Installing Windows Vista on external HDD

Question

I know there's going to be problems and most people would be happy just to say 'it can't be done', but I really need to install Windows Vista on an external HDD using FireWire 800.
I have read some brief info on the Internet that some people have achieved this for Windows XP using an external USB 2 mass storage device 'HDD' (and even for large capacity flash drives).
Personally, I only intend to use a hand full of programs for Vista on a regular basis and prefer not to install what maybe a more stable and reliable XP version of Windows due to having such a dull looking interface that makes you want to jump off the nearest cliff (the interface and look is that depressing.. Really!). Anyway, I have the new MacBook Pro 17" 'unibody' and an external buss powered (on 800) G-Tech G-Drive mini with Firewire 800/400 & USB 2. I have already formatted the external G-Drive mini and installed Mac OS-X 10.5 on it and it works flawlessly via Firewire 800 once you've chosen it as the 'start-up disk' within System Settings (great for testing and not worrying about things too much if there's problems, having kept the MacBook Pro's own internal HDD intact and clean). I plan on partitioning the external G-Drive's 250GB capacity equally and thus have the mentioned Mac OS-X on one partion and hopefully eventually Windows Vista on the other equal partion.
This arrangement (if possible) I feel compelled to do because even though I can very easily install Windows Vista onto my MacBook Pro's internal HDD using Bootcamp with minimal hassel, I really don't want to infect my MacBook Pro's internal drive with Windows and all the troubles that Windows can bring. I feel I must keep my MacBook's internal drive clean and trouble free from any possible Windows viruses and spyware, besides I need the maximum capacity of the internal drive. If this all worked, then I would dismount the internal drive within disk utility once booted up in Windows, thus keeping it isolated from any Windows prone attacks or problems.
Only thing now is I have to find a way if there is one, Boot Camp won't partition the external FireWire 800 drive to ready it for Windows and Windows Vista may not have adequate drivers to enable it's boot from FireWire 800, although I could resort to the slower USB 2 interface that the drive also has on-board.
Anyone with any solutions? Would using Drive Genius to partition the external drive (on the fly) and readying the intended Windows Vista partition to a FAT 32 structure, help start the process?

Answer 1

Thoughts? ... I have plenty!
For now, I've had no choice but to install Vista on my MacBook Pro's internal drive using BootCamp, it will only be for the short term until I can find a way to do this on the external drive... it's also another worry to know that I may have problems with the 'boot table' after a few months, as you previously mentioned.
So setting up Windows Vista, updating, tweaking settings and getting it all working so that it functions properly to a half decent state is such a lengthy laborious tediously frustrating task with windows and taking huge amounts of time that it reminded me of just how much I have recently grown to hate windows and it now amazes me to think that until a year and a half ago I wouldn't move/budge from windows because of all the PC programs I had, but now I'm overwhelmingly relieved I made the jump and wonder why I put myself uneccessarily through so much pain and tourment.. well, even now windows isn't giving up without a fight as it continues to leave it's legacy because although I've now got it reasonably functioning under 'BootCamp' having installed Vista on my Mac's internal drive (for now), windows now bombards me with a routine of error messages upon boot-up stating:-
"Warning: Unrecognized partition table for drive 80. Please rebuild it using a Microsoft-compatible FDISK tool(err=4). Current C/H/S=266305/255/63 (hd0,2) Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x7 chainloader /bootmgr"
it then repeats that error message several times during a few black screens (not the infamous blue screen) and on one occasion the error message refers to "(hidden sectors=0x1ee648800)" and there's plenty more double dutch info before it finally load Vista.. (I've only had Vista installed on BootCamp for a couple of day's now - since this reply) I'm considering trying my luck with installing Vista 64bit edition, having read that it is compatible on the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro's.
Meanwhile... with regard to using an external hard drive for a possible bootable Windows Vista over Firewire 800, I may have to consider the two 'close' alternative methods for doing this.. the first being the alleged workaround-fix shared on the internet for doing this using the USB 2 conection method, unfortunately this requires some time spent on editing some of the startup/installation sequence files which have to be extracted from the Windows installation '.iso' disk image using winiso, then edited and then inserted back into the '.iso' Windows install disk to burn onto a new DVD, trouble is this takes time which I don't have and it may only be a workaround solution for the very dull and bland looking windows XP version only which I don't want... Therefore I might have to go along with the more expensive option of having to invest in a slightly (actually a lot) more costly version of small portable external bus powered hard drive, the G-Tech G-Raid mini2 which has the inclusion of the eSATA interface making it a quad interface, therefore possibly enabling windows to boot from this as windows requires SATA connection for boot-ability. The only drawback for me personally with this second method is a). that I've already purchased the G-Drive mini1, b). the G-Raid mini2 is very costly, c). the mini2 is double the size being double the thickness and therefore not as tiny as the mini1 which you can squeeze into your MacBook Pro case's pocket, d). the mini2 will have a heavier battery drain having its two disks spinning instead of one like the mini1, and e). you have to have two cables connected between MacBook and mobile hard drive instead of one, one cable drawing the power from the Firewire 800 bus and the second cable transferring the data between the eSATA connection (if it works).
Alternatively.. Apple may save the day and at some point release a driver for BootCamp to enable Windows Vista 'Firewire 800 boot-ability support'. That would be very good! (but doubt that would ever happen with Apple's strange outlook on Firewire of late)
Or, G-Tech may put an eSATA connection interface/port on an updated version of the tiny, less power draining and more budget conscious G-Drive mini1 in the near future! (but that may be unlikely as well)
So, I'm not sure what to do at this moment.