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Running Windows Xp via bootcamp from external hard drive?

farqueue

farqueue

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 18, 2006
456
35
Hello, as you can see from my avatrs i have a few hard drives ... jst wondering if i can run Windows XP and applications from my hard drive externally via USB 2.0 or firewire.

If so, where can i get more info?


Is it also possible to run programs such as aperture from external hard drives?

PS: i use a macbook.
 
farqueue said:
Hello, as you can see from my avatrs i have a few hard drives ... jst wondering if i can run Windows XP and applications from my hard drive externally via USB 2.0 or firewire.

If so, where can i get more info?


Is it also possible to run programs such as aperture from external hard drives?

PS: i use a macbook.
Click to expand...

i was wondering the same thing, if i were to run it from a FW harddrive on my Mac Pro and select it at boot up with the option key, i don't see why it wouldn't work. and i do think you can run aperture from an external drive.
 
It won't (or shouldn't) work. I have tried this and it did not show my external drive. I had formatted it to Apple's format right beforet that. It will only let you resize the Macintosh Drive.

And, be careful too. My windows install didn't recognize my keyboard, nor my USB keyboard, so I couldn't install it yet (I was using an OEM version of Windows, so that is why it didn't work right)

But, no you will most likely not be able to install from an External drive (which makes more sense for a Macbooks small hard drive)
 
the absolute best way to do that is by following the method here:

http://forum.onmac.net/showthread.php?t=1381

I have done it successfully, although it is rather complicated, it IS possible.

I'm currently running WinXp from my external usb/fw drive without altering the internal macbook drive. You don't need to use bootcamp at all (except for the drivers).

Basically you just have two partitions on an external USB drive, the first large one for Windows, and a second small one for rEFIt. rEFIt boots the windows for you, but you have to alter the windows install disc to allow the USB booting... complicated but worth it, in my opinion.
 
OK, the main reason i want to boot windows XP from my externa; harddrive is because i would be able to store a lot of games like half life 2 and mods, quake 4 warcaft 3 and other games and movies.


So i was just wonderingif its possible to allocate 2.5gb of space on my macbook to windows xp, then RUN steam/halflife 2 off my external 300gb harddrive?

Is this possible?
 
Yeah, I haven't tried the FireWire, I couldn't get it to install on my USB. But, I never got past the first part of installation, becuase the damned thing didn't recognize my keyboard, any help on this?
 
farqueue said:
OK, the main reason i want to boot windows XP from my externa; harddrive is because i would be able to store a lot of games like half life 2 and mods, quake 4 warcaft 3 and other games and movies.


So i was just wonderingif its possible to allocate 2.5gb of space on my macbook to windows xp, then RUN steam/halflife 2 off my external 300gb harddrive?

Is this possible?
Click to expand...

Yes, Most Windows program installers will ask you for a location to install to, just pick the external hard drive. (It will appear as a drive letter just like any external hard drive plugged in to any Windows computer will.)
 
has anyone tried...

... booting from a hard drive that had windows previously installed onto it?

in other words, this is my situation:

the mother board of my last pc laptop died, so i removed the hard drive and put it in an enclosure so as to be able to access the data. then, i bought a mac book pro. i just recently realized that i need to use some programs that i previously had in the other computer, so i was wondering if i could just probably boot from that hard drive using my mac. it should already have everything installed so i don't know how much of a problem it can be, but i wanted to know before i tried something crazy if anyone had done it before.

please let me know since it would be of great help!!

thank you all for all your good advice!!


---
cuz :apple: just "tastes" better
 
Ironically, the fastest Windows Vista notebook this year: MacBook Pro!

So if you like Mac OS X and you need Vista, we recommend that you buy a MacBook Pro ;-)
 
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