[iaavagent]

Not sure if this correct place for such, but here goes.

Since the USB Flash{sticks} are gaining more capicity each day, headed to 16 gigs last I checked, is it possible to download your entire OS etc from your pute onto one. Would you need a special program ie; Ghost or? to do so if you could?
Just thought I'd ask, Thanks

[mt2002]

Technically yes, so long as the BIOS supports booting from USB, and the OS is configured to do so.

If you just want to copy your hard drive OS to a USB, it most likely wont, though, as the system is not configured to boot from USB, (USB booting is very different then HDD booting.)

[iaavagent]

Thanks for your reply. I think I understand?
How about if you already have an OS and you partion the Hd, can you then download from the USB Flash drive to have say XP with Vista? I have a new laptop with Vista and don't care for it much. Just thinking of ways to get XP loaded onto the laptop to use. Am I not correct that you are allowed to legally do this without
buying another XP OS to do so?
Thanks

[mt2002]

can you then download from the USB Flash drive to have say XP with Vista?

Please elaborate on what you mean here. There is no standard for partitioning on USBs, so it is not supported.

Just thinking of ways to get XP loaded onto the laptop to use. Am I not correct that you are allowed to legally do this without
buying another XP OS to do so?

It is legal so long as you destroy the old copy of the operating system. If you have multiple licenses, then you can copy it based off of the information in the EULA.

[lotuseclat79]

Booting, in order to boot from a USB, can only be done when the BIOS supports booting from a USB, and is setup to do so in the boot order.

Then it is just a matter of sticking the USB flash drive into a USB port and powering up.

That said, the USB flash drive must have been constructed to be bootable, i.e. have a bootable OS installed in a readable file system, similar, but not identical to a Live CD with a bootable OS installed which boots from the CD drive when the boot order is set up to do so before the hard drive containing a bootable OS which has been installed onto the hard drive.

-- Tom

[iaavagent]

It keeps coming back to being "bootable".
My thoughts were this=
I have a PC with Xp home,and a laptop with Vista home premium, and 120gigs.
I was trying to think of a way to get my XP OS loaded onto my laptop along with Vista.
I know I would need PMagic or the likes and based on what ya'll are saying I would have to purhase another XP OS. Right?
Thanks

[iaavagent]

I can mark this one solved! I just went to the Vista forum and read all about it. With all the problems that alot have experienced doing this I think I will just live with Vista even though I don't like it much. As far as the USB Flash thing is concerned I
now see why it can't be used in the way I had thought. Not bootable!
Thanka all for your help

[iaavagent]

It's odd how the caption for this thread changed from Tips &Tricks question [the way I typed it] to Tips &amp ; Tricks question! Weird.

[JohnWill]

While you can boot some operating systems from USB drives, Windows resets the USB controllers during the boot and the boot fails. There are "hacks" for XP to boot from USB devices, but native Windows won't boot properly from a USB drive.

[iaavagent]

There appears to be a lot of interest in USB booting on the internet and some who have had success in doing so with various methods. If you google "usb booting" you have quite a few articles on it. As indicated by those here, your BIOS needs to support it, however there appears to be some workarounds out there. As time goes on this may become quite common place if mfgs intergrate this option into their systems.
Wouldn't it be nice to utilize these little keychain sticks and carry your entire OS and personal data with you in such a little compact device. Maybe it's coming?

[mt2002]

Originally Posted by iaavagent

Wouldn't it be nice to utilize these little keychain sticks and carry your entire OS and personal data with you in such a little compact device. Maybe it's coming?

That would be interesting...We wont need hdd's anymore The only problem with that is if we boot into the USB on unsupported computer hardware... Not to mention how easy it is to damage those sticks.