question about operating system on moveable hard disk

G

Guest

Hi,

I have some questions: 1. Does it is possible that install the operation
system (such as windows xp) on the moveable hard disk? 2. Is it that a way to
install a operation system on moveable hard disk and enable it to work with
different computer? 3. If question 2 is true , how can I do with it? Is the
windows xp embedded system the right way to do it?
 
C

Carey Frisch [MVP]

Microsoft Windows operating systems are designed to only be
installed and function properly on an internal hard drive.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­-----


Hi,

I have some questions: 1. Does it is possible that install the operation
system (such as windows xp) on the moveable hard disk? 2. Is it that a way to
install a operation system on moveable hard disk and enable it to work with
different computer? 3. If question 2 is true , how can I do with it? Is the
windows xp embedded system the right way to do it?
 
R

Ron Martell

Leecky said:
Hi,

I have some questions: 1. Does it is possible that install the operation
system (such as windows xp) on the moveable hard disk? 2. Is it that a way to
install a operation system on moveable hard disk and enable it to work with
different computer? 3. If question 2 is true , how can I do with it? Is the
windows xp embedded system the right way to do it?

Windows XP will not install on a removable disk. It might be
possible to install it on a fixed disk and then use a Disk Imaging
product to copy that to a removable drive and provided you get the
drive letters configured correctly it might repeat might work.

When Windows XP is installed it is specifically configured to work
with the actual hardware components that are found in that particular
computer. If you move the drive to a different computer it will
typically fail to boot unless and until a Repair Install of Windows XP
is done to configure it for the hardware in the new computer, at which
point it will then no longer be usable back in the original computer
because of the hardware differences.

Even if the two computers were absolutely identical in every hardware
aspect (same motherboard, same CPU, same video card, same hard drive
make and model, same CD/DVD drive make and model, same amount of RAM,
etc etc. moving the hard drive would still cause problems with Windows
Activation because of the computer specific items that are included in
the items monitored by activation such as the MAC address of the
network card and the volume serial of the hard drive.

Hope this explains the situation.

Good luck



Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

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

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