Installing O/S on External drive

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Guest

I would like to install Windows XP-Home on an external 80GB USB drive so that
I could boot from that should something happen to my C: drive. Can that be
done. I don't recall athe Windows CD seeing anything other than permanent
Hard Drives. Is there some other way to go about it?
 
Loris said:
I would like to install Windows XP-Home on an external 80GB USB drive
so that I could boot from that should something happen to my C:
drive. Can that be done. I don't recall athe Windows CD seeing
anything other than permanent Hard Drives. Is there some other way
to go about it?

To see if it's even possible first, go into your System Settings (BIOS -
usually pressing F2 during startup), and see if there is a setting to boot
from a USB device.
If there is not, No, you can't, unless there is a BIOS update you can
download, but it might not allow it either.
If there is, go ahead, and don't forget, you need to set USB as a boot
device in your BIOS settings.

If you post the maker of your BIOS (watch the boot screen) and machine
details, someone might be able to give you a more direct answer. You
provided nothing to work with.

HTH
Pop`
 
Loris said:
I would like to install Windows XP-Home on an external 80GB USB drive so
that
I could boot from that should something happen to my C: drive. Can that
be
done. I don't recall athe Windows CD seeing anything other than permanent
Hard Drives. Is there some other way to go about it?


In principle no it cannot. Some people claim to have done it, but I don't
know how reliable or successful it has been. Do a google search for it, but
it's probably not worth the effort. Better to get a drive imaging program
and clone the drive.
 
Loris said:
I would like to install Windows XP-Home on an external 80GB USB drive so that
I could boot from that should something happen to my C: drive. Can that be
done. I don't recall athe Windows CD seeing anything other than permanent
Hard Drives. Is there some other way to go about it?

Windows XP will not normally install onto a removable device.

If you are just concerned about recovery from a hard drive failure
then you should consider using the USB drive to store a compressed
backup image of your drive, using Acronis True Image or similar.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
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