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Multiboot From Usb External Hdd


surya_ok

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I have read almost all of the topics in the multiboot section.

I think it's very nice to have a CD/DVD to boot to multi OS.

Is it possible if all the steps we've tried, we do that in a USB External HDD instead of CD/DVD.

I'm looking all over the internet, but it seems that no one know how to do that. Help me please !

Thanks.

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Impossible for windows xp.

Well, yes for the moment, but things are in the going.

The problem is not just Windows XP itself (in it's latest versions), but the actual hardware also.

USB 1.1 will NOT work.

SOME USB 2.0 "might" work, and some not.

This is due to the way XP resets the USB ports during the boot process.

BartPE and winPE can already boot from an USB device:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=14316

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=33916

http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7632

SP1 for Server 2003, has made possible another approach.

have a look at this thread here on 911CD:

http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10806

http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9685

There is not a definite guide about it, as it's still highly experimental, and, as said before, it might work, with LOTS of tweaking, on some hardware only.

Possible for linux but u have a lot of tweaks to do.

Actually lately there are quite a few USB "LIVE" Linux distributions, see here for a big list of Live distros:

http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

of which a few have been "hacked" to work from USB devices.

I tested this (based on Knoppix):

Feather Linux:

http://featherlinux.berlios.de/

and it works like a charm and not difficult to setup.

jaclaz

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For linux, of course , there are a lots of live cd, but im talking about a "real" full install of linux (like debian or mdk) from an usb drive. It's much more difficult

Yes, right, and you need a BIG USB stick! :P

jaclaz

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In theory it is possible. Say that you have an external hdd that is at least 20 gig. Make a cd that installs the driver on the system and also make the system search for the external hdd and boot from it. From there you could have a standard installation which runs trough every s*** that you've got on it and installs it correctly and silently. Just think about it, start the process when you are going to bed and the next morning, everything is finished and it is just to continue where you left off............

Best Regards

Nerevar

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For linux, of course , there are a lots of live cd, but im talking about a "real" full install of linux (like debian or mdk) from an usb drive. It's much more difficult

Yes, right, and you need a BIG USB stick! :P

jaclaz

How big? I've got one at one gig so it should hold for a slim XP install or a standard win2k, me or 9x on it :-)

Best Regards

Nerevar

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How big? I've got one at one gig so it should hold for a slim XP install or a standard win2k, me or 9x on it :-)

Please, re-read my post above, we were talking about a

FULL LINUX DISTRIBUTION

you know, one of those thingies that come in 2, 3 or 4 CD's.

Maybe we could re-do from start:

1) DOS based systems (DOS, Win9x, ME) can boot from an USB stick allright

2) NT based systems (NT,Win2k, XP, 2003) CANNOT

3) NT 3.x, 4.0 and Win2K will probably NEVER be able to do so (unless someone writes some specific code, like the guys at http://www.apct.net/en/products/AB.php3 did for CD booting) Bart himself started his great project after he found a way to start windows with a read only Registry, which is not possible with NT/Win2k

4) BartPE and WinPE, which are BASED on XP/2003 already can, but the topic and experiences are very recent

5) probably it will be possible in a near future to boot a stripped version of XP/2003, but at this moment IT IS NOT

6) Linux can boot from USB stick allright, there are even USB live distributions, like the one I linked to

jaclaz

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But for linux it's possible. Mandrake already sell external usb hard drive with linux on it.

I ve tried to boot from usb hard device with no luck :-/ (i have tried 2 methods : recompile kernel with usb/sci modules and ramdisk, with no luck :( )

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