Some WinXP apps are written in such a way that the program *must* be run from the C drive. Others prompt you with a default C:\program files\...etc but allow you to select and install the program on any drive or location.

The key to running a program application from the flashdrive is it must be installed and deinstalled before and after each use. If not, the Operating system gets "stuck in stupid" or leaves parts of the program on the host pc you are using. It will not effect the data on the thumb drive until you mount that drive on another pc. The thumb drive application, if it loads, will assume you are still running on the original PC in which it was installed.

Technically any drive is like a book and it uses the books contents and index as markers to find it's page location. If those markers are changed by any OTHER WinXP operating system installation, installed on any OTHER pc than the original, without an installation-deinstallation, then the program data might be corrupted or write it's stuff over a memory location currently in use by another program. It's like tearing pages from a book, then checking the contents or index looking for that page location. When you go to that page, It ain't there! Plus it's bad pc etiquette to trash someones elses system.

Tyronne