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Install Xp on external hard drive

Cdubneeddeal

Cdubneeddeal

Diamond Member
Is it possible to install XP on an external hard drive and have it boot from it? Reason asking is my home comp is almost my work comp so having MP3's and torrents is a no no.
 
Have you considered using an eSATA drive? Or is the PC you'd be connecting it to a laptop and not a desktop? I don't think it'd work with a PCMCIA card eSATA adapter, but with a desktop, it'd either be built-in or on an expansion card.

I've been meaning to try out using eSATA boot drives, but a certain motherboard manufacturer was too much of a cheapskate to include any eSATA cables...
 
I've used eSATA for running an OS myself, but as would be expected, if you have native eSATA, that works easily.
There's also no performance degradation like you'll see with USB.

I've also never seen eSATA cables included with motherboards yet...i've seen bracket adaptors (like Gigabyte does), but it seems most manufacturers are stingy as possible with extras...
 
Originally posted by: Gillbot
Get a 2nd drive and swap them to keep work/home seperate? That's what I do on my work laptop.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I have done for a family member. In most notebooks, swapping hard drives is very quick and easy.
 
Originally posted by: n7
I've used eSATA for running an OS myself, but as would be expected, if you have native eSATA, that works easily.
There's also no performance degradation like you'll see with USB.

I've also never seen eSATA cables included with motherboards yet...i've seen bracket adaptors (like Gigabyte does), but it seems most manufacturers are stingy as possible with extras...
Click to expand...


Hello there , N7 i'm interested in using a Seagate 500Pro gig Esata/USB hd as the Boot & Storage disk on my Gigabyte P35 DS3R motherboard.. Looks like they included esata bracket & cables..
Any guidance or tips you can share would be greatly appreciated on getting windows XP going properly on this drive & motherboard !!

I'm assuming since this is a ESata drive it will close to as fast as a internal one.. As that's really all it is..
All help appreciated !!! Ol'Pal Gary !! 😀
 
You should be able to set the boot order in the bios to boot from the eSATA drive all the time...
 
Originally posted by: euroxracer
so when i take the esata off it will automatically boot from the next harddrive in line. right?
Click to expand...

Yes, just like when you have the optical driev set first. If there is no disc in the optical drive, it goes to the next device.
 
Good info.

Sounds like something I will try...Just for the fun of it and experimenting.

:thumbsup:
 
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