xp from a usb(again)

hi peeps im trying to do the linux >xp swap via a usb drive and somebody else (my father in law )has the xp disc ,and has formatted and transferred the files onto the usb (he uses vista i may add ).when i insert the usb into the acer and try to boot from it it says something like "corrupt /invalid partition in file" and obv wont proceed any further .i think its the formatting stage because i know he used the quick format option ,not the pe to usb option ,its either that or the usb stick itself ,its a generic (i.e not very good)8 gb type .any ideas what to do first ?should i buy a kingston traveller 2 gb (these seem to b the preferred option )and try it again -buy an external c/d-dvd to usb drive and try and load it straight from the disc (not sure about this one as it seems a dedicated usb pen/stick works better,and im not up to speed on them (are they plug n play on an acer?) any tips advice peeps ?and does the "corrupt/invalid"thing sound familiar if its not formatted right
btw ,my home .main comp is on xp home and i do have a product key .can i transfer xp from my main comp to the usb ?i cant figure out how to do this ,i had a wee fiddle about with it tonight and i couldnt get the xp displayed and therefore couldnt figure out how to do it :roll:

 

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Try that (my post).

U3 USB key thread but it should work on any storage-only drive. From what you said it sounds like the key wasn't made bootable.