No. Windows will not run from a USB drive.
"Pete C." <pcorrao@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:%23lE3V961HHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> how about if I bought a new drive for my notebook. Popped out the Vista
> drive, installed the new drive and loaded xp. Then I would physically have
> to remove and install the drive with the OS I need. Can this be done via
> usb external drive??
> "peter" <peter@nowhere.net> wrote in message
> news:uulH8521HHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> Vista is a different animal from XP...........if you have Vista installed
>> and wish to setup a dual boot I suggest you buy another Hard drive and
>> hook it up.
>> Then disconnect the drive that Vista is on and install XP onto the new
>> drive.This way you have 2 seperate OS installations that will not
>> interfere with one another.
>> You get to chose which one to boot from by means of the BIOS...some BIOS
>> have the ability to let you chose during boot by means of an F
>> key....others you will need to change the boot order by actually entering
>> the BIOS and setting the approbriate drive as 1st boot.This way is the
>> easiest ti undo when you decide not to dual boot anymore...just
>> remove/format the other drive.
>> The "normal" way would require you to either create a new partition for
>> XP or buy another drive....then install XP onto that partition/drive.This
>> will destroy the Vista bootloader on the original drive and only XP will
>> boot.At which point you would need to boot with your Vista DVD and do a
>> "startup repair" which would see the XP installation and create the
>> required file changes to create a dual boot.This would give you a choice
>> screen when booting.
>> here is a link explaining this in more detail
>> http://www.pro-networks.org/forum/about88231.html
>>
>> peter
>>
>> "Pete C." <pcorrao@optonline.net> wrote in message
>> news:eQhJDm21HHA.2064@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Is there a way to create a dual boot laptop that gives me a choice of
>>> which OS I want to load. I still have programs that only work with XP.
>>> Any help would be appreciated!!!
>>>
>>> Or if someone knows a better way to use both XP or Vista...
>>>
>>> Thanks..Pete
>>>
>>>
>>
>