Windows LiveCD?

[Timill]

So my HDD broke, and I'm using this Ubuntu LiveCD now so I can browse the internet, but there's no Flash player nor is there any way to get it, so was wondering if there's any Windows LiveCD's out there (XP/Vista/7) that work?

I have a few blank DVD's lying around that I can burn to.

 

[logicearth]

Why do you think using a LiveCD of Windows will be any different?

 

[BriceH]

Welcome to the Seven Forums, Timill. There is no such thing as a legal Windows LiveCD. The closest thing is the installation disc, but that will only let you install/repair Windows. Even if there were a Windows LiveCD, it would have the exact same problems as the Ubuntu one. It wouldn't come with Flash Player, just as Windows doesn't, and you probably wouldn't be able to install it, as I think it requires a restart.

 

[fafhrd]

No there are no "liveCD" versions of Windows that work (like full versions) - the licensing terms and checking systems of Windows, especially since XP, tie the OS to the hardware it runs upon. So a "liveCD" that you could boot up on any PC like a Linux LiveCD does, would either be poorly configured with the hardware - like the UBCD for windows which has pretty fuzzy graphics, and is pretty slow in operation.

What Linux can do and Windows can't is build a small kernel for your hardware and run it in an area of your RAM, as if it were a hard disk. Windows comes nearest to this with Windows PE and RE (The preinstallation and recovery environments), the greatly cut down versions of Vista/Windows7 that allow installation, startup and recovery repair when booted up from CD/DVD, but the few programs capable of running on PE or RE are things like Notepad, the Command Prompt, Regedit and TaskManager. You get basic networking, but not enough functionality to run a browser like you can in a live Linux.

Without a hard disk, you may find it difficult to burn a DVD - there is no virtual memory to cache all that data to, so all the source data will have to reside in memory - alongside your live Linux system - you will probably end up spoiling the blank DVDRs.

I'd do the sensible thing and replace your hard drive.

 

[mickey megabyte]

...

I'd do the sensible thing and replace your hard drive.

they are cheap, and will give you a 'proper' computer again.

oh, and welcome to sevenforums, Timill

 

[logicearth]

No there are no "liveCD" versions of Windows that work (like full versions)

Actually, there is. While it may not be possible to do everything, depending on the applications but there is a "LiveCD" version of Windows. This "LiveCD" comes directly from Microsoft.

What Linux can do and Windows can't is build a small kernel for your hardware

The kernel is hardware-independent, what you are thinking of is hardware-specific drivers. However, for basic functionality it should work fine.

You get basic networking, but not enough functionality to run a browser like you can in a live Linux.

No, you can do actually that. Run a browser and various other programs. Programs that can run in a portable state are more likely to be compatible to run on WinPE. Just take a look as VistaPE, those guys did a lot of things with WinPE some would not think was possible.

 

[gazz9496]

i use a mini windows version at work, however you won't get alot of the prime os functions you are looking for it's mainly used for other things.

as said above replace the hdd it is your only option.