30 replies to this topic

[was_jaclaz]

probably not since i speak a very poor version of what i call english, the problem lies not with the author but, with the reader and his simple, shall we say mind,
i mean look at my post i don't even capitalize my nouns.

Well, at least you can try.
For example the post you made on the Tutorial by Amalux:
http://www.boot-land...?...ic=4111&hl=

that I just moved here temporarily, before moving it, which I will do in a couple of days, to where it belongs, i.e. here:

Newcomer's Tutorial - LiveXP with Optional BootSDI!
Thank you's and suggestions thread
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5225
If you just want to say thank you to Amalux for his work and/or give some suggestions for improvements, post here.

was made in a thread where, and this time I am pretty sure it is understandable English, as I wrote it there was this:

SERVICE POST

Due to the great popularity of this thread, it had little by little become an "Everything here" thread, making it difficult to read/understand.

I have splitted the thread in THREE more ones:

Newcomer's Tutorial - LiveXP with Optional BootSDI!
Thank you's and suggestions thread
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5225
If you just want to say thank you to Amalux for his work and/or give some suggestions for improvements, post here.

Newcomer's Tutorial - LiveXP with Optional BootSDI!
Bug reports and troubleshooting thread
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5226
If you have any problem STRICTLY related to Amalux's Tutorial, post here.

LiveXP Troubleshooting
Various questions and answers
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5224
If you have any problem that is not STRICTLY related to Amalux's Tutorial, but rather more general and peculiar to the LiveXP project, post here or start a new thread in the appropriate Forum section:
http://www.boot-land...s/?showforum=52

Please (exception made for Amalux, of course ) DO NOT POST in the present thread, use one of the other ones linked above.

The last sentence is in as-plain-as-possible English.

Please take your time to read, think before doing things.



jaclaz

[sambul61]

I realize that this thread is a bit old, but I just read it, and get interested in the method. Would an experienced member still recommend it, given all other options currently available?

The only thing remains unclear, what will happen after booting into XP from such USB Flash on a new PC? If it find during boot new devices, will it offer to install suitable drivers? From where, and where to? Also, if I want to install new software after booting from the Flash, where its going to be installed - on the flash drive's partition, on a Ram-Drive created at boot, or on a local PC's virtual hard drive, placed on its physical hard drive at boot? And on what drive Windows Page File is going to be created?

Summarizing, how to maintain intact the original installed XP on the flash, and also extend the thumb service life by saving all local changes, required when booting on various config PCs, onto a virtual drive created at boot from the flash on a local hard drive or where you want it?

Another issue, not addressed here is creating a multiboot Flash. How is it possible using this method? For example, one may want to install XP on one partition, and a specific PC service disk image or Win 7 on another logical partition of the same thumb. Is that possible - how?

As a side question, can you give a link to a good Survey & Wiki Article that briefly reviews all available methods and tools to create a multi-bootable USB Thumb with OS install option from it, or add an OS image to a bootable Thumb, and compares their strong and weak points, and most suitable usage scenarios for each thumb type. In short, a bird view of current state of the whole "Boot from flash" matter.

[Wonko the Sane]

I realize that this thread is a bit old, but I just read it, and get interested in the method. Would an experienced member still recommend it, given all other options currently available?

Sure it is allright, there are other ways, each one has some ups and downs, if you want to "move " it, maybe you better use this:
http://www.boot-land...?...ic=9830&hl=

The only thing remains unclear, what will happen after booting into XP from such USB Flash on a new PC? If it find during boot new devices, will it offer to install suitable drivers? From where, and where to? Also, if I want to install new software after booting from the Flash, where its going to be installed - on the flash drive's partition, on a Ram-Drive created at boot, or on a local PC's virtual hard drive, placed on its physical hard drive at boot? And on what drive Windows Page File is going to be created?

YES/NO this is for "FULL XP", it will work EXACTLY as an XP on your internal disk.
If you want to make it "universal" (which is a big word, let's say more portable) you need to add drivers and use a few other tricks, see above.
More generally the idea about experimental builds is to experiment , noone will ever give you "certainties" about this and that, you try it and if it doesn't behave as you wish, you introduce some changes or use another trick or two.

