP is coded to prevent it installing on a removeable drive.
>>> If anyone has installed it on a USB HDD I'd very much like to know how.
>>
>> Probaly so. But why can you select "Boot from USB-HDD" if it's not
>> possible ?
>>
>> --
>> Bjarne Duelund
>>
>>
>
>

Edward W. Thompson wrote:
> I am unsure to whom you are responding but if you are responding to
> the effect it is totally possible to boot from a USB HDD to WINXP
> (provided your HDD allows booting from an USB-HDD, as does mine), do
> you know how to load WINXP onto the USB-HDD directly? While I would
> agree that it seems possible to boot into WINXP from a USB-HDD, the
> problem is, at least for me, how to load WINXP onto the external
> drive directly. What I mean by directly is without having to install
> the HDD as a fixed drive then after loading WINXP remove it and
> reinstall it to an external enclosure.
>
> If you have actually achieved this I, and others I am sure, would
> like to know how it is done. I think I have tried 'very trick in the
> book' including trying to install from the i386 folder on the fixed
> HDD but without success, that is the installation proceeds to a
> certain point thern the system crashes with a 'protection' error
> (BSD).

Could you make something like a BartPE boot medium for a USB device?

--
<- Shenan ->
--
The information is provided "as is", with no guarantees of
completeness, accuracy or timeliness, and without warranties of any
kind, express or implied. In other words, read up before you take any
advice - you are the one ultimately responsible for your actions.