Bootable XP Flash Drive?

Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs.

Right now, I'm bringing my own PC because, of course, the library PCs
are all locked down and aren't running the specialized application
needed to copy the DVDs in question.

Is there any hope for me creating a flash drive/USB stick that a PC
could boot XP from? The idea being that the application in question
could be installed on the flash drive's instance of XP and I could use a
library PC instead of having to bring my own.

I've got several unused XP licenses, so licensing would not (?) be an
issue.

Drivers? XP's installer seems to deal with the issue....

Is this worth pursuing, or am I trying to fool Mother Nature?
--
Pete Cresswell

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(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs.

Right now, I'm bringing my own PC because, of course, the library PCs
are all locked down and aren't running the specialized application
needed to copy the DVDs in question.

Is there any hope for me creating a flash drive/USB stick that a PC
could boot XP from? The idea being that the application in question
could be installed on the flash drive's instance of XP and I could use a
library PC instead of having to bring my own.

I've got several unused XP licenses, so licensing would not (?) be an
issue.

Drivers? XP's installer seems to deal with the issue....

Is this worth pursuing, or am I trying to fool Mother Nature?

Check the card catalog for "A Hackers Guide To Breaking
Into Library Computers" :-)

This article is a bit tongue-in-cheek, because the library computer
could be *very* locked down. As in, no USB boot, no floppy boot,
no CD boot, hard drive boot only, BIOS password protected,
chassis door with Kensington lock (to prevent CMOS reset), etc.

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Whatever-Y...rary-Computers

It wouldn't be much of a library, if they
left the USB boot option enabled.

If I was going to take a portable OS for testing,
I'd take a Linux pen drive. And ideally, a distro
that doesn't "beep" its name when it starts up.
I'm sure the Head Librarian has heard the sound
of the Ubuntu welcome sound in the library before.
And she'll rouse the bouncers, to toss you
out of the joint.

Paul

Per Paul:
This article is a bit tongue-in-cheek, because the library computer
could be *very* locked down. As in, no USB boot, no floppy boot,
no CD boot, hard drive boot only, BIOS password protected,
chassis door with Kensington lock (to prevent CMOS reset), etc.

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Whatever-Y...rary-Computers

Sounds like this is a sore subject with librarians - and I don't want to
rattle anybody's cage..... so I'll just keep on lugging my own hardware.
--
Pete Cresswell

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On Wednesday, December 4, 2013 3:42:24 PM UTC-6, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs.



Right now, I'm bringing my own PC because, of course, the library PCs

are all locked down and aren't running the specialized application

needed to copy the DVDs in question.



Is there any hope for me creating a flash drive/USB stick that a PC

could boot XP from? The idea being that the application in question

could be installed on the flash drive's instance of XP and I could use a

library PC instead of having to bring my own.



I've got several unused XP licenses, so licensing would not (?) be an

issue.



Drivers? XP's installer seems to deal with the issue....



Is this worth pursuing, or am I trying to fool Mother Nature?

--

Pete Cresswell



---

This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.

http://www.avast.com

Are you aware you are breaking several federal laws ?

Tip:

Don't post an upcoming robbery. :-)

Per Paul:
A laptop with a DVD burner, Wifi, plus a comfy Library chair, should be
all you need.

That's what I've been using - and it works. Full-sized Sony Vaio and a
full-sized DVD burner in a USB wrapper. (the laptop's burner is too
slow)

But when I ride my bike to the library, I have to take my netbook and an
itty-bitty drive - the combination of which takes over an hour to rip a
DVD. The Laptop/full-sized drive takes about 20 minutes. My
desktop takes more like 5-10.
--
Pete Cresswell

Per Andy:
Are you aware you are breaking several federal laws ?

Tip:

Don't post an upcoming robbery. :-)

I'm guessing the subject is copyright-protected DVDs.

But there are others....
--
Pete Cresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:

Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs.

Right now, I'm bringing my own PC because, of course, the library PCs
are all locked down and aren't running the specialized application
needed to copy the DVDs in question.

Is there any hope for me creating a flash drive/USB stick that a PC
could boot XP from? The idea being that the application in question
could be installed on the flash drive's instance of XP and I could use a
library PC instead of having to bring my own.

I've got several unused XP licenses, so licensing would not (?) be an
issue.

Drivers? XP's installer seems to deal with the issue....

Is this worth pursuing, or am I trying to fool Mother Nature?

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, you want us to help you pirate
movies on DVDs from your library. Is that correct?

Rather than lugging your computer to the library, why not lug the DVDs
(lots of them at once) to your home to then read and copy on your
computer while at home? They don't let you take home the movie DVDs?

On Wed, 04 Dec 2013 16:42:24 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs.

Right now, I'm bringing my own PC because, of course, the library PCs
are all locked down and aren't running the specialized application
needed to copy the DVDs in question.

