Ive basically taken what I want from this drive and have decided to format it but am not really sure how to.

As the title say up till yesterday it was an internal one. My plan is to install windows xp on it and also install only a couple of pieces of software on there.

Can this be done and how would it be done...? At the mo the drive is accesible via usb connected to my girlfriends computer. Funnily enough most programs are working faster than usual this way...

How to install and run a full Windows XP from a USB drive

The procedures involved may seem rather intimidating if you're not used to editing Windows configuration files, but it should work, if done correctly.

Additional steps not covered in the guide:

BOOT.INI - If you are unable to boot Windows XP on the external drive, you may need to modify this file accordingly so that the Windows boot loader knows where look for the operating system.

PAGEFILE - Certain apps may not run or function properly without a paging file (pagefile.sys). Therefore, you may need to allocate a small partition (512mb at least) from your internal drive to serve as pagefile partition -- that is, if no pagefile is created on the external HDD.

If it's an external drive why do you want to install XP on it? Do you want to use it to boot a computer from or do you just want to use it as extra storage?

If it's an external drive why do you want to install XP on it? Do you want to use it to boot a computer from or do you just want to use it as extra storage?

Basically my computer is broke and Im using my girlfriends. Rather than installing my programs on her small machine I can run them on the external hard drive and for some strange reason its running faster than ever.

Thanks for the guides, I'm looking now but I dont think this is what I need. I don't want to boot from it, the computer the hard drive is connected to already has xp.

All I want to do is install xp on the external hard drive. Is all that editing really necessary for this....?

Edited December 18, 201015 yr by james24

Thanks for the guides, I'm looking now but I dont think this is what I need. I don't want to boot from it, the computer the hard drive is connected to already has xp.

It doesn't make any sense... If you're not going to use the external drive as a boot device, what's the point of installing Windows XP on it in the first place? You'd be better off using a virtual machine.

All I want to do is install xp on the external hard drive. Is all that editing really necessary for this....?

YES.

If there were any other easier way, I would've posted that already.

Basically my computer is broke and Im using my girlfriends. Rather than installing my programs on her small machine I can run them on the external hard drive and for some strange reason its running faster than ever.

How to Create a Windows XP Virtual Machine

Creating Virtual Machines with Microsoft Virtual PC 2007

Basically my computer is broke and Im using my girlfriends. Rather than installing my programs on her small machine I can run them on the external hard drive and for some strange reason its running faster than ever.

How to Create a Windows XP Virtual Machine

Creating Virtual Machines with Microsoft Virtual PC 2007

ah wow thats really cool, I think thats what Im after.

I can basically run windows on my macbook pro now, no need to get mac versions of Dreamweaver etc.

This is great thanks :-)

Virtual Machines for Mac OSX

Thanks Supernova

You have no idea how much this helped