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Solve : Boot from External Drive? |
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Answer» Hi, If the drive letter for the external drive should change the software installed on it will most likely cease to function. This is easily fixable though by reassigning the old drive letter to the hdd. I'm sorry I dont get that .. ? When you install a s/w on another drive (e:), some files do write in the system in the C: drive, isnt it ? .... & thats how the dependency rises. Pls clarify. Any suggestions are welcome.Quote from: Dread on October 05, 2007, 12:57:08 AM I'm sorry I dont get that .. ? When you install a s/w on another drive (e:), some files do write in the system in the C: drive, isnt it ? .... & thats how the dependency rises. Pls clarify.That depends on the software. A lot of software doesn't need to write files to the system drive but some do. But the software should put the bulk of its files to the drive you specify so it shouldn't take up a lot of room on the system drive if that is what worries you.The practical answer is, you can get MS-DOS or Linux or Windows PE to boot from an external USB drive, but NOT Windows. Microsoft made it that way. That's NOT as in "canNOT be done". That doesn't mean that some wannabee teenage uber-geek won't google for, and paste on here, some forum post somewhere in which some masochist actually eventually managed to make some particular hardware combination do it, sort of, but the practical answer is, for people with lives, forget it. booting from a USB device can be tricky, and, frankly, i have never tried to boot windows from an external drive, nor do i intend to, however, i do know that on a lot of motherboards, booting from a USB device is possible. however, even though some SYSTEMS claim to be able too, they cant, they just lock up in the boot sequence or do not boot at all. it all depends on the hardware and software, as with the rest of the computer. okay, an alternate thought. Could I connect the external drive to a desktop (P3 config) & install XP on it (OR is it the same thing that it CANNOT be done) ? ... After installation, I dont have to boot this when connected to laptop, just use the programs installed on that external drive. The reason I'm messing up with all these is, I need 1GB to install the software. When I try to install, its asking for 500MB of files on the C: drive i.e laptop. I cant use space on the laptop, sp just want to install on the external drive so I could plug & use it anywhere. I guess I made I point. Thanks in advance !Quote from: contrex on October 05, 2007, 06:09:08 AM That doesn't mean that some wannabee teenage uber-geek won't google for, and paste on here, some forum post somewhere in which some masochist actually eventually managed to make some particular hardware combination do it, sort of, but the practical answer is, for people with lives, forget it. lol.Quote okay, an alternate thought. In short...no. Windows XP and everything after it ties itself to the hardware it is installed on... |
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