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Install From Usb Hard Drive


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Is it possible to install Windows XP from a USB hard drive?

From what I can gather, I wouldnt be able to boot from the hard drive and install, but can I boot from a cdrom (say barts for example) and kick off the installation, using the usb hard drive as my source?

Tim

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Boot from a floppy disk in MSDOS and try to access data into your usb drive (if FAT32 format ..) if you can read you can hope to install windows form this usb hard disk. But I don't see how can copy boot sector from WinInstallCD to your disk drive ...

goodbye & goodluck

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Numerous threads around here say you cant.. main reason (i believe) being that once Windows starts installing devices it does something like try to initialize it or update drivers or something, which will hose your install.

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From what i've seen & read on topics like this i'd have to say that if you

could modify your bios to include the option to boot from a flashdrive

then I could imagine it working.

If you go to this sight you will see that in fact they have operating

systems installed & running from usb flashdrives.

I downloaded a Mr-Bios upgrade for an intel triton chipset MoBo some

time ago & flashed the bios with it, it gave me the option to display a

boot menu that said press 1 to boot to floppy or 2 to boot from C drive.

In the boot order in the bios settings it also gave me the option to boot to

any one of the 8 - yes 8 hard-drives optioned in the bios.

it also supported 4 floppies , 4 serial ports & 4 printer ports..

Trickest bios I ever saw, so modifying a bios to boot to a flashdrive is

all that would be needed.

This is the page I downloaded

that trick bios I mentioned above, it was for the TS54paio board that I use for

installing old beta software on.

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Theres no denying that you can boot off your usb and probably can run an os off of it (great way to burn your key out fast though), but again, the issue resides in the actual installation.

in the 5-6 or so threads about this exact same topic, i havent seen a single person say theyve successfully done it.

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Theres no denying that you can boot off your usb and probably can run an os off of it (great way to burn your key out fast though), but again, the issue resides in the actual installation.

in the 5-6 or so threads about this exact same topic, i havent seen a single person say theyve successfully done it.

Then i'd be willing to bet there's no-one here capable of modifying the bios to do

such.

I can see what the issue is here but if the flashdrive can be booted from then why

could'nt you install an OS from it?

I do read what the topic is about before I waste my time offering my point of

view .. :angry:

Take the time to think about what I posted before offering a smart-a** reply.

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Whats there to think about? The only thing you said in your post is that you found a way to boot from a usb drive... which is a very much known thing you can do. This topic is about installing from a flashdrive.. not simply booting from it and your post in no way validated the fact that its possible to do.

Like I said before, what I believe it comes down to is at some point during the installation, Windows tries to update the usb driver, or re-initialize it or do something which causes the usb key to suddenly "disappear" to the install... and if the install cant see the source files, its obviously going to bomb out.

Again, do a search, theres about 6-7 other threads out there that say the same thing.. so Im certainly not jumping to conclusions or trying to start a p***ing match by offering a "smart-a** reply".

Hey, if it can be done.. great! Fact of the matter is, in all of the threads Ive seen (which by no means indicates it hasnt happend), nobody has said theyve been able to successfully do this. Furthermore, since there have been so many inquires about it and so much speculation about whether it can or cannot be done, youd think someone would have tried it by now.. and if it did work, would have posted it up.

So all Im saying is Im basing my claims off of the evidence Ive seen... not speculation.

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durex

Like I said before, what I believe it comes down to is at some point during the installation, Windows tries to update the usb driver, or re-initialize it or do something which causes the usb key to suddenly "disappear" to the install... and if the install cant see the source files, its obviously going to bomb out.

If the usb flashdrive is configured into the modified bios so it becomes one of the

boot-device options then I cannot see how it could be a problem.

Open your mind before opening your mouth.

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I have installed Windows from both a USB Hard drive and a USB Flash Stick. It really isnt that bad. The bigest part, as mentioned above is that you have to make the device bootable. Believe it or not the easiest way to do that is with a Win98 boot disk. I first start into DOS using a boot disk from Ghost, that has USB support, let the device mount, then do a

sys a: d:

so that the device is bootable, then set the bios accordingly. It isnt that bad.

BUT::: This does not work on all motherboards. The reason that we did this was we wanted a way to reinstall OS's for students during class. I was working as an adminstrator at a college and none of the computers had CD-ROM's. We found that we could only use certain labs for these classes where students learned all the basics of windows etc.

