Installing Windows XP from a USB Flash Drive (thumb drive)

[patelsunv]

Since I have no optical disc with my new x61s, I have been looking for a way to downgrade to Windows XP from the factory installed Vista OS. I do not plan on getting an external optical drive if I can avoid it.

I own a 2 GB flash drive and a Licensed copy of Windows XP, so I am hoping the following instructions I found on the internet can work with my X61s.

Can anyone confirm that this will work or if they have successfully done a clean install of Windows XP from a USB thumb drive?

From the internet....

[Admin edit: Very extensive quote about booting Vista from a USB deleted - please link to the relevant web site if you want to reference a substative amount of existing textual material]

[aaa]

I don't think the XP setup recognizes USB drives, so you can't do it the same way you can with Vista,

Here's one guide.
http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-wi ... -from-usb/

[mfbernstein]

Yes it should work. Before I had an UltraBase, I installed XP Pro on a Thinkpad X61 using a 2GB flash drive. See this thread.