i assume you can use any usb external drive ?
Acer 8371/3810 Owners Thread
- Thread starter e36Adz
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i assume you can use any usb external drive ?
Yes, that's how I've always installed windows on netbooks/laptops without a dvd drive. You can even use the xbox 360 hd-dvd drive if you have one.
thanks
is it just a case of copying the files from the install disc to the usb disc and booting from that ?
also. do you think this is small enough, light enough to carry around traveling compared to the samsung NC10 ?
Associate
- Joined
- 6 Dec 2010
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- 28
Yeh any drive if you have an official M$ iso then you can use their own tool to transfer it. Got mine yesterday and only lasted an hour on vista till 7 was on it.
also needs to a 4gb drive...
Soldato
Check this out: http://store.microsoft.com/help/iso-tool
You just need your W7 disk in ISO format and as chris10230 said, a 4gb USB stick that is formatted in fat32.
Imgburn is a good tool to turn your W7 disk into an ISO if it isn't allready: http://www.imgburn.com/
This link may also be useful if you have errors/issues during the copying process as it tells you how to format the memory stick the correct way using diskpart: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd535816.aspx
You may also find that it will install W7 faster this way than using the disk (USB cd-drives tend to be a bit slower than a standard drive anyway). I had W7 pro installed within about 10 minutes on my 8371 with the SSD in it
You just need your W7 disk in ISO format and as chris10230 said, a 4gb USB stick that is formatted in fat32.
Imgburn is a good tool to turn your W7 disk into an ISO if it isn't allready: http://www.imgburn.com/
This link may also be useful if you have errors/issues during the copying process as it tells you how to format the memory stick the correct way using diskpart: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd535816.aspx
You may also find that it will install W7 faster this way than using the disk (USB cd-drives tend to be a bit slower than a standard drive anyway). I had W7 pro installed within about 10 minutes on my 8371 with the SSD in it
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Sorry Paul, I thought you meant an external usb dvd drive! But yeah you can also definately use a usb stick, I think a few of the users on here did it that way and should be able to help.
It is not as small as the nc10 but it is slim, quite light and I would definately call it portable.
It is not as small as the nc10 but it is slim, quite light and I would definately call it portable.
Man of Honour
I'd second this it is very portable and light especially for a Business Laptop, my work Dell Latitude feels like carrying a Battleship around v the Acer.
thanks
i did mean a DVD drive..
i was deciding if i should buy one or not.
but seems that its easy to install from a USB drive, so i wont bother for now with a DVD drive
thanks
im wanting to take it traveling around India for a month
and sell my NC10edit:
just ordered it.. thanks for you help guys..
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Also with it being a business laptop, the build quality really is excellent! It feels solid and I find the keyboard a very good size and great to use.
I've owned it for quite awhile now and there is still no alternative that I would choose over this, normally after afew weeks/months of owning something you always find a better deal - I still think this is the best deal out there for a 13.3" machine.
Pros:
Build Quality
Keyboard
Screen
Spec
Ease of Upgrade
Ease of Overclocking
Battery Life
Size
Weight
Cons:
Speakers
Lack of HDMI
Start saving for a SSD mate
I've owned it for quite awhile now and there is still no alternative that I would choose over this, normally after afew weeks/months of owning something you always find a better deal - I still think this is the best deal out there for a 13.3" machine.
Pros:
Build Quality
Keyboard
Screen
Spec
Ease of Upgrade
Ease of Overclocking
Battery Life
Size
Weight
Cons:
Speakers
Lack of HDMI
Start saving for a SSD mate
Man of Honour
Also with it being a business laptop, the build quality really is excellent! It feels solid and I find the keyboard a very good size and great to use.
I've owned it for quite awhile now and there is still no alternative that I would choose over this, normally after afew weeks/months of owning something you always find a better deal - I still think this is the best deal out there for a 13.3" machine.
Pros:
Build Quality
Keyboard
Screen
Spec
Ease of Upgrade
Ease of Overclocking
Battery Life
Size
Weight
Cons:
Speakers
Lack of HDMI
Start saving for a SSD mate
Lack of HDMI is an issue although I could never get it to work right with my netbook so ended up using the VGA anyway, I was concerned about the speakers as the HP Mini 311 I've been using has Altec Lansing 2.1 speakers which I thought sounded really good but to be honest the speakers on the Acer seem as good if maybe a little quieter, I usually have a set of portable iPod speakers with me anyway!
I used this today for my Win 7 install, very easy and fairly quick too
. This is looking like a very nice laptop, I just hope the wife appreciates it!
Associate
- Joined
- 19 Nov 2010
- Posts
- 117
Some people are asking how to install win7 with no CD drive.
I did it about two weeks ago now when i got the 8371 but from memory:
Requirements to install Windows 7 on USB: a 4gb USB pen and the win7 CD or ISO image
Plug in USB pen (make sure you don't need any of its data, as we will be formatting it).
Go to command prompt
type DISKPART
Next type LIST DISK
Make note of the USB disks number, in the below i use 1 as a example, type the following:
SELECT DISK 1
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT FS=NTFS
ASSIGN
EXIT
Now copy all files from your CD or ISO onto the drive.
That should work
I did it about two weeks ago now when i got the 8371 but from memory:
Requirements to install Windows 7 on USB: a 4gb USB pen and the win7 CD or ISO image
Plug in USB pen (make sure you don't need any of its data, as we will be formatting it).
Go to command prompt
type DISKPART
Next type LIST DISK
Make note of the USB disks number, in the below i use 1 as a example, type the following:
SELECT DISK 1
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT FS=NTFS
ASSIGN
EXIT
Now copy all files from your CD or ISO onto the drive.
That should work
This is how i done it and can confirm it works perfectly.
Man of Honour
I'm going to install Windows 7 on this this weekend, is there any drivers I need to obtain form anywhere before I do so?
Soldato
Acer's website has all the W7 drivers you will need..... IIRC, most things install themselves, but the fingerprint reader, the ATi driver and one or two others will require a trip to the oh-so-speedy Acer support site 
Soldato
it's also worth noting that you NEED to use the ATI drivers from the Acer webby because they contain the switchable profiles and other bits that the standard ATI drivers don't have