Summarizing, how to maintain intact the original installed XP on the flash, and also extend the thumb service life by saving all local changes, required when booting on various config PCs, onto a virtual drive created at boot from the flash on a local hard drive or where you want it?

That's your theoretical idea of how this should work, and the answer is of course that of using a ramdisk build (read as firadisk or winvblock) but then you will have problems with it's size, and available RAM, etc.
It is possible to create "mixed builds" where a "core" goes to ramdisk and "all the rest" goes to HD-like device, but it doesn't work this way, I mean you are asking very basic questions on very advanced topics, you need to approach this kind of things with baby steps, no way you will ever be capable of bulding from scratch a system "exactly" as you plan it without having tested the available options,

Another issue, not addressed here is creating a multiboot Flash. How is it possible using this method? For example, one may want to install XP on one partition, and a specific PC service disk image or Win 7 on another logical partition of the same thumb. Is that possible - how?

It is not addressed here as it is a non-question, once you have a USB hard disk device (or a USB stick seen as "fixed") and you know how to install a single OS in it and you know how to install normally a multiboot sytem on an internal hard disk, you will be able to do it.

As a side question, can you give a link to a good Survey & Wiki Article that briefly reviews all available methods and tools to create a multi-bootable USB Thumb with OS install option from it, or add an OS image to a bootable Thumb, and compares their strong and weak points, and most suitable usage scenarios for each thumb type. In short, a bird view of current state of the whole "Boot from flash" matter.

NO.
BOTH because of this:
http://homepages.tes...no-answers.html
and because AFAIK such a beautiful thing like you depicted doesn't exist AFAIK.

Really, don't take it the wrong way, but your set of questions sounds a lot like (using one of my carpenter's comparisons ):

• How can I build a house?
• Is it better in stone, bricks or wood?
• Will the basement be dry or there is a risk of humidity?
• Is there a complete set of instructions for each and a detailed comparison of all the pros and cons of each?

For most of which there simply no "straight" answers and definitely, even when there are, they are not "easy".

Take "baby steps", learn to walk before attempting running.


Wonko

[sambul61]

Wonko

Thanks for friendly reply. I love humor too.

One of the reasons, people look for survey type publications is to dive deep into a subject faster and in a more straightforward rational fashion. Keep in mind, some people consider the whole Boot from USB subject as a hobby or way to develop skills, others are just looking for a quick fix to an issue at hand with their suddenly stopped working PC.

At this point the subject of this site is developed far enough to deserve a Survey of current state of matters and techniques. Look at very popular Wikipedia articles - its all about subject surveys, promptly introducing you to a selected matter, often in smaller details on key issues, through its history and straight to the current state and links.

I hope, some of most experienced members of this site will find time to write such introductory survey to its key subject. How about yourself?

[Wonko the Sane]

I hope, some of most experienced members of this site will find time to write such introductory survey to its key subject. How about yourself?

I don't think I'm the right person for the job.
I tend to be extremely short in this kind of things, and often resolve into being aggressive, if I would write such a thing it would be:

• Do you want an easy way?
  Go here:
  http://www.usboot.org/tiki-index.php
  or here:
  http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=9830
  
  
• Do you want to learn?
  Start from here:
  http://www.911cd.net...o...c=14181&hl=
  After you have read the whole thread, search for ANY thread on 911CD where Dietmar took part, then read them.
  After you have done the above google for:
  

  jaclaz install xp "on USB"

  And read ALL the results AND all links within them.
  After you have done the above you should have §@ç#ing learned how to search, learned a lot about different possible ways and be grown enough to make your own choices .

Compare with this (here we are talking of XP "from USB", but the reasoning is the same):
http://www.msfn.org/...howtopic=133309


Wonko

[sambul61]

That's an aggressive start! Any other survey writers please? The Best "Boot from USB" Survey writing competition is long overdue...