Is there any hope for me creating a flash drive/USB stick that a PC
could boot XP from? The idea being that the application in question
could be installed on the flash drive's instance of XP and I could use a
library PC instead of having to bring my own.

I've got several unused XP licenses, so licensing would not (?) be an
issue.

Drivers? XP's installer seems to deal with the issue....

Is this worth pursuing, or am I trying to fool Mother Nature?

If they're going to let you use the USB port, why run a different OS.
Just get a portable version of the program you use, I'm not even
sure it has to be designed for the library's OS. Some programs don't
care about OS.

And can't most versions of most programs be treated as portable
versions, unlesss there's some special problem?

Most of what I do is with Eudora for mail and Agent for newsgroups,
and neither of those have to be installed. I'm sure they're portable
even though no one considered such things when they were first
written. And every file can be on the flashdrive.

On Wed, 04 Dec 2013 16:42:24 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote in Re Bootable XP
Flash Drive?:

Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs.

Right now, I'm bringing my own PC because, of course, the library PCs
are all locked down and aren't running the specialized application
needed to copy the DVDs in question.

Sounds like my library. If they ever found me trying to boot one of
their computers from a USB drive they would take my library card.
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.

Per VanguardLH:
He says he's illegally copying DVDs he gets at the library.

I did not say that. Go back to the OP and you will see.
--
Pete Cresswell

Per micky:
Just get a portable version of the program you use, I'm not even
sure it has to be designed for the library's OS. Some programs don't
care about OS.

And can't most versions of most programs be treated as portable
versions, unlesss there's some special problem?

Most of what I do is with Eudora for mail and Agent for newsgroups,
and neither of those have to be installed. I'm sure they're portable
even though no one considered such things when they were first
written. And every file can be on the flashdrive.

That's a totally new concept for me.

The library thing aside, I've got to look into that.
--
Pete Cresswell

Per CRNG:
If they ever found me trying to boot one of
their computers from a USB drive they would take my library card.

That's why I'm abandoning the idea. Didn't realize it was such a sore
point with the libraries.
--
Pete Cresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:

Per VanguardLH:

He says he's illegally copying DVDs he gets at the library.

I did not say that. Go back to the OP and you will see.

Yeah, I did see.

"Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs."

Oh, so along with your computer you also tote along your own DVDs to the
library to copy them there instead of copying your own DVDs at home.
Must be the atmosphere at the library enhances your clicking on the copy
button and waiting while the disc spins. Ambience is everything, huh?

Sorry, but your statement alludes that the DVDs are *not* your property
and that you got them from the library's inventory. So you're copying
the /*library's*/ DVDs. Of course, your particular library must not
have any copyrighted DVDs. They're all public domain. Uh huh.

So now what story will you contrive in your next reply to cover up your
accidental admission of piracy? Maybe that "library" meant a room in
your own house with your own books and discs and not the common meaning
of a public library where taxes pay for their *purchase* of materials.

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per CRNG:
If they ever found me trying to boot one of
their computers from a USB drive they would take my library card.

That's why I'm abandoning the idea. Didn't realize it was such a sore
point with the libraries.

Just about anything can happen to those machines.
The librarian has undoubtedly seen and heard it all.

What amazed me, is the computers the library had
the last time I visited, they weren't that old. I
was expecting to find Pentium III machines, getting
the value from the machine by holding onto it
forever. But the machines, I think they had a Core2
duo in them. The hard drive, on the other hand,
sounded like a bucket of bolts. Maybe they kept
the hard drives from the old computers :-)

Yesterday, I took a look online, at what DVD
titles my library had. And the offering was
pretty bland. They have a copy of "The Godfather",
and the queue to borrow that one is about 67 deep.
Plenty of other material, isn't worth borrowing.
Some of it, looks like stuff you'd find in a
DVD delete bin (the kind of movies that never
made it to a theater, and went straight to DVD).

So it's not exactly a replacement for Netflix
or Redbox.

Paul

On 12/04/2013 03:42 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Sometimes I go to a library where I copy DVDs.

Right now, I'm bringing my own PC because, of course, the library PCs
are all locked down and aren't running the specialized application
needed to copy the DVDs in question.

Is there any hope for me creating a flash drive/USB stick that a PC
could boot XP from? The idea being that the application in question
could be installed on the flash drive's instance of XP and I could use a
library PC instead of having to bring my own.

I've got several unused XP licenses, so licensing would not (?) be an
issue.

Drivers? XP's installer seems to deal with the issue....

Is this worth pursuing, or am I trying to fool Mother Nature?




XP is not designed to run from a USB stick. There is a very complicated
hack I read about somewhere but it would be way more trouble than it's
worth.

OTOH: A bootable USB stick is easy to do with Linux