How Can I Run Computer Without Hard Drive With Just RAM Disk

[hackmole]

RAM is cheap enough that you could get 500 mbs or 1000 mbs or more to run your computer without even using a hard drive. Could anyone think of a way of doing this by using just a RAM Disk.

 

[majewski9]

Nope it is impossible with a windows type OS! RAM gets erased when the memory doesnt have power. So everytime you shutdown there is nothing in the ram. You would have to load the os into memory everytime you turn on your PC. IT is possible I guess but just tedious. Perhaps someone could develop a simple gui OS that gets loaded every time u turn on your PC. Embedded linux or DOS?

 

[Rockhound]

Question is where would you load it from? A windows OS has to be stored someplace along with apps, data, etc.

 

[Nothinman]

It's possible to run a unix system like Linux or FreeBSD totally in memory, you'd need to get the root filesystem from somewhere though, like a D like Knoppix does it or from a network server. But Windows just wasn't built with that sort of thing in mind.

 

[skyking]

Give knoppix a try, that is how it works, after bootup from a cdrom. No matter what you do, you need a source for the OS, be it network boot, floppy, cdrom, harddrive, or really big flash memory

 

[paperfist]

Would it be possible to install say Windows2000 onto a CD-ROM and boot that way? Just curious about this for use as a dumb terminal.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: paperfist
Would it be possible to install say Windows2000 onto a CD-ROM and boot that way? Just curious about this for use as a dumb terminal.

nope.

 

[ivwshane]

I've actually seen ram drive for sale and they usually have battery back up. So with a physical ram drive I see no reason why you couldn't install windows on it.
I searched around on google and I only came up with a couple of links to one such product, here but it's not in english.

I personally would setup a ram disk using RAMdisk and putting my windows swap file on it or use it for a game install.

 

[Jonathan93]

Originally posted by: ivwshane
I've actually seen ram drive for sale and they usually have battery back up. So with a physical ram drive I see no reason why you couldn't install windows on it.
I searched around on google and I only came up with a couple of links to one such product, here but it's not in english.

I personally would setup a ram disk using RAMdisk and putting my windows swap file on it or use it for a game install.

Try searching for Solid State Drives.... They are hard disks made of memory (No moving parts, but expensive as hell).

 

[Need4Speed]

there are tons and tons of linux floppy distros out there that load the root from the floppy into memory. I have a couple of p90 boxes here that run with only a floppy and some ram.

 

[Fallen Kell]

There are even more linux CD distro's out there that boot from CD-ROM...these even support just about all linux applications as well.

 

[Krye]

I did this a while back. I used a fully bootable MSDOS 6.22 disk with all the drivers for my hardware (CDROM, soundcard, and mouse) and run RAMDisk off the disk. Then I would install my games on the RAMDisk. Instant load times! Heh.
...
...
Well I thought I was pretty l33t

 

[paperfist]

Need4Speed, or anyone do you have links for Linux floppy distros? I've been looking for some, but I must not be typing the right words into Google. If I could get Linux on a floppy I might be able to boot into a Win2k Terminal Services window, which would be great!

 

[CTho9305]

c't magazine had an article about booting win9x from a CD-R... you had to put some directories in a ramdisk using "subst" to map drive letters and folders

 

[mee987]

Originally posted by: paperfist
Need4Speed, or anyone do you have links for Linux floppy distros? I've been looking for some, but I must not be typing the right words into Google. If I could get Linux on a floppy I might be able to boot into a Win2k Terminal Services window, which would be great!

http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributions/Floppy/

 

[paperfist]

Hey thanks CTho, that article is fantastic, its here if anyone else is interested. Now I can setup my mom's computer so it's bulletproof from the likes of Bonsai Buddy and greeting cards and all those free links she likes to click hehe.

mee987, thanks for that Linux page, it's got floppy distros in every flavor!



Ok well here is the link since I can't get it work up there:

null

 

[CTho9305]

Originally posted by: paperfist
Hey thanks CTho, that article is fantastic, its here if anyone else is interested. Now I can setup my mom's computer so it's bulletproof from the likes of Bonsai Buddy and greeting cards and all those free links she likes to click hehe.

mee987, thanks for that Linux page, it's got floppy distros in every flavor!



Ok well here is the link since I can't get it work up there:

null

ah, i'd lost the link and couldn't find it again. thanks