Question on PC & Peripherals:

I have a Dell computer which came with Windows Vista as the OS. There are many bugs in the Vista system. I am told that I can purchase an external hard drive and install Windows XP and when I use my computer, I will have the best of both worlds--Vista and XP. As a non-IT person, would this be difficult to do?

Submitted by Paul Vernon, via email

Answer:

Though it is technically possible to install Windows XP on an external harddisk and boot from there, consider this: A standard USB 2.0 connector is far slower than the internal connector for the hard drive. As such, you may experience severe performance issues if you go by this route.

Moreover, if you are thinking of an external drive with Windows XP that you can use on any machine, then it could be a no-go. Each desktop and laptop have different components which need specific drivers. As such, you'll have to keep installing drivers which may be more hassle than it's worth.

A much better option is to dual-boot Vista and XP on internal harddisks. However, there is some technical knowledge required so we suggest you seek professional help before attempting this. And remember, whatever you do, backup your data first.

kasanudin2006

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kasanudin2006 says...
dual boot is good if u want vista OS.
but if you are be like me, i will reinstall to XP.
vista too slow and programs that support for this OS is not many.

Jan 12, 2009 16:55

umakanth

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umakanth says...
I was indeed looking for the Answer to the same Question.
As I didn't wanna replace the Internal Hard-Drive(which has less Free-Space) of my Laptop with a new one, I wanted to buy a new External Drive & wanted to install a new copy of WIN-XP on that as the OS on the Internal Drive became slow & I wanted to format the Internal Drive so that it can be used as a Free-Space for the OS on the External Hard-Drive.

This Q & A solved my problem. Now I would really buy a New Internal Hard-Drive instead of an External Drive cause of the Performance issues with the Installation of the OS on the External Drive.

Thanx very much for the Valuable info Chang.
:)

Jan 23, 2009 03:23

gsr5867

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gsr5867 says...
For me one OS is enough. So far XP does the job for me.

Feb 10, 2009 07:56