Reinstalling windows

[Guest annonymous]

Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having the

windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

thanks.

[Guest Big Al]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

annonymous wrote:

> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having the

> windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

> thanks.

Your BIOS has to support booting from a USB device first.

This is not standard on older motherboards. Check your BIOS.

Then it has to be first in the list of boot devices.

[Guest Anna]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

> annonymous wrote:

>> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having

>> the windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

>> thanks.

 

 

"Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message

news:98VXj.528$HJ5.361@trnddc01...

> Your BIOS has to support booting from a USB device first.

> This is not standard on older motherboards. Check your BIOS.

> Then it has to be first in the list of boot devices.

 

 

"annonymous"...

We have never been successful in booting to a USB-connected external HDD in

the XP environment (at least in any reliable way). And we've worked with a

large variety of systems that ostensibly had USB boot capability. However, a

number of users have reported that they have indeed been successful in

booting to a USBEHD containing a potentially-bootable XP OS. But as I've

indicated we have never been able to duplicate this capability.

 

Having said all that, if you want to pursue the matter further...

 

Take a look at this Fred Langa article where Fred purports to have come up

with a process to achieve this "bootability". See

http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticleSrc.jhtml?articleID=177102101

 

Also, a poster to one of the MS XP newsgroups claimed that he too has come

up with a methodology to do this as well. See

http://www.ngine.de/index.jsp?pageid=4176

 

And here's another one...

http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/

 

(I haven't checked the above links in some time to determine if they're

still active.)

 

No doubt a Google search will reveal a good deal of information on this

issue.

 

What we recommend should a user desire boot capability from an external HDD

is to use a SATA external HDD that provides SATA-to-SATA connectivity

(between the external enclosure-SATA HDD and the PC). Naturally the system

must have SATA capability to begin with and a connection must be made to one

of the motherboard's SATA connectors or through a SATA or eSATA ("e" for

"external") port on the PC, or through a SATA adapter on the desktop PC's

case. (It's a different type of system where a laptop/notebook is involved).

Anna

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

In order for the BIOS setting to make any difference Windows has to support

booting from the usb bus. It doesn't.

 

"Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message

news:98VXj.528$HJ5.361@trnddc01...

> annonymous wrote:

>> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having

>> the windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

>> thanks.

> Your BIOS has to support booting from a USB device first.

> This is not standard on older motherboards. Check your BIOS.

> Then it has to be first in the list of boot devices.

[Guest Big Al]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

Colin Barnhorst wrote:

> In order for the BIOS setting to make any difference Windows has to

> support booting from the usb bus. It doesn't.

>

> "Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message

> news:98VXj.528$HJ5.361@trnddc01...

>> annonymous wrote:

>>> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive

>>> having the windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB

>>> cable?

>>> thanks.

>> Your BIOS has to support booting from a USB device first.

>> This is not standard on older motherboards. Check your BIOS.

>> Then it has to be first in the list of boot devices.

>

I agree that Microsoft says it won't work but this link seems to suggest

someone has been able to overcome that limitation.

http://www.ngine.de/article/id/8

Granted they have modified the standard XP CD files to make things work.

It is not an 'out of the box' CD.

Still it looks like more work than its worth.

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

What is going on is a bit of hedging. MS has been part of the standards

group working on standards for booting from usb devices. It has been the

lengthy standards process that has held them back. Microsoft's position in

the enterprise computing market, however, makes them very conservative about

adopting preliminary standards in this area and they did not do so for XP or

Vista.

 

I believe they are past that now and I expect Windows 7 to have the support

for polling the usb bus for bootable devices. The interest, of course, is

being able to boot a usb optical device because there are a host of uses in

technical work (diagnosis, repair, etc). There is not much attraction as an

alternative for running a system drive off of the usb bus because of the

slow transfer rates. With newer machines supporting external eSATA that is

a much more attractive option for mounting a boot drive externally (and in

fact I do this already).

 

That is not to say that there are no operating systems that can already boot

from usb because there are (in the Linux world). For those OSs that can

already boot from usb the BIOS option is vital.

 

"Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message

news:ME%Xj.14390$_g.14085@trnddc07...

> Colin Barnhorst wrote:

>> In order for the BIOS setting to make any difference Windows has to

>> support booting from the usb bus. It doesn't.

>>

>> "Big Al" <BigAl@nowhere.com> wrote in message

>> news:98VXj.528$HJ5.361@trnddc01...

>>> annonymous wrote:

>>>> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having

>>>> the windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

>>>> thanks.

>>> Your BIOS has to support booting from a USB device first.

>>> This is not standard on older motherboards. Check your BIOS.

>>> Then it has to be first in the list of boot devices.

