Can I run Vista on one of those little external hard drives (dual boot mode w/ XP on an internal HD)

Hi,

I am curious if Vista can be run from one of those portable external
hard drives that I see in Staples, etc... rather than have to install
another internal hard drive. I want to dual-boot with XP (already
installed on an internal HD) and it would also be great if I can bring
that external HD with us when we travel and hook it up to my wife's XP
laptop and be able to boot up in Vista too. We need something for
testing our software in Vista.

Thanks!

-paulw

External hard drives are for backups and file storage
only. Windows Vista can only be installed on an
internal hard drive.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

"PW" <paulremove_williamson858@removehotmail.com> wrote in message news:jmo4241bs64crrc1hfmvhopc4muog49egs@4ax.com...
Hi,

I am curious if Vista can be run from one of those portable external
hard drives that I see in Staples, etc... rather than have to install
another internal hard drive. I want to dual-boot with XP (already
installed on an internal HD) and it would also be great if I can bring
that external HD with us when we travel and hook it up to my wife's XP
laptop and be able to boot up in Vista too. We need something for
testing our software in Vista.

Thanks!

-paulw

You cannot do it with an external usb or firewire connection but you can
with a SATA enclosure if your computer has an external eSATA port built in.
While this is common with desktops it is very rare with notebooks and I
seriously doubt that your wife's notebook has an eSATA port.

"PW" <paulremove_williamson858@removehotmail.com> wrote in message
news:jmo4241bs64crrc1hfmvhopc4muog49egs@4ax.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am curious if Vista can be run from one of those portable external
> hard drives that I see in Staples, etc... rather than have to install
> another internal hard drive. I want to dual-boot with XP (already
> installed on an internal HD) and it would also be great if I can bring
> that external HD with us when we travel and hook it up to my wife's XP
> laptop and be able to boot up in Vista too. We need something for
> testing our software in Vista.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -paulw

On Wed, 7 May 2008 21:33:36 -0500, "Carey Frisch [MVP]"
<cnfrisch@nospamgamil.com> wrote:

>External hard drives are for backups and file storage
>only. Windows Vista can only be installed on an
>internal hard drive.

Thanks Carey

There are eSata Express Card devices that can add eSata ports to a laptop.
An external hard drive with eSata might work for installing Windows onto
through the eSata port.
As others have stated, USB or firewire connections would not work.


"PW" <paulremove_williamson858@removehotmail.com> wrote in message
news:jmo4241bs64crrc1hfmvhopc4muog49egs@4ax.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am curious if Vista can be run from one of those portable external
> hard drives that I see in Staples, etc... rather than have to install
> another internal hard drive. I want to dual-boot with XP (already
> installed on an internal HD) and it would also be great if I can bring
> that external HD with us when we travel and hook it up to my wife's XP
> laptop and be able to boot up in Vista too. We need something for
> testing our software in Vista.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -paulw

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" <cnfrisch@nospamgamil.com> wrote in message
news:%23Ep$tPLsIHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Windows Vista can only be installed on an
> internal hard drive.


See Colin's reply.

The ExpressCards certainly work for mounting a SATA drive externally but
there has been little luck so far in using one as a boot drive. It should
work but seems to be a problem with BIOSs not supporting it correctly.

"Bender" <imnotgivingmynametoa@machine.net> wrote in message
news:uDeaMUNsIHA.3780@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> There are eSata Express Card devices that can add eSata ports to a laptop.
> An external hard drive with eSata might work for installing Windows onto
> through the eSata port.
> As others have stated, USB or firewire connections would not work.
>
>
> "PW" <paulremove_williamson858@removehotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:jmo4241bs64crrc1hfmvhopc4muog49egs@4ax.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am curious if Vista can be run from one of those portable external
>> hard drives that I see in Staples, etc... rather than have to install
>> another internal hard drive. I want to dual-boot with XP (already
>> installed on an internal HD) and it would also be great if I can bring
>> that external HD with us when we travel and hook it up to my wife's XP
>> laptop and be able to boot up in Vista too. We need something for
>> testing our software in Vista.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -paulw
>

On Wed, 7 May 2008 21:02:49 -0600, "Colin Barnhorst"
<c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote:

>You cannot do it with an external usb or firewire connection but you can
>with a SATA enclosure if your computer has an external eSATA port built in.
>While this is common with desktops it is very rare with notebooks and I
>seriously doubt that your wife's notebook has an eSATA port.

You're right. Thanks!

-paulw

>
>"PW" <paulremove_williamson858@removehotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:jmo4241bs64crrc1hfmvhopc4muog49egs@4ax.com.. .
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am curious if Vista can be run from one of those portable external
>> hard drives that I see in Staples, etc... rather than have to install
>> another internal hard drive. I want to dual-boot with XP (already
>> installed on an internal HD) and it would also be great if I can bring
>> that external HD with us when we travel and hook it up to my wife's XP
>> laptop and be able to boot up in Vista too. We need something for
>> testing our software in Vista.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -paulw