Use USB Flash Drive to protect your WinXP install in every way imaginable!

[RideFree]

Needed:
1 - 256 MB USB Flash Drive (USB 2.0 Compliant) - if you don't have one to spare here is Newegg's for less than $20.

2. Go to Tom'sHardware and follow the Bart PE Builder instructions in Björn's most excellent tutorial.

3. Never worry about "leaving home without it" again!

4. Time is money and I can not think of any simpler way to completely protect every Win XP you might ever have an occasion to work on at home, the office or in the field.

5. There are many other cool/nerdy things you can do with this proceedure. Put your thinking caps on A/Ters! (Björn's hat looks just like mine except his has the optional horns like Hagar's.

Edited to correct major math errors

 

[RideFree]

This ought to keep a few of you busy for a bit...

 

[Insomniak]

That is pretty frickin hot.

 

[hytek369]

nice

 

[Miramonti]

There's never a shortage of new excuses to buy additional hardware.

Thx, I'm gonna have to get this going.

 

[mikeford]

School me, how is this on USB better than a CDR?

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: mikeford
School me, how is this on USB better than a CDR?

Way more masculine!
CDR looks like an innie.
Flash drive looks like a woodie.

 

[mercanucaribe]

I'm trying to do this but I don't have the DOS files. I guess I have to download something from bootdisk.com? I hate those damned useless .exe files. I don't HAVE a floppy drive, so what good does an .exe that makes a boot floppy do me? Anyone want to upload the files for me?

Edit: Nevermind. This program can extract .img files. http://www.winimage.com/winimage/winima61.zip

 

[mercanucaribe]

Damn. My Sandisk Cruzer apparently is not bootable.

 

[Coraanu]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
Damn. My Sandisk Cruzer apparently is not bootable.

You sure? Usually depends on the host BIOS on whether or not you can boot off of USB devices.

 

[GTFan]

Originally posted by: mikeford
School me, how is this on USB better than a CDR?

Agreed. Although a USB boot drive with Bart's WinPE is a good idea and a lot easier to carry around, a CDR is a much more universal solution since there are still plenty of older XP PC's that can't boot from USB. Like most of my family's. Not to mention that CDR's are basically free.

 

[mscdex0]

Originally posted by: GTFan

Originally posted by: mikeford
School me, how is this on USB better than a CDR?

Agreed. Although a USB boot drive with Bart's WinPE is a good idea and a lot easier to carry around, a CDR is a much more universal solution since there are still plenty of older XP PC's that can't boot from USB. Like most of my family's. Not to mention that CDR's are basically free.

What about those computers that do not have the option to boot to CD in the bios?


Edit: It's funny I just saw this thread. Right as I saw it in the forums here I was installing SLAX (live version of linux based off of slackware) onto my USB watch!

 

[Devistater]

Originally posted by: mscdex0

Originally posted by: GTFan

Originally posted by: mikeford
School me, how is this on USB better than a CDR?

Agreed. Although a USB boot drive with Bart's WinPE is a good idea and a lot easier to carry around, a CDR is a much more universal solution since there are still plenty of older XP PC's that can't boot from USB. Like most of my family's. Not to mention that CDR's are basically free.

What about those computers that do not have the option to boot to CD in the bios?

That would be what the reply you quoted was talking about

As for how a USB is better, its writable. I dont think normal windows will install onto a CDR. You can get win PE onto a cdr, but that has its own sets of limitations.

Anyway the article looks very interesting. I still cant tell if it installs a winPE version of windows to your USB device, or the full version of windows to your device though lol.

 

[carpenter]

Originally posted by: RideFree
This ought to keep a few of you busy for a bit...

You got that right.

 

[Nick5324]

Interesting, thanks OP

 

[jpthomas]

Cool, I might give it a try later.

 

[mikeford]

So CDR is about the same, maybe you need to make a ram disc for part or some such. Maybe next really not USB drive deal will convince me.

 

[Lemodular]

Good article, thanks

 

[ClimberRich]

I hate you RideFree! I'm about to waste a couple hours doing this.

 

[SuperDoc]

I find many software leave their footprints that remain undetectable. Not only that, but some spyware, virus or some popups over time accumulate and somehow tend to remain undetectable and unremovable. I personlly think these are not viruses or spywares, but somehow changed configurations that I am not able to find and fix. For these reasons, I (kind a have to) wipe and reinstall the OS once every 6-8 months or so. After doing this for about two years, my latest tryout is something similar.

I have for many years either partitioned the drive or used two drives to keep my data on the separate disk or partition. This time I created three partitions. One for data, one for this purpose - backup as explained below, and of course the main os/application area partition. After complete install of XP and some of my usual programs (quicken, norton, office) and after defragmentation, I created a backup of the entire install (about 4 GB) and stored it on the separate partition. Should I need reinstallation, I would just use the restore disk after wiping the main disk. So far I have not needed to use it (about 8 months or so... knocking on wood), but will see if it works.

 

[spanky]

i am too lazy to read this now, but thanx in advance.

 

[Devistater]

If you do fairly frequent installs, it woudl be WELL worth it to on the next time you reinstall, make a ghost image and back it up to DVD. Of course put all the drivers and install all the normal applications before you do so. Then its a mere matter MINUTES to reinstall with NO work required.

 

[middlehead]

Originally posted by: spanky
i am too lazy to read this now, but thanx in advance.

 

[Cooljt1]

ok so this is basically like the old bootable floppy disk but with more room or something?

 

[RajunCajun]

The Ultimate USB Key

Clink above and you'll have all the possible info you need PLUS many extras!