Vista - OT: USB Flash Drive Boot

I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install either Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their computer from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of a benefit?

William

You cannot boot Windows from any usb device, flash or harddrive. If you want to boot your computer from a Linux distro I suggest you use one of the Live CD distros. The classic is Knoppix.
"William" <woogles@charter.net> wrote in message news:72E2C423-2354-4B15-834E-714B80546F08@microsoft.com...
I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install either Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their computer from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of a benefit?

William

Try following these steps for booting Linux from a flash drive. It
should be very similar to booting Windows from a flash drive as well.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/..._linux_on_usb/

Yes, Colin, you can boot a full operating system from a usb device.

-Luke

William wrote:
> I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install
> either Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their
> computer from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of
> a benefit?
>
> William

But not Windows.

"Luke Fitzwater" <skywaterhulk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eziuI9qzGHA.4312@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Try following these steps for booting Linux from a flash drive. It should
> be very similar to booting Windows from a flash drive as well.
>
> http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/..._linux_on_usb/
>
> Yes, Colin, you can boot a full operating system from a usb device.
>
> -Luke
>
> William wrote:
>> I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install either
>> Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their computer
>> from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of a
>> benefit?
>> William

Why not Windows (2000 or XP)?

William
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:%23KACsGrzGHA.2208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
But not Windows.

"Luke Fitzwater" <skywaterhulk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eziuI9qzGHA.4312@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Try following these steps for booting Linux from a flash drive. It should
> be very similar to booting Windows from a flash drive as well.
>
> http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/..._linux_on_usb/
>
> Yes, Colin, you can boot a full operating system from a usb device.
>
> -Luke
>
> William wrote:
>> I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install either
>> Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their computer
>> from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of a
>> benefit?
>> William

Because Windows NT, whether 2000, XP, or Vista does not support booting from devices on the usb bus. That is being closely looked at for a future release of Windows (aka Windows Codename Vienna).
"William" <woogles@charter.net> wrote in message news:AE639402-92A6-40BA-B8A7-758C36F71821@microsoft.com...
Why not Windows (2000 or XP)?

William
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:%23KACsGrzGHA.2208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
But not Windows.

"Luke Fitzwater" <skywaterhulk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eziuI9qzGHA.4312@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Try following these steps for booting Linux from a flash drive. It should
> be very similar to booting Windows from a flash drive as well.
>
> http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/..._linux_on_usb/
>
> Yes, Colin, you can boot a full operating system from a usb device.
>
> -Luke
>
> William wrote:
>> I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install either
>> Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their computer
>> from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of a
>> benefit?
>> William

I think it would be awesome if Windows Vienna had the option to run entirely from a USB Flash Drive. If it kept the hardware configuration files for your prime computer locally on the USB Flash Drive as well as essential applications such as the browser and email client, then booting should be almost instant. If the USB Flash Drive is large enough then it should allow you to install several favorite programs to the USB Flash Drive also. That way you could have your essential computer with you where ever you go.

If it were to run on another computer other than your prime computer, then I would think it should do a hardware check and then write appropriate files to the hard drive and then every time it boots from that particular computer, it would look for those files. while the first boot from another computer might take a few minutes while it identifies the hardware and configures the hardware, subsequent boot should be faster since the configuration files are already written

I would not want to see this as the only option. I would still like installing Windows on my computer, but this could really help in restoring a corrupted computer and saving the important data that is on it.

William
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:ufL%23w3szGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
Because Windows NT, whether 2000, XP, or Vista does not support booting from devices on the usb bus. That is being closely looked at for a future release of Windows (aka Windows Codename Vienna).
"William" <woogles@charter.net> wrote in message news:AE639402-92A6-40BA-B8A7-758C36F71821@microsoft.com...
Why not Windows (2000 or XP)?

William
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:%23KACsGrzGHA.2208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
But not Windows.

"Luke Fitzwater" <skywaterhulk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eziuI9qzGHA.4312@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Try following these steps for booting Linux from a flash drive. It should
> be very similar to booting Windows from a flash drive as well.
>
> http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/..._linux_on_usb/
>
> Yes, Colin, you can boot a full operating system from a usb device.
>
> -Luke
>
> William wrote:
>> I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install either
>> Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their computer
>> from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of a
>> benefit?
>> William

Agreed. There are however licensing concerns too. That is something for Microsoft to address, but I just point it out.

Have you considered the possiblities in using Virtual PC and running the virtual machine off of a thumb drive?
"William" <woogles@charter.net> wrote in message news:753AF799-955F-4677-8F91-9966235FDA30@microsoft.com...
I think it would be awesome if Windows Vienna had the option to run entirely from a USB Flash Drive. If it kept the hardware configuration files for your prime computer locally on the USB Flash Drive as well as essential applications such as the browser and email client, then booting should be almost instant. If the USB Flash Drive is large enough then it should allow you to install several favorite programs to the USB Flash Drive also. That way you could have your essential computer with you where ever you go.

If it were to run on another computer other than your prime computer, then I would think it should do a hardware check and then write appropriate files to the hard drive and then every time it boots from that particular computer, it would look for those files. while the first boot from another computer might take a few minutes while it identifies the hardware and configures the hardware, subsequent boot should be faster since the configuration files are already written

I would not want to see this as the only option. I would still like installing Windows on my computer, but this could really help in restoring a corrupted computer and saving the important data that is on it.

William
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:ufL%23w3szGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
Because Windows NT, whether 2000, XP, or Vista does not support booting from devices on the usb bus. That is being closely looked at for a future release of Windows (aka Windows Codename Vienna).
"William" <woogles@charter.net> wrote in message news:AE639402-92A6-40BA-B8A7-758C36F71821@microsoft.com...
Why not Windows (2000 or XP)?

William
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:%23KACsGrzGHA.2208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
But not Windows.

"Luke Fitzwater" <skywaterhulk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eziuI9qzGHA.4312@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Try following these steps for booting Linux from a flash drive. It should
> be very similar to booting Windows from a flash drive as well.
>
> http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/..._linux_on_usb/
>
> Yes, Colin, you can boot a full operating system from a usb device.
>
> -Luke
>
> William wrote:
>> I know this is kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the install either
>> Linux or Windows on a 4 gb USB Flash drive and then boot their computer
>> from it? If so, what would be the procedure and how would be of a
>> benefit?
>> William

Okay, you have my interest piqued...
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:%23eX4y8vzGHA.4116@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...


Have you considered the possiblities in using Virtual PC and running the virtual machine off of a thumb drive?

I use a 4GB flash drive and have copied a virtual machine folder (XP guest) to it. The virtual hard drive is set to less than 4GB when I set up the vm. I have VPC on all my computers. I insert the flash drive and run the virtual machine under VPC on that machine. Works fine. I have some refinements to that. I have a couple of machines where I have much larger virtual hard drives for local data. When I insert the flash drive I change the settings for the virtual machine so it uses the local vhd as a second virtual hard drive (like a data drive). That provides me with a data drive should I have a need for such (I usually don't). I did it as a proof of concept. With exFat coming and thumb drives of up to 64GB it will become feasible to move quite a substantial virtual machine around this way.
"Mark D. VandenBerg" <mvan103REMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:umJhnKwzGHA.576@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
Okay, you have my interest piqued...
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message news:%23eX4y8vzGHA.4116@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...


Have you considered the possiblities in using Virtual PC and running the virtual machine off of a thumb drive?