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Install XP Pro on an external USB Hard Drive?


shokan
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Is there any reason I cannot format, and install XP on, this external drive?

Iomega 320GB eGo USB Hard Drive

Key Features

Capacity: 320 GB

Interface: USB · FireWire

Enclosure: External

Spindle Speed: 5400 RPM

Technical Features

Buffer Size: 8 MB

Average Latency: 5.56 ms

Interface (Detailed): FireWire 400 (1394a) · USB 2.0 · FireWire 800 (1394b)

Other Features

Compliant Standards: Plug and Play

I'm not looking for performance, just for having XP on another drive separate from the main HD. If I can do this, how will I do it when booting my machine with the XP full install disc (XP will already be on the main machine HD)? Will the screen show an option of the ext drive to format and to install?

Thanks.

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A few points first of all:

1. Does the BIOS/motherboard of the computer have built-in USB capability? It used to be that USB was a function of the operating system and only became operable when the O/S was fully loaded.

2. WXP was very particular where and at what stage it was installed. If you are trying to install alongside another Windows version, it could be that which is preventing the operation.

3. I'm not familiar with that Iomega drive but I recall from the past with other hardware from the same manufacturer that they always had their own driver software which needed to be loaded before Windows could see the item. Is that the case here?

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A few points first of all:

1. Does the BIOS/motherboard of the computer have built-in USB capability? It used to be that USB was a function of the operating system and only became operable when the O/S was fully loaded.

Documented General Info:

Processor

• Socket: 775

• Supports the following processors:

-Pentium D 900 series Dual Core (Presler)

-Pentium D 800 series Dual Core (Smithfield)

-Pentium 4 500 (Prescott)

-Pentium 4 600 (Prescott)

-Celeron D (Prescott)

-Celeron D (Cedar Mill)

Chipset

• Northbridge: ATI RC410

• Southbridge: ATI IXP450

Memory

• Single-channel memory architecture

• 2 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbuffered non-ECC 400/533 MHZ DDR2 memory modules

• Maximum memory is 2 GB

Audio

• Built-in Azalia 8 channel audio

• Realtek ALC882 or ALC883 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC

Onboard I/O Connectors

• Supported by Intel®ICH7

- 2 x Ultra DMA100/66 devices

- 4 x Serial ATA2 devices

Peripheral Interface [internal/Rear Panel]

Two IDE connectors

One floppy drive connector

One ATX 24-pin power connector

One ATX 4-pin +12v power connector

Four Serial ATA connectors

One VGA connector

One IEEE 1394a connector

One CPU fan connector

One PC fan connector

One CD_IN connector

One front panel audio connector

One PC panel connector

Two USB connectors supporting 2.0 ports

PS/2 keyboard (purple)

PS/2 mouse (green)

One SPDIF out port

One S-video out port

One VGA out port

One Parallel port

Four USB (2.0)

One IEEE 1394a

One RJ-45 networking port (LAN)

Audio ports:

line in (light blue)

line out (lime)

microphone (pink)

side speaker out (gray)

rear speaker out (black)

center/subwoofer (yellow orange)

Expansion Slots

• 1 x PCI Express x16 slot

• 2 x PCI slots

BIOS

• AMI BIOS with 4Mb Flash ROM

• Supports Plug and Play 1.0A, APM 1.2, Multi Boot, DMI

• Supports ACPI revision 1.0 specification

Onboard LAN

• Realtek RTL8100 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet controller

Video

• Integrated RC410 on-chip (Radeon X300-based 2D/3D graphics)

Form Factor

microATX (9.60 inches by 9.60 inches [244 millimeters by 244 millimeters])

2. WXP was very particular where and at what stage it was installed. If you are trying to install alongside another Windows version, it could be that which is preventing the operation.

Not sure and don't know how to check.

3. I'm not familiar with that Iomega drive but I recall from the past with other hardware from the same manufacturer that they always had their own driver software which needed to be loaded before Windows could see the item. Is that the case here?

Nothing came with the retail drive.

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