OS on a Memory Stick

[Confuscious]

My HD crashed last week again.

I have a fairly recent backup of most of the things I had on my HD (pictures, movies, music, documents, etc.) and did not lose to much.

But installing every time the OS again, the applications, etc... is a "p..n in the a..".

I have a 16 GB Memory Stick with Ubuntu and "First Aid" files and that runs already many years without problems.

I was thinking to put Windows 7 also on a MS and run Windows from the MS.

If the HD crash again, I would not need to install the OS again.

Is this possible with Windows 7?
Any other Windows version (8 or 10)?

How big need to be?

TIA

[BB1950]

See

Work with Windows PE

Edited March 5, 2015 by BB1950

[BB1950]

See

Work with Windows PE

It's a way to get a Windows environment on a memory stick for Windows XP and up.

It does have limitations and will work on a 512K memory stick.

Windows Preinstallation Environment (also known as Windows PE and WinPE) is a lightweight version of Windows used for the deployment of PCs, workstations, and servers, or troubleshooting an operating system while it is offline. It is intended to replace MS-DOS boot disks and can be booted via USB flash drive, PXE, iPXE, CD-ROM, or hard disk. Traditionally used by large corporations and OEMs (to preinstall Windows client operating systems on PCs during manufacturing), it is now widely available free of charge via the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK).

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Preinstallation_Environment

[Chicog]

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-run-a-portable-version-of-windows-from-a-usb-dri-1565509124

Ever wanted a copy of Windows you can take with you wherever you go, to use on any computer you want? It's possible: here's how to install a portable version of Windows 8 on a USB hard drive that you can take anywhere.

The Enterprise version of Windows 8 has a feature called Windows To Go that lets you install a portable version of Windows on a "certified" flash drive. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the Enterprise edition of Windows 8, nor a certified flash drive. However, there is a tool called WinToUSB that can essentially do the same thing, no matter what version of Windows you have.

[CharlieH]

8gb or just under for windows 8.1 OS onto a stick

[Brit_Doggie]

Windows 7 on memory stick fine,but a word or words of warning i had win 8 before it was to put it bluntly crap so opted to download win 7 and did myself install from said stick,and it runs sweet just like the old xp bless it and you can get 7 to run with a program that allows the start menu to run like xp.

[RichCor]

Ah, wanting the speed opposite of a SSD.

Why not just IMAGE the drive, then whenever you need, re-apply the image and apply security and app updates where required.

Putting MS on MS is an option, but unless your swapping OS(s) or sticking it in foreign places, there are faster alternatives.

[Chicog]

Ah, wanting the speed opposite of a SSD.

Why not just IMAGE the drive, then whenever you need, re-apply the image and apply security and app updates where required.

Putting MS on MS is an option, but unless your swapping OS(s) or sticking it in foreign places, there are faster alternatives.

It's only startup and shutdown that might be slow, once everything is loaded into RAM it should work fine (as long as there's plenty of it).

Agree though that imaging the disc is the easiest way to a quick recovery.

(Memory stick? Do people still call them that? )

[RichCor]

Can you keep the Windows OS totally separate and swapable to a second volume of installed business applications?

I can do in on some levels with special patched versions, but usually not with off-the-self business apps. They all want their dirty little claws in the registry.

So if you put the 'installed' APPS on the same "Memory Stick" as the Windows OS... those apps don't get loaded into RAM ...not unless you go the extra step to copy flash memory contents to a RAM drive at startup.

[crabdog]

Why not just buy a new HDD or even better an SSD?