Vista on USB device?

**Bisclaveret** · 05-23-2008, 11:39 PM

I haven't been sold on Vista as a useable system yet. My brother somehow acquired a vista ultimate disc and has been using it for a few months, and gave it to me, but i'm pretty loathe in accepting warezed copies of an OS in general, let alone Vista!

I have a 3.5" IDE external enclosure with USB 2.0 and was wondering if it would be possible to install it to that drive and run it off it as a trial. I know that external firewire or USB far pales in comparison in speeds to even ATA/133 but people make backup/external storage drives with it..

I've already tried to install it directly through the USB and windows installer flat out told me it couldn't be installed to USB or firewire devices, however i've heard of people installing it to flashdrives and EeePCs, and they're USB powered...

I was able to install it through the IDE connector on my motherboard but i don't have the space with all my SATA drives to use that fulltime (and don't want conflicts, hence the external). However, when it loads through the external, it goes through an odd GRUB-like bootloader string, then the splash-loader, then it resets the computer. Safemode does this as well. It also doesn't want to boot at all when i have my SATA drives disabled in the BIOS, giving me a non-system disk error.

Any ideas?

**Bamboo** · 05-23-2008, 11:59 PM

You should be able to google for it, because I have heard of people doing it as well. Just never read the article. I have put Linux on a flash drive and ran it fine, just a little slow.

**=DdogG=** · 05-24-2008, 01:30 AM

better to get an esata cable and enclosure.....

msdz · 05-24-2008, 03:09 PM

I tried installing Vista on an external USB hard drive that was IDE and it would not go on it. Can not remember the error exactly but claimed Vista needed to installed on a primary hard drive and not an USB device.
Maybe I did something wrong, I am not sure.

ScratchMonkey · 05-24-2008, 11:42 PM

It may be the way the USB drive is partitioned. A "primary" partition is different from Extended plus Logical, and I'd expect most external drives come pre-formatted as the latter. Linux is happy to run from the latter, and needs only to be loaded by suitable code in a primary's boot sector (eg. GRUB or some other OS-neutral boot loader). It sounds like Vista isn't up to that task.

I guess the only Vista CD you can make would be a "Dead CD".

msdz · 05-25-2008, 02:39 PM

I was thinking that a external SATA hard drive it would probably go on with no issues. The problem would most likely be in the USB. If you kept it SATA and connected the hard drive I am sure all would go smoothly. Might be the speeds of the USB or the way it was formatted that would not allow it to work.
When I tried using my external IDE hard drive connected with USB it started to install but then stopped, it had time to format the drive the way it needed to then as it started to actually install I got the message it would not work, I even tried XP on it and got the same message. Maybe it is just my hard drive?? But it worked when it was actually in my computer.

ScratchMonkey · 05-25-2008, 03:42 PM

Check the partitioning on the drive. See if the desired partition is set up as a primary or extended partition.

**=DdogG=** · 05-25-2008, 07:34 PM

It has nothing to do with the partitioning. the problem is the usb connection.

ScratchMonkey · 05-26-2008, 02:07 AM

Ok, so it sounds like a fundamental problem with the Windows installer.

05-23-2008, 11:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bisclaveret Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Camp Hill, Pennsylvania Posts: 239	Vista on USB device? I haven't been sold on Vista as a useable system yet. My brother somehow acquired a vista ultimate disc and has been using it for a few months, and gave it to me, but i'm pretty loathe in accepting warezed copies of an OS in general, let alone Vista! I have a 3.5" IDE external enclosure with USB 2.0 and was wondering if it would be possible to install it to that drive and run it off it as a trial. I know that external firewire or USB far pales in comparison in speeds to even ATA/133 but people make backup/external storage drives with it.. I've already tried to install it directly through the USB and windows installer flat out told me it couldn't be installed to USB or firewire devices, however i've heard of people installing it to flashdrives and EeePCs, and they're USB powered... I was able to install it through the IDE connector on my motherboard but i don't have the space with all my SATA drives to use that fulltime (and don't want conflicts, hence the external). However, when it loads through the external, it goes through an odd GRUB-like bootloader string, then the splash-loader, then it resets the computer. Safemode does this as well. It also doesn't want to boot at all when i have my SATA drives disabled in the BIOS, giving me a non-system disk error. Any ideas? __________________

05-23-2008, 11:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
Bamboo Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: On the beach north of Jacksonville, NC Posts: 2,703	Re: Vista on USB device? You should be able to google for it, because I have heard of people doing it as well. Just never read the article. I have put Linux on a flash drive and ran it fine, just a little slow. __________________ LINKS 10th Tactical Guard Server Rules and SOP * Kicked? Banned? READ THIS FIRST!* Contact an Admin * Nominate your teammates for a ribbon Stoop and you'll be stepped on; stand tall and you'll be shot at. -Carlos A. Urbizo-

05-24-2008, 01:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
=DdogG= Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ennis, TX Age: 31 Posts: 1,620	Re: Vista on USB device? better to get an esata cable and enclosure..... __________________ Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -Albert Einstein The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity. -Harlan Ellison If all else fails: "rm -rf /"

05-24-2008, 03:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
msdz Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: WV Age: 36 Posts: 714	Re: Vista on USB device? I tried installing Vista on an external USB hard drive that was IDE and it would not go on it. Can not remember the error exactly but claimed Vista needed to installed on a primary hard drive and not an USB device. Maybe I did something wrong, I am not sure. __________________

05-24-2008, 11:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
ScratchMonkey Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: San Pablo, California Posts: 3,925	Re: Vista on USB device? It may be the way the USB drive is partitioned. A "primary" partition is different from Extended plus Logical, and I'd expect most external drives come pre-formatted as the latter. Linux is happy to run from the latter, and needs only to be loaded by suitable code in a primary's boot sector (eg. GRUB or some other OS-neutral boot loader). It sounds like Vista isn't up to that task. I guess the only Vista CD you can make would be a "Dead CD". __________________ Sig

05-25-2008, 02:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
msdz Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: WV Age: 36 Posts: 714	Re: Vista on USB device? I was thinking that a external SATA hard drive it would probably go on with no issues. The problem would most likely be in the USB. If you kept it SATA and connected the hard drive I am sure all would go smoothly. Might be the speeds of the USB or the way it was formatted that would not allow it to work. When I tried using my external IDE hard drive connected with USB it started to install but then stopped, it had time to format the drive the way it needed to then as it started to actually install I got the message it would not work, I even tried XP on it and got the same message. Maybe it is just my hard drive?? But it worked when it was actually in my computer. __________________

05-25-2008, 03:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
ScratchMonkey Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: San Pablo, California Posts: 3,925	Re: Vista on USB device? Check the partitioning on the drive. See if the desired partition is set up as a primary or extended partition. __________________ Sig

05-25-2008, 07:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
=DdogG= Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ennis, TX Age: 31 Posts: 1,620	Re: Vista on USB device? It has nothing to do with the partitioning. the problem is the usb connection. __________________ Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -Albert Einstein The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity. -Harlan Ellison If all else fails: "rm -rf /"

05-26-2008, 02:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
ScratchMonkey Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: San Pablo, California Posts: 3,925	Re: Vista on USB device? Ok, so it sounds like a fundamental problem with the Windows installer. __________________ Sig

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