Enhanced Storage Devices on Non Win7 Machines?

[Ben]

So I got me this nifty Patriot XT flash drive for my birthday. When I plug it into an XP machine, it's just found and mounted as normal. When I plug it into my Win7 machine, I get a message that it's an enhanced storage device and that I can add a password (apparently at the hardware level). While I would like the extra level of security I'm a bit leery. Since I don't get the message on XP, if I set a password, will XP (or Linux or a Mac) let me mount the device with an opportunity to enter the password?

I don't want to set a password, then find the drive unmountable if I have to stick it in a non-Win7 machine, which I have to do sometimes if I carry files to work or help a friend with a computer problem or whatever. I went to the Microsoft Tech site, but they only explain enhanced storage and say that Win7 and Server 2008 are compatible with it. They don't mention XP or other. Of course I'm on my second Old-Fashioned right now, so I might have missed something.  There is no software that came with the flash drive.

As I said, the password would be nice as an extra level of security, but not critical, as all my important / private stuff is in a TrueCrypt container. Just need to know if I end up locking myself out of the drive on other OS's before I set a password.

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

I think it's a windows 7 thing. Don't know if it's linked to the "bitlocker" program.

[Ben]

Shouldn't be linked to bitlocker since I just have 7 Pro, which doesn't have it, plus the message seemed to indicate that it was just reading the capability of the device, and the Microsoft Tech site indicated that Win 7, Server 2008 can detect enhanced devices, versus making it sound like the enhancement is an MS product.

 I might just have to move all my crap off the drive and experiment, with the hope that if it's not readable on XP or whatever, a simple reformat will reset and remove the password.

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

Hmm. Well. Only one way to find out. Give it a shot.

I'm still trying to figure out how to set up a dual boot Win 7 Ult and XP Pro. Seems the boot loaders are different.

[Perd Hapley]

Which OS are you installing first?  I've installed Win 7 on my XP Pro machine twice.  It sets up a dual boot without any fuss.  I haven't yet tried installing XP Pro with 7 already in place. 

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

I'm running 7 Ult now. Upgraded last month. Found out some of my programs won't work correctly. Not even in XP mode.

Tried to install XP. Install went fine. Except no option to dual boot. 7 can see the XP side. I can boot XP from CD, just not from the install.