Can I port my XP?

[Prabakar]

Need A Little Help

Senario:
In the near future I will have to transfer data from my computer to & from A computer infected by lots & lots of viruses. I do not have rights to modify, install or uninstall any software in the infected system. All I can do is to transfer data. The Infected system is not connected to the internet.
Question:
I was just wondering whether I can have a live version of XP which runs from a CD or a pen-drive( more preferably ) so that I may prevent my computer from getting infected.

Or Please let me know if there are other ways to do things

[salim hussain]

Again the PCLinuxOS can do it but for that you need a USB in FAT32 (which they usually are !) - So copy the data wanted to the USB key - and save it to some other disk and continue until you completed your copy (I mean if your USB key is not big enough).

[OlyComputers]

There are CD bootable versions of XP available, but their legality is questionable at best, but google it if you're interested.

You can use a CD bootable Linux distrobution as salim suggested (not all can work with NTFS, but I'm assuming PCLinuxOS can if he suggested it).

The third option isn't viable in all situation IE is it your computer, can you take it apart, do you have the capacity to take on another hard-drive. You should be able to put the infected Hard drive in your system as long as you don't execute ANY files on it (as long as it's not the boot drive windows shouldn't load infect itself from the viruses) and run thorough scans of the files you do transfer. I'm not going to guarentee you wouldn't get infected, but I never have pulling files off of infected systems.

I'm assuming the PC doesn't boot properly, or you'd just be putting the files directly onto disks, but in the event it does CDs/flash drive makes the most sense.

[Prabakar]

I am glad with your answers:)

Question of taking the hard dive is entirely ruled out. I just can't.

I knew Live PCLinuxOS will help in this case.
But I thought it would be better if I can take my XP because I can use the softwares that I have like Macromedia Flash & Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition in the infected computer.

Taking a hard disk and other such things are too much for a newbie in OS & hardware, so I think using PCLinuxOS will serve me better.
I have just downloaded a tiny version of windows( its a free ware. I just got it free of cost) which runs from a CD. I will see how it works soon.

[OlyComputers]

Just because something is free doesn't mean it's actually legal freeware. Most illegal hacked software is distributed on the web free of cost.

I'm not judging, I use it, I just want to make sure you have the facts.

[salim hussain]

Hello from Salim,
Yeah, Olycomputers is right, most of what is proposed is illegal - as of MS Eulas. If your CD is Bart PE then its unattackable if you made it yourself from your legal Windows XP. But these are limited windows without even the normal
explorer.exe, and you have to a lot of messing to get tools in it. If you work repairing other's PC you should consider a
Virtualized Windows on USB - that probably work on 90% of PC with a 4G size and 2.5G free.