Worth running WinXP + MP from USB?

[feriso]

Just a question about running Windows from a usb stick.

In my current HTPC I have a single 250gb HD (which I'm going to replace soon with a 1TB) but I was looking into running windows and mediaportal off a usb stick so that the main HD can spin down when idle whilst the OS is still running fine from the usb stick.

After a quick google I cam across a site which mods the winxp install disk to allow installations to usb sticks (which I'll try later) but long term is there likely to be a problem with doing this.

I'm basing this on the fact that this will reduce noise and power consumption or have I got the wrong end of the 'stick' and it is just not worth doing.

Thanks in advance

 

[helmutcheese]

It be very slow, you would get reads of 25MB/Sec-35MB/Sec, probably 30MB/Sec.

 

[feriso]

OK, but once booted there wouldn't be much written to or read from the usb drive as all of the media files would be written/read from the HD so in terms of just running mediaportal it could be OK?