>>

> I agree that Microsoft says it won't work but this link seems to suggest

> someone has been able to overcome that limitation.

> http://www.ngine.de/article/id/8

> Granted they have modified the standard XP CD files to make things work.

> It is not an 'out of the box' CD.

> Still it looks like more work than its worth.

[Guest Bruce Chambers]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

annonymous wrote:

> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having the

> windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

> thanks.

 

 

No, it's not - general - true. It depends entirely upon the

capabilities of the specific computer. Most newer machines are

perfectly capable of booting from USB devices, including external drives

and even thumb drives.

 

 

--

 

Bruce Chambers

 

Help us help you:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

 

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

 

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

 

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

killed a great many philosophers.

~ Denis Diderot

[Guest Unknown]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

Yes you can boot from an USB device. BUT, Can you boot Windows XP OS from an

USB port?

Who does it?????

"Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@cable0ne.n3t> wrote in message

news:%23cTDIDTuIHA.1768@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> annonymous wrote:

>> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having

>> the windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

>> thanks.

>

>

> No, it's not - general - true. It depends entirely upon the capabilities

> of the specific computer. Most newer machines are perfectly capable of

> booting from USB devices, including external drives and even thumb drives.

>

>

> --

>

> Bruce Chambers

>

> Help us help you:

> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

>

> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

>

> They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

>

> Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand

> Russell

>

> The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

> killed a great many philosophers.

> ~ Denis Diderot

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

IIRC there are some Linux distros that can boot from usb. Windows could be

written to but until recently the international standards have been

preliminary and I suspect that MS cannot risk adopting preliminary standards

for something like that because of its enterprise customer base. The

support is offered in BIOSs on newer machines because development cannot

move forward without that step.

 

"Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message

news:TJ1Yj.2893$hJ5.2588@nlpi068.nbdc.sbc.com...

> Yes you can boot from an USB device. BUT, Can you boot Windows XP OS from

> an USB port?

> Who does it?????

> "Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@cable0ne.n3t> wrote in message

> news:%23cTDIDTuIHA.1768@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> annonymous wrote:

>>> Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive having

>>> the windows xp cd and connected with the computer through USB cable?

>>> thanks.

>>

>>

>> No, it's not - general - true. It depends entirely upon the capabilities

>> of the specific computer. Most newer machines are perfectly capable of

>> booting from USB devices, including external drives and even thumb

>> drives.

>>

>>

>> --

>>

>> Bruce Chambers

>>

>> Help us help you:

>> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

>>

>> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

>>

>> They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

>> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

>>

>> Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand

>> Russell

>>

>> The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

>> killed a great many philosophers.

>> ~ Denis Diderot

>

>

[Guest Bruce Chambers]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

Unknown wrote:

> Yes you can boot from an USB device. BUT, Can you boot Windows XP OS from an

> USB port?

 

 

Microsoft designs its operating systems so this cannot be done.

 

> Who does it?????

 

 

I've read of hacks to make it possible, but don't know any specifics

try Google.

 

 

--

 

Bruce Chambers

 

Help us help you:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

 

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

 

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

 

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

killed a great many philosophers.

~ Denis Diderot

[Guest C.Joseph S. Drayton]

Re: Reinstalling windows

 

Unknown wrote:

>Yes you can boot from an USB device. BUT, Can you boot Windows XP OS

>from an USB port? Who does it?????

>"Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@cable0ne.n3t> wrote in message

>news:%23cTDIDTuIHA.1768@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>>annonymous wrote:

>>>Is it true that computer can't be booted by an external CD drive

>>>having the windows xp cd and connected with the computer through

>>>USB cable? thanks.

>>

>>

>>No, it's not - general - true. It depends entirely upon the

>>capabilities of the specific computer. Most newer machines are

>>perfectly capable of booting from USB devices, including external

>>drives and even thumb drives.

>>

>>

>>--

>>Bruce Chambers

>>

>>Help us help you:

>>http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

>>

>>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

>>

>>They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little

>>temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin

>>Franklin

>>

>>Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do.

>>~Bertrand Russell

>>

>>The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest

>>has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot

 

Yes you defintely can. I did so a few months ago when testing some

questions that were asked in another Usenet group about ExpressCARDS.

While I was verifying the express cards, I decided that I would try

from a USB hard disk. The only problem of course was that you have to

do a repair install before the system is usable. Not very practical for

a technician if they have to do a repair install every time they

connect to a customers machine to work on it.

 

--

 

Sincerely,

C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

 

CSD Computer Services

 

Please excuse the TEMPORARY web site

 

Web site: http://csdcs.itgo.com/

E-mail: cjoseph@csdcs.itgo.com