[Virtualacorn-list] VRPC on a USB drive

[T.O.M.S.]

At 19:47 on 26 Aug, Dave Symes dave at triffid.co.uk said:

> this is not a new install or reinstall from the Master CD,
> just move the whole VRPC Windows directory from one
> drive to another, but on the same computer.

Move or copy? Either way it shouldn't make any difference to being 
able to run a copy of VirtualRPC from a plug-in USB drive.

As proof of the pudd, I've just fired up *3* different installations 
of VirtualRPC, running in 3 separate windows, on the same PC:
- 1 from the internal hard disc drive.
- 1 from the 4GB SDHC/USB card (as before).
- 1 from a 'bare-bones' VirtualRPC installation on a USB memory stick 
(copied from the VirtualRPC master CD).

In other words, there's huge flexibility on how you opt to run 
VirtualRPC.


> if I were to do a new VRPC install to the USB drive,
> then swap that HD4 with my one it *might* work,

There's no reason why it shouldn't.


> ... it might totally crap up my existing VRPC install.

Have faith!  :-)  If you're having probs with the USB drive solution, 
how about trying the following 'fail-safe' procedure:

a.  Burn a copy of the existing VirtualRPC-AdjustSA folder in the 
Windows C:\Program Files\VirtualAcorn folder onto a data DVD (do NOT 
compress the folder).

b.  Try running VirtualRPC from the data DVD. If that's OK, proceed to 
c.

c.  You now have a fail-safe, back-up, read-only (cannot be corrupted) 
copy of your complete VirtualRPC installation on DVD.

d.  Then you can try getting the USB drive to work with impunity. If 
the primary drive should fail, or VirtualRPC be corrupted in any way, 
you can simply re-install VirtualRPC, RISC OS, software and data files 
from the DVD.


> the VRPC on the Beast is the only fully up-to-date working mirror
> of this SARPC.

Another reason for doing the back-up DVD (we re-do the disc every 
month or so).


If you get the same error message as before with the USB drive, I 
suggest putting a question on the VirtualRPC Forum. Aaron is the 
expert and usually replies in a day or two.


> At times VRPC can be such an uppity HOS.

<Expletives deleted...>   ;-?


HTH, regards

Alex Hamilton
pp T.O.M.S.
toms at ndirect.co.uk