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Post your comments for Install Windows 7 From an External Hard Drive here

[rydog1010]

I think the transfer from USB to hard drive would be slow.

[smax013]

rydog1010 said:

I think the transfer from USB to hard drive would be slow.

Considering the other option would be an external USB DVD/optical drive, it might actually be faster...it would depend on if the USB connection or the optical drive would be the "weak" link in installing from an optical disk. If it is the USB connection, then it should be the same...as for both the hard drive and optical drive option, it would be the USB limiting things. If it is reading data from the optical disc that is the weak link, then the hard drive option would be faster.

The point is that with a Netbook, you HAVE to install from some sort of USB device since most, if not all, Netbooks don't have internal optical drives.

[rydog1010]

I agree with you. It just depends on how long it would take to download W7. Of course, your read/write rate (RPM) would be a large factor.

I was also thinking about booting from the external hard drive, which I wouldn't suggest. Perhaps, like mac with the target disk mode.

[smax013]

rydog1010 said:

I agree with you. It just depends on how long it would take to download W7. Of course, your read/write rate (RPM) would be a large factor.


I was also thinking about booting from the external hard drive, which I wouldn't suggest. Perhaps, like mac with the target disk mode.

To my knowledge, there is no equivalent on non-Apple hardware (whether Windows or not) to Firewire Target Disk mode that is on the Mac. In fact, Apple has yet to offer a USB Target Disk Mode (assuming it is even possible).

From what I understand, even booting Windows from a USB drive takes some work and is kind of "hit or miss" on whether it can actually be done. Booting from a USB drive was not supported on the Mac until the Intel Macs came to be...it could be done with PowerPC Macs, but it was SLOOOOOOOOWWWW.

[edhawco]

Please give some tips for partitioning a netbook. I know there is information all over the web, but it would be helpful to get specific info on how to make a partition for this specific purpose.
I already have W7 downloaded; just waiting to find the time to do the install (I have an HP Mini 1000).
QUESTION: would the procedure you describe also work from an SD card? I have an 8GB card just raring to go. Any reason why it specifically has to be a USB hard drive and not a USB SD card?
Finally, I just want to mention that I had a bad experience with Presto. It hosed my Windows Wifi, so I ended up uninstalling it and I had to reinstall XP to get my Wifi back!
Full story here: http://www.blork.org...8/presto-sucks/

[WEB44]

I have a ASUS Notebook with the 160GB HD. I loaded Windows 7 to it by using a 16GB thumbdrive. It worked very well. It was quick,easy, and fast.

I down loaded Windows 7 to my Desktop PC then created a bootable DVD. I then simply copied all the contents to my "empty" thumbdrive. Then I booted my notebood using my thumbdrive in place of the bootable DVD and followed the usual installation steps.


The system runs fast even with just 1GB of memory. I had planned to upgrade to 2GB but now I don't think I will bother.

[ewright]

There is a much easier way to install Windows 7 on a netbook from an external USB drive. Simply copy the install files onto the external drive from a desktop or notebook computer and then copy them again from that external drive onto the Netbook (this assumes you have enough space). Once they are on the netbook, navigate to the setup file that you copied with all of the other Windows 7 files and click it. It will install Windows 7 without the need of creating a boot disk or any of that other work. I did this on my Acer Aspire One and it worked like a charm! Man, I have to say that Windows 7 runs blazingly fast on my Aspire One. (I have 1gb of RAM)

[edhawco]

Ewright, was that as an UPGRADE of your WinXP, or did you install it on a partition in a dual-boot setup?

I ask because I'd like to do this as a dual-boot, and I wonder if your method would work, and how. For example, would you drop the Win7 files into the XP partition for installation into the Win7 partition, or would you drop them right into the Win7 partition? (I suspect it's the latter.)

Also, when you go to install to a partition, do you do it from within WinXP (I doubt it), or do you have to boot to DOS, navigate to the partition, and run it like that?

[ewright]

I actually did it as a new install from within XP. I did not have to boot. I was running XP, clicked on the set up file and it walks you through the exact same options as if you had run a boot disk. You can set partitions etc.. just like from the boot menu. It's like the set up program ignores that you are currently in an XP environment and just goes on about it's business.

[edhawco]

Great! But I just need to clarify: you know have both WinXP and Win7, right? It did not REPLACE WinXP. Is that correct?

[ewright]

Sorry about that, I actually opted to do a new install and replace the existing XP. You can opt not to I am pretty sure.

[MartijnTmn]

i did all those steps and when i try to start up from the external hard drive i get : bootmgr is missing

what to do?

[BUFyou]

Easy way to install win7 to your netbook thru your external hard drive is that you copy the files from the cd to your external hard drive then you connect external hard drive to you netbook (dont know if it works on laptops) and boot up with external hard drive and follow the instructions... it was very easy but harder to find drivers... i use emachines 350 and this worked for me without any troubles at all.. hope this info helps

[g4p6]

when I try to install from an external USB HDd, it says: "Windows cannot open the required file D:\Sources\install.wim". What is the problem? The files are there.

[ryz]

PC World,

1. Did this way work for repairing or clean install of windows 7?
(I want to renew the partition of hardisk)
2. Did this way work too for clean install/repair windows XP?
3. I have 500gb hardisk which filed with 390 gb of data! Will it be okay to use this hardisk to install windows without reformatting the hardisk!

Thank you

I'll wait for your reply.

Sorry for my bad english.

[yourmomsabear]

does this work if i already have a lot of other stuff on my external harddrive. or will i have to delete everything

[AaronMaxey]

Anyone know how to set up an XP and Windows 7 installation from an EXTERNAL hard drive?
Like making it an option when you boot to the external drive, to install either Windows 7 or XP. I've been looking for the last month how to do this.

Anyone know how to set up an XP and Windows 7 installation from an EXTERNAL hard drive?
Like making it an option when you boot to the external drive, to install either Windows 7 or XP. I've been looking for the last month how to do this.

[LynDavies]

this just worked a treat on an hp210-1020 that had been dropped down the stairs suffered a smashed screen and boot failure. just make sure you pick the external hdd for the initial boot and then revert to the internal hdd to finish the installation

[DanteCifuentes]

Just check first that your USB flash drive or HDD is in NTFS file system.