I know this probably isn't possible, but I'm gonna throw it out here anyway. There is a version of Linux (DemoLinux (http://www.demolinux.org/)) that runs straight off of a CD. No need to install it at all. I don't use that, but it got me wondering if this could be done with Windows? Instead of creating a partition for say Windows 98 and running it that way, you could install the OS to a CDR and run it from there.

Now I know that Demolinux works because of the Live File System that the kernel supports. Windows just doesn't have that capability. Does anyone have any ideas about how I could make this work though?

interesting thought....i don't see why not

how about if you say have 2 cd drives (one a cd burner), chuck in the windows cd in one drive, a blank cd in the cd burner drive (maybe format the blank cd so that it works like a floppy)

if you have only 1 cd drive, could load windows cd onto hard drive and work from there

setting up the dual boot thingy shouldn't be hard
can't remember how much disk space an install takes up though...maybe it's too much

I don't see how it would be possible, since you can't save ANY settings to it. Even resizing windows makes changes.

As for linux running that way, maybe someone made a way for it to be possible, but I have NEVER seen it done, be it Red Hat, Mandrake, FreeBSD, Solaris, you name it.

I have heard of people running it from a floppy, but not the entire operating system from a CD.

It sure enough has been done with Linux. I used to use Demolinux before I partitioned my drive and installed it normally. It's interesting, you should take a look at it.

I don't see why anybody would want to do that. First, you would need a rewritable CD, and second, almost every CD-RW drive on the planet is slower than a hard disk.

Maybe theres a point to it. Damned if know. :confused:

I think they use it for demonstrations and such. It's really not that slow either. Not as fast as a native install, but very operable.