Run OS off flashdrive?

I'm reading a lot about running an OS off a flashdrive and needing fast speeds. Do modern flashdrives use TRIM, like SSDs, to improve longevity? Any way you could run 8 off a flashdrive that uses a ramdisk so less writes? I'm thinking I can run 8 in a VM under some Linux flavor.

Also, I think if I get a drive w/ at least 100 MB/s read and write I'll be alright.


Thanks,

Madmordigan

Here's one description of creating a "portable" Windows 8 on a usb:
How to Run a Portable Version of Windows from a USB Drive

With Windows 8 and UEFI/secure boot etc. I have never been able to successfully boot a VHD. Seems all that stuff that worked in Windows 7 has been chucked. For a small Linux that runs from USB and can save state between boots look at Puppy Linux.


The only glitch I had getting Puppy to work was enabling the audio. It is disabled by default. Windows unfortunately is not so used to running itself off a Ram Disk. Linux distros have been doing that forever.

You can run a windows.vhd from a generic 32GB USB

KYHI said:

You can run a windows.vhd from a generic 32GB USB

Click to expand...

I was never able to do it in W8. Then again my Toshiba Laptop has had booting issues out of the box. Very first time I ran a Restore Point, the system was only 2 days old. It took about 20 minutes to reboot with a successful restore. That works about 1 out of 20 attempts. So I have to use RollbackRX as substitute.

It seems Macrium Reflect can create a WinPE boot USB without resorting to CSM mode. But I don't want to hijack the thread.

Windows To Go is the official method for running Windows from a thumb drive. You need the Enterprise version to have the official utility to create one and it requires a Windows To Go certified thumb drive to run. There are unofficial guides out there to roll your own Windows To Go drive. Activation may be an issue if you go that route.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5349-windows-8-go-setup-usb-flash-drive-usb-disk.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/14108-windows-go-create-windows-8-enterprise.html

I don't believe that flash drives support Trim. They do have a form of wear leveling but it is simpler than that used in SSDs. Flash drives are designed primarily as a transport media and for that purpose there is no need for sophisticated wear leveling.