The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    How to install XP on a flashdrive?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by maxima1274, Feb 23, 2009.

  1. maxima1274

    maxima1274 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    12
    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Anyone have a tutorial that I can use to put XP on a flash drive?
     
    maxima1274, Feb 23, 2009
    #1
  2. Greg

    Greg Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    7,857
    Messages:
    16,212
    Likes Received:
    58
    Trophy Points:
    466
    Well, your computer would have to support booting from the flash drive. It probably does, but I'm not sure.

    However, XP would be painfully slow on a flash drive...XP would have about half the hard drive bandwidth on a flash drive than what a traditional hard drive will provide.
     
    Greg, Feb 23, 2009
    #2
  3. maxima1274

    maxima1274 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    12
    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hey, thanks for the response.

    I've confirmed that my Phoenix Bios has the ability to boot first from the flash drive. Also, I just want to do this for fun, kind of as a project.

    So any tutorials?
     
    maxima1274, Feb 23, 2009
    #3
  4. stewie

    stewie What the deuce?

    Reputations:
    3,666
    Messages:
    2,174
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Use WinBuilder, for XP, BartPE (based on XP) is very popular, but I'd suggest VistaPE (based on Vista) because it has a higher compatibility for newer systems. You can build both BartPE and VistaPE with WinBuilder, it has everything you need to make your UFD bootable, of course you will also need either an XP CD or Vista DVD as source.

    Tutorials:
    http://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-Bootable-USB-drive-with-VistaPE/
    http://www.purviancecs.com/vistapeflashdrive_bl.htm

    Forum for WinBuilder:
    http://www.boot-land.net/forums/
     
    stewie, Feb 23, 2009
    #4
  5. jisaac

    jisaac Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    306
    Messages:
    1,141
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    jisaac, Feb 24, 2009
    #5
  6. CyberVisions

    CyberVisions Martian Notebook Overlord

    Reputations:
    602
    Messages:
    815
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    SanDisk makes a 16gb flash USB that you can load applications on and boot from. It costs about 30 bucks - you can get it at Wal-Mart. Install XP on it like you would any drive.

    Your problem will be what system you use it on. If you boot from it on the same system you installed it on you shouldn't have a problem as long as you set your BIOS to scan for it, and it'll recognize it as a bootable drive. But if you try it on a different system you might have problem if it has a different BIOS. So in that regard it's a viable backup boot disk, but that's about it.
     
    CyberVisions, Feb 24, 2009
    #6
  7. maxima1274

    maxima1274 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    12
    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    maxima1274, Feb 27, 2009
    #7