Microsoft's (inconsistent) position:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device.../usb-boot.mspx

A thread discussing a claimed success:
http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/.../msg00332.html
hth,
Joe
"liu" <spamfreeliu@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1136322749.266790.307020@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> >... coping a "known" working internal IDE drive.
>
> Can you elaborate or provide link to a solution?
>
> Thanks,
>