Why not put a second hard drive inside the dell, and then install Linux to the second drive. Then all you would need to do is at the time of boot select which OS you want to use. BTW: There is a good how-to on linuxdocs.org that can tell you how to do the multi OS configuration that I was just talking about. It was written before XP, but the same would apply. There is also a way that you may not have thought of yet, and that is to find a hard drive bay that allows you to swap hard drives with out having to open the case. I cannot think of the name of 1 right now, but they are out there. The advantage to this would be that your dell would see the drive as internal, and you would just put in the OS that you are wanting to use at the time. Then you are not messing around with trying to boot from USB. Just my thoughts. Steve Dawes Phone: (403) 268-5527 Email: SDawes at calgary.ca NOTICE:: This communication is intended ONLY for the use of the person or entity named above and may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient named above or a person responsible for delivering messages or communications to the intended recipient, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any use, distribution, or copying of this communication or any of the information contained in it is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and then destroy or delete this communication, or return it to us by mail if requested by us. The City of Calgary thanks you for your attention and cooperation.