Installing Windows on a USB flash drive

[Goi]

Hi,

Is there any way of installing Windows onto a USB flash drive such that I can boot up from that flash drive from any PC? Assuming the PC supports USB booting and meets Window's minimum requirements of course.

The challenge is that there are so many drivers issues for all the various hardware possible, unless there's some sort of generic driver set that can be used for basic hardware?

Or some other Windows version such as Windows Embedded?

Thanks.

 

[yinan]

Windows PE can do this.

 

[DirkGently1]

It may be a feature of Windows 8 iirc.

 

[corkyg]

" . . . such that I can boot up from that flash drive from any PC? "

That will probably never happen. The rule of one OS to one PC will be preserved. It might be possible if the flash drive were tied to one specific computer. To make it good for multiple PCs, you would most likely have to buy a bigger license that would allow a greater number, but finite, of PCs.

 

[superccs]

There is a software package that was being bundled with new USB 3.0 drives that would do essentially this. Ceedo, here's the link.

http://www.gadgetfighter.com/gadgets/27/usb-3-0-flash-drive-from-super-talent.php

 

[Saithegeek]

Windows PE can do this.

Listen to this guy.:thumbsup:

 

[Goi]

@yinan/Saithegeek, will check Windows PE out. Does Windows PE provide enough services and drivers(display/network/etc) for regular computing? Not looking to do any sort of heavy computing, just light computing on the go like checking the web/email/MS office/etc. Also, where would I get Windows PE? I googled and the guide here says that it comes with WAIK, but I could only find the Vista version. I'm currently on XP and AFAIK there's an XP version of Win PE, but it doesn't seem like there's an XP version of WAIK(Vista/Win 7 only).

@superccs, thanks, but it seems that Ceedo does this through virtualization. I would prefer not having to do this, but running Windows directly.

 

[lxskllr]

Just use a light Linux distro. It's more likely to work across multiple machines, is smaller, more secure, and you can install it on anything.

 

[Gillbot]

Just use a light Linux distro. It's more likely to work across multiple machines, is smaller, more secure, and you can install it on anything.

I use Damn Small Linux and/or Slax myself.

 

[JackMDS]

Installed Windows can Not work from USB even on one computer with all the correct drivers.

The core of the OS does not have the code to start from USB when installed.

 

[Goi]

Unfortunately Linux is not an option. It has to be Windows. I've tried Slitaz Linux before and yup I know it works.

Just tried Windows PE using the guide, and it boots up to a Vista environment, but only with a command prompt and nothing else. Tried to start explorer but even that didn't work. Does Windows PE only provide a command prompt and nothing else?

I know of at least 2 USB drives that are able to do this, but I believe they make use of Windows embedded. Just wondering if it's possible to achieve this with regular Windows.

Jack, hasn't many people installed Windows successfully on a USB drive and use them on 1 computer? I see guides for these type of applications all over the web. What I'm asking is a step further - using it on any computer. There must be some sort of generic drivers for the various devices, eg display, networking? I know there is for display at least. It's used when Windows is just installed, before I install the specific display driver. Not sure about networking and the rest though.

 

[stevech]

Common Windows (not PE) cannot install from USB as the OS has no boot drivers for USB. Even Win 7.

(perhaps by intent, to reduce piracy. Same idea as why retail PCs don't come with install DVDs)

 

[JackMDS]

@Goi

As mentioned above by stevech

The issue is Not regular Drivers. Windows client OS' do not include in an installed mode code to look recognize the USB and Boot from it.

I saw in the past attempts of "questionable" Enthusiasts on European forums trying to re-edit the Boot code on an installed configuration to read the USB aspects of Win XP.

Some claimed that it works for them, then you would see a load of people posting there after complaining that they tried and it did not work for them. I do not recall any claim or attempt of this nature beyond XP.

 

[Auric]

BartPE can be built with additional driver packages (particularly storage and network) and though intended for disc there are tools which will load it onto flash.

 

[takeru]

Installed Windows can Not work from USB even on one computer with all the correct drivers.

The core of the OS does not have the code to start from USB when installed.

it can when you make it believe the usb drive is a hard drive.

 

[Nothinman]

Jack, hasn't many people installed Windows successfully on a USB drive and use them on 1 computer? I see guides for these type of applications all over the web. What I'm asking is a step further - using it on any computer. There must be some sort of generic drivers for the various devices, eg display, networking? I know there is for display at least. It's used when Windows is just installed, before I install the specific display driver. Not sure about networking and the rest though.

No, there really must not be a generic driver for everything just because you want it to be so. Some devices conform to lowest common denominator standards like VESA for video but the performance is so bad that your eyes will start to bleed after a few minutes. The storage "standard" would be INT 13 BIOS level access, but again that's so slow as to almost make the machine unusable. AHCI may cover a lot of newer storage controllers, but it's not enabled by default everywhere and there's still a lot of SATA machines out there that don't do AHCI at all. Networking used to have a pseudo-standard in the NE2000 drivers but that's long since gone and AFAIK every NIC chipset needs a driver. Some drivers handle multiple chipsets, especially in the Linux world since we don't rely on manufacturer's crappy drivers, but that doesn't apply to Windows.

Linux LiveCDs and USB installs work so well because 99% of the needed drivers are included in the kernel. The kernel gets loaded into memory and the first thing it does is extract an initramfs containing udev and all of the available drivers and load the ones appropriate to the current machine. Windows will never be able to do that because of how it's managed and sold.

 

[vailr]

As explained previously, a Live Linux operating system such as Ububtu would be more amenable to booting and working on a variety of different machines. Check email, surf the web, etc.
However, Windows 7 SP1 32-bit can indeed boot and run (spinning external HD or USB stick) from a USB 2.0 port.
Someone torrented the modified installation files.
Google search for:
Windows 7 Ultimate USB Stick Edition - Portable - 32 bit
or
Windows 7 Ultimate USB Stick Edition - Portable - 64 bit
or
Portable Windows 7 Ultimate x86 SP1 USB (opt dual boot BT4)

 

[Goi]

FWIW I've seen Windows XP installed on USB hard drives and booting up from them, even though the official word from Microsoft is that they don't support USB booting. So that problem has already been solved, at least for 1 system. Now moving them among different hardware would be a challenge due to drivers, and licensing problems.

Is there any way to install Bart PE on USB drives?

 

[some_guy]

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