Windows XP on External HDD?

ps2cho · 01-20-06, 10:21 PM

Is it possible to install XP on an external hard drive?

I've done some searching, but im yet to find anybody who has successfully done it...

Anybody know?

Thanks, ps2cho

redduc900 · 01-21-06, 05:00 AM

Windows (all versions) must have it's boot files installed to the first physical HDD on a computer system, and those boot files must lie within the first 8,192MB (8GB) of that first physical disk in order for Windows to boot... for NT4 it's 2,048 MB (2GB). Therefore no, you can't boot Windows from an external HDD.

You could always use a disk imaging program such as Symantec's Norton Ghost, and clone your internal HDD containing the XP OS to an external HDD. The contents of that cloned USB EHD could then be cloned back to your internal HDD, should you wish to restore the latter. There's an indication that MS is encouraging MB manufacturers to provide this capability...

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device...boot.mspx#EGAA

... although in that same article MS states "Windows as it exists today is not optimized to run as an installed operating system from USB attached mass-storage or CD".

01-20-06, 10:21 PM	Thread Starter #1
ps2cho Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Socal, no hella here	Windows XP on External HDD? Is it possible to install XP on an external hard drive? I've done some searching, but im yet to find anybody who has successfully done it... Anybody know? Thanks, ps2cho __________________ Q6600 @ 3.6GHz:.:GA-P35-DS3L:.:4GB DDR2 RAM:.:BFG GTX 260:.:Ultra 120 eXtreme:.:Corsair 520HX X2 3600+ @ 3.1GHz:.:GA-MA78GPM-DS2H:.:1GB DDR2 RAM:.:eVGA 7900GS 256MB:.:Corsair 400CX HTPC: X4 620 0.9v:.:DFI LP JR 790GX:.:2GB DDR2 RAM:.:Asus HD4550 512MB:.:Corsair 450VX:.:32" Vizio 1080p HDTV Laptop: Sony Vaio CW27FX:.:Intel Core i5 @ 2.4GHz:.:GT 330M 512MB:.:4GB DDR3 RAM:.:14" LED AMD CPU List:.:How to HLDS:.:Heatware "The constant assertion of belief is an indication of fear."-Jiddu Krishnamurti
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01-21-06, 05:00 AM	#2
redduc900 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: WCG@home in Portland	Windows (all versions) must have it's boot files installed to the first physical HDD on a computer system, and those boot files must lie within the first 8,192MB (8GB) of that first physical disk in order for Windows to boot... for NT4 it's 2,048 MB (2GB). Therefore no, you can't boot Windows from an external HDD. You could always use a disk imaging program such as Symantec's Norton Ghost, and clone your internal HDD containing the XP OS to an external HDD. The contents of that cloned USB EHD could then be cloned back to your internal HDD, should you wish to restore the latter. There's an indication that MS is encouraging MB manufacturers to provide this capability... http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device...boot.mspx#EGAA ... although in that same article MS states "Windows as it exists today is not optimized to run as an installed operating system from USB attached mass-storage or CD". __________________ "Taking Your Posting to the Next Level" "Unofficial Posting Guidelines" "Forum FAQs, Guidelines, and Rules" "Signatures: Content, Size and readability"
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