install vista on external usb2 har drive

Hi,
I already installed Vista on my testing machine and it works fine! Now I want to install it on a external USB2 hard drive via my notebook. I wonder, what happens when the hard drive isn't connected to the notebook. Will I be able to boot Windows XP without having any problems?
Thanks in advance, Cliff

Windows Vista can only be installed on an internal hard drive, not an external USB hard drive. External drives are designed for backups and file storage only, not operating systems.
-- Carey Frisch Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Microsoft Community Newsgroups news://msnews.microsoft.com/
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"Cliff Ophalvens" wrote:
| Hi, | | I already installed Vista on my testing machine and it works fine! Now I | want to install it on a external USB2 hard drive via my notebook. I wonder, | what happens when the hard drive isn't connected to the notebook. Will I be | able to boot Windows XP without having any problems? | | Thanks in advance, | Cliff

Agree with sentence one. Don't agree with sentence two. It's an arbitrary decision on MS' part. Would be convenient to keep separate OS/Builds on different pluggable drives.
"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote in message

Windows Vista can only be installed on an internal hard drive, not an external USB hard drive. External drives are designed for backups and file storage only, not operating systems.
-- Carey Frisch Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Microsoft Community Newsgroups news://msnews.microsoft.com/
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"Cliff Ophalvens" wrote:
| Hi, | | I already installed Vista on my testing machine and it works fine! Now I | want to install it on a external USB2 hard drive via my notebook. I wonder, | what happens when the hard drive isn't connected to the notebook. Will I be | able to boot Windows XP without having any problems? | | Thanks in advance, | Cliff