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I have installed Windows from both a USB Hard drive and a USB Flash Stick.  It really isnt that bad.  The bigest part, as mentioned above is that you have to make the device bootable.  Believe it or not the easiest way to do that is with a Win98 boot disk.  I first start into DOS using a boot disk from Ghost, that has USB support, let the device mount, then do a
sys a: d:

so that the device is bootable, then set the bios accordingly.  It isnt that bad. 

BUT:::  This does not work on all motherboards.  The reason that we did this was we wanted a way to reinstall OS's for students during class.  I was working as an adminstrator at a college and none of the computers had CD-ROM's.  We found that we could only use certain labs for these classes where students learned all the basics of windows etc.

You came at the right time, I was beginning to think there was nobody here with an

open mind to the posibilities of installing from a usb disk.

To me it seemed logical that it was possible having been playing with computers

for some 11 odd years now & seeing where the technology has gone.

Here's a couple of pages I found doing a quick search in Google that may be of

some help to the original poster.

Xp on a usb flash disk

Making the disk bootable.

I found others but these look like they might get him started.

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Correct, although the send link there is a little extensive. I would stay away from M-Systems. I have had to deal with them on a military project, and there drives are expensive!! BUT, incredible, and large. Another important thing is that it is much easier to boot XPe from other media, even a CD! XPe has other boot loader that you can choose from, allowing you to boot from anything you need, including read only media, which is actually what you want to do with flash drives. (You dont want to write and read so much from the drive, it just wont last as long) XPe is great, I use it where I work, we are right now finishing several embedded systems. Booting and installing from a HD is not that bad. I came up with the method above working at school and now I use whenever I need to. I use an external raid usb hard drive system from http://www.firewiredirect.com/ that way my image is raided and I dont have to worry about media or anything. Works like a charm.

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KenOath... 1st off Id appreciate it if youd cool it with the subtle bashes... secondly, I was simply going on what numerous others have said... I mentioned a couple times at least, that this is what I thought. Not that it was fact. Not being "open minded" has absolutely nothing to do with it... it has to do with evidence. If you said you did it, I wouldnt have told you "no, thats not possible" Fact of the matter, no one had ever said they had successfully done it.

And finally, the links you continue to post still have yet to prove that its possible to install xp from a usb key. The only things youve shown is that you can boot from a usb key and that you can run an os from a usb key.. both of which are very much widely known, and neither of which I never said could be done.

This is my last post on this topic, because its going absolutely no where... meanwhile Ill be waiting until someone actually accomplishes this instead of simply claiming it can be done 'in theory'.

Again, apologies for dragging this meaningless post on far longer that it should have.

Good luck! Have fun!

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durex.

KenOath... 1st off Id appreciate it if youd cool it with the subtle bashes
I will if you cool it with the condescending attitude.

I offered my opinion & was shot down as though I was rambling garbage.

When making future posts think of the implications your making regarding other

peoples advice.

Nobody likes to offer their opinion & be shot down like a fool.

Not being "open minded" has absolutely nothing to do with it... it has to do with evidence.

Ideas are based on an open minded approach using past experiences, facts

are'nt always staring you in the face until you give something a go, I never

claimed what you said was either true or otherwise, I gave my opinion- you shot

me down..

This is my last post on this topic, because its going absolutely no where... meanwhile Ill be waiting until someone actually accomplishes this instead of simply claiming it can be done 'in theory'.

purewaveform has posted the fact that he himself has done so, whether you

choose to beleive he has or has'nt don't worry me..

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Sorry it took me a couple of days to get back, but I didnt want this thread to just end. Durex seemed very curt and I should have writen better on why I use a USB Hardrive setup to install from. I wish that I had started a thread like this. I havent used a CD in over a year now for installation. I boot and install directly from a USB removable disk. I find it a fast and excellent way to install. It is also nice in that I can use a diffrent computer and if I find errors in a script, or a silent install wasn't perfect, then I can make the modification directly on the disk, and try again. Very fast. As a matter of fact I am going to get a Firewire 2 drive just so that I can use it, then it will basically be at full speed. I hope this was clear enough. If needs be I would be happy to post complete instruction on how to make the drive bootable and how to get it so it looks at the correct place for installation.

any questions please ask.

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