[updated] Can I install XP ON a USB flash drive?

I believe the point is if you have XP installed on a PC, and then use the same license to install it on a removable USB drive, that will violate your Windows license.

Also, you will need a full copy of XP, not an upgrade or OEM copy.

Your second link does not tell you how to do a full installation. It's instructions for building a minimal, read only version for use (requires that you own a legal copy from which to work) when cleaning viruses or diagnosing a desktop or laptop boot problem. The utility referred to (BartPE) has now been superceded by the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD4Win). A very useful tool for any competent tech to have in his/her arsenal.

Is it possible to install a fully functional XP system on a thumb drive? Sure, it's possible, but it's also a great way to kill said drive in short order due to the limited number of write cycles inherent to flash drives.

That is a very good point. XP on a flash drive should only be used for repairs; you should NOT use it as a long term desktop.

Thanks for your reply  

Question-->> Does this method (2nd link) let me boot into the graphical XP desktop with a start menu?

Comments-->>
I never said i don't own an XP license. If I didn't own a license, installing it anywhere, the HDD, or the flash drive, would be piracy, i guess most of us know that  
And I never asked if it's a good idea to install it on a flash drive, cause flash memory has limited write cycles (guess everyone knows that too)

So my point remains valid. Both of these switch-cases can't be right.

It's either that the person who claimed it's piracy, had no clue of what he's talking about, and the moderator is not fit for purpose,

OR

Tom's is promoting piracy.
:-)

Thanks again :-)

It let's you boot to a PE environment, not a full XP, but yes, there is a desktop with a start button.




Since you didn't state such in your original question some assumptions had to be made.




Depending on circumstances yes they can. Ever think that the person was simply mistaken given your original lack of detail?

Denegrating the moderators is a great way to shorten your stay here.



Awful big assumption on your part.

It's really rather simple. The Windows EULA is quite clear that you are allowed a SINGLE copy to run on a SINGLE computer. Further, I don't think it is much of a mental leap to assume that Microsoft did not want people doing this, or they would have made it trivially easy to install Windows on an external/removable device much like Mac OS X. In fact, that's exactly what they did with Windows 8, but you are/were talking about Windows 8's Great Grandfather Windows XP.

So, doing something not permitted by the Windows EULA would invalidate your license to use the product, ergo it would become pirated software.

There are certainly valid reasons for creating a BartPE setup, but a) they are fraught with technical issues that can baffle even people who know their stuff, b) you initially gave (and still haven't) any details over your intentions for this, which then meant c) the moderators agreed with my general assessment that the safest course of action would be to close the thread when I brought it to their attention. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this one follows in the footsteps of the first.

I'm going to assume the OP is a pirate and close this thread and then issue a ban.