Booting Windows on Mac *AND* PC using SAME HDD: Possible?

[ikevinjp]

Hi, can anyone tell me whether it is possible have a harddisk installed with Windows (say, Windows 7 or XP) and use it to boot directly on a Mac? That means, a single external removable harddisk installed with Windows which can be booted on both PC and a Mac.

Is it possible to simply take a Windows installed harddrive and boot it on the Mac? And after using it on the Mac, the same Windows harddrive can be booted on a PC again?

I do understand that Parellels has Transporter, but what I do know is that it is some sort of "migration". Once "migrated", the Windows cannot be booted on a PC again. Am I right? (So, this solution won't work.)

My scenerio is that I use a Mac at home, but I need to boot into Windows to do some office work (of course, using my Mac). This Windows on an external harddrive must also be bootable on a PC whenever I bring to work in my office.

It does not matter what is the technology: Boot Camp, Parallels or some other ways. Could someone please give me some hints on how if this is possible?

Thanks and appreciated!

Kevin.

 

[Intell]

Its possible, but very difficult to do. Getting Windows to boot from an external drive (excluding eSATA) is hard enough.

 

[balamw]

It does not matter what is the technology: Boot Camp, Parallels or some other ways. Could someone please give me some hints on how if this is possible?

You can't via Boot Camp.

You can definitely just put a VM on your external and boot that on your Mac at home and PC at work. You'd need to provide the OS and any apps that you need in the VM. Per your own example, you could use VMWare Converter or Parallels Transporter to create the VM, but then would have to create a new PC host for it.

iOmega has a product like this not too long ago for "Portable" Windows.

EDIT: Doing any of this kind of stuff for work without the prior authorization of your work's IT department or at least your supervisor is a BAD idea.

B