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Thread ID: 139459 2015-05-05 03:14:00 Optical drive question - is USB OK for installing OS? BBCmicro (15761) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1400110 2015-05-05 03:14:00 The internal optical drive on my desktop computer seems to have died. It's quite difficult to replace and I am wondering about a USB drive. Are there any problems using a USB drive to instal Windows? BBCmicro (15761)
1400111 2015-05-05 03:38:00 Nope, shouldnt be an issue
As long as the PC can boot off a USB CD/DVD drive , you may need to change some bios settings on some new PC/laptops

but...
askleo.com
1101 (13337)
1400112 2015-05-05 03:44:00 I've done many OS installs using my USB DVD drive, with no issues.

Assuming the machine has a USB port and can boot from it...
Agent_24 (57)
1400113 2015-05-05 03:58:00 My last 3 builds had no optical drive and I used an external usb dvd writer to install the OS. dugimodo (138)
1400114 2015-05-05 04:15:00 Thanks guys I'm off to get one BBCmicro (15761)
1400115 2015-05-05 07:34:00 Why not just use a usb stick? fred_fish (15241)
1400116 2015-05-05 20:15:00 Flash drive would be OK, if you had an ISO. Then you could use Rufus.

Thats what I've used on my builds
Speedy Gonzales (78)
1400117 2015-05-05 20:57:00 Depends on your situation, if you have access to a working pc with an internet connection sure you can download or create a bootable USB stick.
If not or if you just want to use the optical media the OS was supplied on then an external optical drive is a lot easier. If they start supplying Os's on flash drives then optical media becomes redundant.
dugimodo (138)
1400118 2015-05-05 21:33:00 usb is faster than dvd most of the time. Mirddes (10)
1400119 2015-05-06 03:24:00 Depends on your situation, if you have access to a working pc with an internet connection sure you can download or create a bootable USB stick.
If not or if you just want to use the optical media the OS was supplied on then an external optical drive is a lot easier. If they start supplying Os's on flash drives then optical media becomes redundant.

If they used a mask ROM like a game cartridge maybe, but flash is too unreliable and expensive compared to optical.
Agent_24 (57)
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