I have seen a lot of information (particularly on various implementations
of GRUB) about how to get a boot selector program that helps to boot USB
pocket drives where the machine BIOS will not support the boot, as in the
case of my laptop.

I want put a boot selection program (GRUB or like it) on the hard disk
that boots Win XP. Clearly it will move or relocate the XP boot/loader to
another location, or in some way hook into that loader to prevent it from
running.

The runs the boot loader selection program then presents a list of the
bootable options (device/partition): in my case it will ask me to select
whether to boot from the USB pocket drive or from the hard disk.

I suppose the boot selection program could even be on a countdown timer
that defaults to a bootable OS specified on a device/drive and its
partition if the user makes no selection (such as the user powering on and
getting a sandwich or doing something else during the default boot up).

I need to know if the boot selection program also REQUIRES that the USB
pocket drive with bootable OS be plugged into the machine before the boot
selection program is run (i.e., before power up), or if the pocket drive
can be inserted and then the program list of bootable options can be
"refreshed."

Also:

* If such a boot selection program exists and can be configured and placed
on the hard drive where the XP system is, what is the best way, or what
are the options or limitations for placing it?

I would prefer downloading and running some kind of XP program (EXE) that
writes the code/image directly to the boot sector, and also
locates/installs the rest of the code/data to an appropriate place the
hard drive. I suppose it would re-locate the XP booting program.

Alternatives I have seen are writing images---that must be bootable----to
floppies (my laptop has no floppy drive), to USB pocket drives themselves
(doesn't work in my case clearly), and to CDs (does work in my case). I
don't know if from the bootable image that one then modifies other
bootable devices through a user interface.


Notes:

* My laptop (HP/Compaq nx7010) has /no/ BIOS update that supports booting
from a USB connection. It only supports CDROM and network booting beyond
the hard drive. The machine has no floppy (will fit a SD storage card
though, but not boot from it...as near as I can tell).