Can you install XP from and external CDROM drive?

[nylon]

I'm wondering if you can do the XP install from an external USB CDROM drive. If you can then one should be able to use an upgrade disk. What key do you press to boot from an external CDROM drive?

 

[Whiteapple]

The answer is no, even if I havent tested it. you can do that under OSX , but not on xp.
Nevertheless, boot camp drivers modify the "startup" menu in xp (it looks exactly like the OSX one), so that you can use target disk mode, but I'm not sure it's for xp, maybe just so you can restart in OSX using firewire disks. So I may be wrong in fact, but i'm 90% confident in what I say.

 

[JayMak]

Once you update the firmware, press Option (alt) to boot from CD or external drive.

You may be able to put the upgrade CD in the main drive and use the external for the check disc.

Let us know if it works!

 

[balamw]

That (disc 1 internal, disc 2 on a USB drive) has been reported as working, for upgrade installs and MCE, but may be dependent on the external drive.

Unlike some reports I was unable to get my own upgrade install to work using an external FW HD or USB thumbdrive with the check disk data on it. I was however successful in burning XP Home SP2 Upgrade, Windows ME and the Mac drivers to a single DVD+R and installing from that. There are ways to shrink it down to a CD-R, but they seemed like too much work for little gain.

Look in timb's thread for more info.

B

 

[nylon]

That (disc 1 internal, disc 2 on a USB drive) has been reported as working, for upgrade installs and MCE, but may be dependent on the external drive.

Unlike some reports I was unable to get my own upgrade install to work using an external FW HD or USB thumbdrive with the check disk data on it. I was however successful in burning XP Home SP2 Upgrade, Windows ME and the Mac drivers to a single DVD+R and installing from that. There are ways to shrink it down to a CD-R, but they seemed like too much work for little gain.

Look in timb's thread for more info.

B

I'm going to take deliveryof a new MBP today or tomorrow. I will try the USB external drive method. If it doesn't work at least I have a backup solution.