How do you install windows xp on a external harddrive

Fireguns

Fireguns

New Member
My internal hard drive broke on the last day of the year so i have been running windows 98se on a flash drive ever since. But windows xp setup does not want to install on a flash drive or external hard drive. Does any body have any idea how to get xp on an external hard drive. It will help me alot instead of using windows 98se.

Here are general system properties:
Dell Dimension 4600i
Intel Pentium 4 3.00ghrz
256mb of RAM
and my external hard drive is a buffalo 500gb usb 3.0.

I will appreciate your help :)
 
You can't install XP on an external drive. You need to buy a new internal drive.
 
Plug the hard drive in to the computer and then start Windows XP installation, then when XP asks where you want to install it to, select the hard drive?

Pretty sure I've done it like this before accidentally.

It probably won't work though, so you are better off just doing what was said above and getting yourself an internal hard drive to use.
 
spirit said:
It probably won't work though, so you are better off just doing what was said above and getting yourself an internal hard drive to use.
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Correct, because when XP boots, it resets all peripheral devices and you'll just end up with a BSOD.
 
You can do it. You need to set the IRQ and the hard drive has to be connected via a fast enough connection (e.g. esata).

From there you install it normally ensuring you have esata as the boot drive in the BIOS.
 
Okedokey said:
You can do it. You need to set the IRQ and the hard drive has to be connected via a fast enough connection (e.g. esata).

From there you install it normally ensuring you have esata as the boot drive in the BIOS.
Click to expand...

But can you give me a little more info about how to do it
 
It would be the same as doing a standard install on a internal hard drive. If you have the drive attached, then you should be able to just create a small partition and then just select the partition during install. Though you're better off just shrinking the main partition and making a smaller one with PartedMagic.
 
Punk said:
People seem to be having lots of problems with this tutorial... :)
Click to expand...

Yea that's kinda weird lol...since it worked for me.
The only thing which goes on my nerves a LOT is that it is so damn easy to install Windows 98 and ME on USB drives (or other USB media devices such as USB stick) while for Windows XP (in order to install them on USB drive) you need to go through all this painful procedures.
 
Thank you S.T.A.R. for letting me know where and how to install windows xp on a external hard drive now i can stop using windows me on this flash drive but it works pretty good but it is out of date and xp is way alot better than Windows ME (Mistake Edition) it flickers alot :)
 
then i was half way threw then when i went to download the in_ unpacker at the Microsoft
website the microsoft website deleted the unpacker from the site and my computer does not have cmd it is windows me instead i has ms-dos prompt so i cant do any thing plus i installed windows me on a 2gb flash drive and it is 3/4 used up so i can't turn my cd to a iso image so is there is an other way of doing it S.T.A.R.S.
 
voyagerfan99 said:
You can't install XP on an external drive. You need to buy a new internal drive.
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voyagerfan99 said:
I have a solution.

Buy a new internal drive :cool:
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What are you being a tool for voyager? The question OP came here to ask was 'How do you install windows xp on a external hard drive' not anything else.

I've seen this done before myself; and multiple people in the thread are confirming this. Have you considered it might be a solution for him because he doesn't have the money spare or the machine is soon to be replaced? Or maybe he just doesn't want to.
 
Fireguns said:
then i was half way threw then when i went to download the in_ unpacker at the Microsoft
website the microsoft website deleted the unpacker from the site and my computer does not have cmd it is windows me instead i has ms-dos prompt so i cant do any thing plus i installed windows me on a 2gb flash drive and it is 3/4 used up so i can't turn my cd to a iso image so is there is an other way of doing it S.T.A.R.S.
Click to expand...

If you want I can unpack the files for you on my PC and then upload them for you so you can download them and use them.
Or you can simply use ANY other PC which has XP or newer OS and do it there or maybe if you have someone who has XP or newer OS and do it on their PC.
 
also S.T.A.R.S. can you do me a favor too and edit the files for me and make the usbboot.inf file too with it.
 
also S.T.A.R.S. if you want to but you don't have to i will like it alot if you can upload the modified iso image of windows xp online. I will really appreciate it because my iso editor is slow and the only thing about it that runs fast is burning don't like tell me get another one i don't feel like installing a new one i am trying to save space for the download. :) i only have 700 mb left on my flash drive with hold windows me.
 
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