Windows XP flash drive boot problem
Why might your boot drive not work with Windows XP
Few days ago I needed to setup a brand new Windows XP installation. I burned it on a flash and booted from it successfully, the format and files copy processes also went OK. But when the machine rebooted, I found myself in a little surprise. The following error occured :
Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem. Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.
Unfortunately, it turned out that in the majority of cases Windows XP is not able to properly boot from a USB flash – a fact that I was obviously not aware of. So if you need to install Windows XP, I would advise you to do it from a CD. Fortunately, Windows 7 does not have such problems.
Also note that Windows XP is not officially supported for some time. One of the few reasons to install Windows XP would be an extremely weak hardware configuration or, more probably, a cool old game which you want to play and doesn't want to run in the Compatability mode. ;)
