JamesRM

Did you disable mass storage controller at BIOS? Then use usbhub.sys from XP Embedded. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee428799.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=11196 <POSready2009_CD.iso>\Setup\USB\usbhub.sys Don't understand what you are getting at. I haven't disabled mass storage controller at BIOS, don't even know how to or why I would want to. The reason it will not accept Internal HDD's is because I dropped it. (Crashed the heads of the HDD in there at the time as well ) Fundamently the system has no problem booting from USB, indeed I can run Ubuntu just fine from USB Flash drive.

Ok, all makes sense. Will have a go over the weekend and post results on Monday.

Yeah, it's weird, especially when on the Toshiba it actually detects both with no problems. In fact it's a shame I'm not trying to do it with the Toshiba as I think it would have been a cinch This also occured to me last night and I think this is going to be the best option to stand a chance of working. The drive is 80 GB so assumingly I would create a 2GB partition on the drive which would be the XP Install partition. Boot on the netbook (which now works). Select to install Windows to the remaining 78 GB partition, then at first reboot, connect to Toshiba and add USBbootwatcher and CDDB, then complete install back on the netbook ? Will I need to change boot.ini at any stage to select which partition to boot from? Thanks again for your continued help

Ok, so I managed to get past the 7b when booting from the Source USB drive only This was achieved by downloading the actual Chipset and Mass Storage drivers from the Netbook manufacturer's website and then creating my own Driverpack with just these in and then intergrating using DPsBase. As you alluded to the problem now is that the 7b returns when I connect the Target USB drive as well. Any thoughts as to why this is? Is it a case of the Windows installation selecting the wrong drive when it refreshes it's hardware?

No, on the netbook even without the TARGET USB connected, I still get 7B on Starting Windows, right after the drivers load. On the Toshiba WITH the Target USB connected the same key gets past that point on to the select drive to install on screen and shows the Target USB as fixed drive to install on just fine. i'll probably try a couple more things when I get home tonight before giving up and seeing if wimb's solution could work. Don't know why MS have to be so high and mighty so as not to retro-spectively added USB Boot/Install support :-(

Think it's more like suicide than living dangerously Your approach is what I'm trying to do but the problem is that I'm not getting past the first stage :-( I've used WinsetrupFromUSBwithGUI to create an install stick which works fine on the Toshiba laptop that I created it on But when I put it into the netbook it gives a 7B on the text setup after starting windows. Not too familiar with QEMU, can I get it to match the hardware/environment on the netbook when it's running on a different machine? Thanks for your continued help.

Already tried this, makes no difference

Thanks for the reply jaclaz Ultimately your right, the goal is to Install XP to a USB HDD using the usboot.org method. But I haven't got that far yet, I need to be able to boot the XP Install CD from another USB HDD to actually install it from in the first place. (No DVD drive no the netbook) and I just keep getting the 7B error .

I have an Emachines M250 Netbook (I think this is the same as an Acer Aspire One D250) Due to an 'accident' it will not accept Internal HDD's so the ultimate goal is to run Windows XP from a USB HDD mounted in an enclosure. The netbook has no problem with USB booting as I have succesfully run Ubuntu from it. So the first step would be Installing XP from USB and at the moment I'm smashing my head against the BSOD which is the 7B error! Steps taken so far (on a Toshiba Laptop running Windows 7) 1. Used RMPrepUsb to format USB HDD to NTFS 2. Used DPSBase to add Mass Storage and Chipset Drivers to XP Source 3. Replaced NTDETECT.COM at source with modified 4. Used WinToFlash to copy source to USB HDD (Have also tried WinsetrupFromUSBwithGUI but I can't get USB Multiboot 10 to work in Windows 7 even with UAC off and path fix etc. etc.) 5. Replaced all instances of NTDETECT.COM on USB HDD (just to be sure!) Netbook boots to Text setup and then 7B's when Starting Windows. What is annoying is that if I test on the Toshiba, it all works fine! Please tell me what I'm missing!!!! P.S. Wasn't trying to insult anyone else's knowledge with topic title, any and all help is greatly appreciated! Also sorry jaclaz for adding a K !