News & Training

FAQ

Can Windows XP Embedded be used to build a device without a hard drive?

  • no.2894
  • 2011-03-31
Yes, the ability to run without a hard drive is one of the advantages of Windows XP Embedded over Windows XP Professional for dedicated devices. Hard drives can be an expensive support and maintenance item on a dedicated device. Windows XP Embedded can run without a hard drive because it has a smaller footprint than Windows XP Professional, and because it has special embedded features that allow for flexible boot and storage options. You can bring up your device and store your image using a variety of embedded technologies, such as booting from flash, floppy, Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) and CD-ROM. Storage can be local or network-based.