Installing Windows XP to a flash drive

CHollman82 · Rated R Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Posts: 73

I have been thinking of doing this for a while now, primarily because I have always like to have my OS on a seperate drive if possible and because they are so much faster than HDDs (480mb/s). Would getting the computer to boot from a flash drive be a problem? In my BIOS there are a few boot options but I don't think flash drive was one of them (though USB might have been, Ill have to check). Has anybody here done this?

**JimBowy** · Moderator Joined: 02 Aug 2003 Posts: 1627

i think if your BIOS supports USB your all set

within the last 2 weeks somebody posted a website that allows you to to install XP onto a thumbdrive.

vulcan · Posted: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 15:05:28 Post Subject:

can't see why not - i've had a linux install on my flash drive for some time for diagnostic purposes.

CHollman82 · Rated R Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Posts: 73

Would it actually be faster? It seems like it would be becuase of the faster transfer speed of USB2, but I dunno, I have doubts for some reason Confused

**JimBowy** · Moderator Joined: 02 Aug 2003 Posts: 1627

CHollman82 · Rated R Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Posts: 73

lol, but that would require me to purchase a larger flash drive, I wanted to know before I did that

**JimBowy** · Moderator Joined: 02 Aug 2003 Posts: 1627

dadx2mj · Posted: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 20:57:06 Post Subject:

Size might be a problem here. I have 3 systems running Win XP here and the Windows folder are 1.47gigs, 2.45gigs and 3.01 gigs. You are going to need a big thumb drive.

BeerCheeze · Posted: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 21:59:38 Post Subject:

I bet if you install a very stripped down version you might get it to fit.

acruxksa · Posted: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 22:03:14 Post Subject:

Nlite should help on the size front.

Not sure it will be faster though.