Installing XP on USB Hard drive

So pleased with my fast running PC after gregrockers Clean Install that I don't want to interfere with that at all but could do with an instance of WinXP on this PC. I have an unused 80GB Ext USB Hard drive available. Does it make sense to install my legit copy of XP on that?
Forget this for now. Ext Hard Drive has just died R.I.P.
No as you were! Just come alive again. (Actually I had the wrong mains lead connected

I don't think you can install windows on an external hard-drive.

Hello John.


If you really want XP, install to an Extended partition / Logical drive just don't neglect how you have AHCI set on your box.

click to enlarge

gregrocker said:

Can you install the drive internally?

If so you can get the safest Dual Boot which is to install to a separate HD, booted only via the BIOS, with the other HD unplugged during install.

Yes I could install this spare drive internally but it is so old and slow I would probably get a new internal drive and do as you suggest. Realise now, and should have given it more thought in the first place, that to do what I originally suggested was not the best idea in the world.
Now with further thought I am considering investing in an SSD later so would use that for my Win 7 and the original HD could take the XP setup. get the best of both worlds that way. I did as you suggested in your article take a backup of my new clean install Win7. Could I just install that onto new SSD or would I need to do a complete Win 7 install from scratch?

DavidW7ncus said:

You can transfer your current HD OS to the SSD.

This tutorial has all the instructions for doing this:

SSD - Install and Transfer the Operating System

Many thanks for that. Dont tell anyone but I reckon i will go for the easy option and buy the prog!