Installing Win7 from external usb hdd

Afran

Afran

Afran

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As in the process of putting together a new system, just want to make sure this is a valid way to install the OS so we're not met with any nasty surprises.

Essentially wanting to use an enclosed external usb hdd which has contents on it, movies pictures and whatnot and would have Windows 7 (ISO) on it being the only possible bootable image with the assumption that setting the external drive as the highest boot priority would then let us install Windows 7 to a select drive, obviously not to the external drive it's self but to an SSD on which win7 will need to be reinstalled on as it's going to a completely new system.

Tried googling "installing windows 7 from external hard drive" and such, but they typically guide you how to install an os on the external drive it's self, or make the drive nothing more than a bootable file (full format, NTFS etc etc) which isn't an option here as the contents on the external drive aren't possible to back up to another drive due size (of what we own of course)

So yeh, just wanting to make sure we won't run into any issues this way :)
 
I would advise to use a USB stick, at least 4gig.
You can not just extract the .iso image to the USB stick though. It has to be formatted in a certain way and there are two ways to do this.
My preferred method using DISKPART or there is a newish tool out called Rufus. It can install Win 7 onto the USB stick for you in a few easy clicks.

I prefer DISKPART though.

Run CMD PROMP

diskpart

list disk

select disk 1 (be sure the disk you select is your usb stick!)

clean

create partition primary

select partition 1

active

format quick fs=fat32 or format quick fs=ntfs

assign

exit
Click to expand...

BE CAREFULL TO SELECT THE RIGHT DRIVE !!!!!

Then ectract the files from the .iso image and install, booting from USB.

It is possible to install Win 7 from an external drive but the files would have to be in the root of that drive and not just in the .iso on that drive.

I installed Win 7 off an e-SATA drive, it took no time at all. I formatted the drive as above, copied the Win 7 files to the drive.
The only problem was the boot info was wrote to the e-SATA drive so once it was unplugged the machine would not boot. Quite simple to repair though.

I would suggest using a separate USB stick.

Hope this helps.
 
Was looking at buying a memory stick but seems a huge hassle, every local one I found such as on (deleted the name as it's a competitor I imagine, just a local store) apparently shows as a "Local Disk" not a "Removable Drive" and as such can't be used as a boot drive, supposedly due to some change for windows 8 and you'd need a memory stick NOT "ready" for windows 8 in order to work. I don't know anyone that has one so :/

So not having Memory stick, CD or CD Drive and needing this asap but having a genuine windows 7 iso and what I described to use, I'm screwed?

Essentially following a faulty motherboard issue here (as posted http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=25581572#post25581572) and with a new motherboard on the way it would be a nightmare for this to then be an issue.
 
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So you do have a spare HDD.

This HDD has files on it ? A lot ?

What you could do is remove the files, burn to disc maybe. ohhh NO disc drive..

Format the HDD as mentioned. Boot from the HDD and install from that onto the other.
If it does write the boot info to the external HDD you would have to repair it.
I did but used a disc image to repair the boot. Using the external HDD might just repair the boot on it's self.

Buying any USB stick and running it through DISKPART or using Rufus will make it a bootable USB stick.

More info on Rufus here
http://rufus.akeo.ie/
 
Read your mail, replied.

to go over,

Buy that USB stick.

Download Rufus.

Follow that guide to making a Win 7 USB stick.

Sling it in you new machine, when built.

Boot from USb and install..

Have fun with your new machine.
 
Just use the usb boot creation tool from Microsoft? Pretty sure it doesn't care how the usb drive has been prepared, it formats the drive in the creation process
 
tnx said:
Read your mail, replied.

to go over,

Buy that USB stick.

Download Rufus.

Follow that guide to making a Win 7 USB stick.

Sling it in you new machine, when built.

Boot from USb and install..

Have fun with your new machine.
Click to expand...

Cheers, I've followed that guide, just have two things I'm unsure about as they're not covered in the guide as such and are a part of the options in Rufus

File System FAT32 NTFS, UDF or exFAT ? It defaults to FAT32, guide appears to use NTFS, however some say to use FAT32 so I'm not really sure which to select.

This part isn't on the guide at all, no idea which of the 3 options to chose;

Partition scheme and target system type

1) MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI computers
2) MBR partition scheme for UEFI computer
3) GPT partition scheme for UEFI computer
 
I'm pretty sure installing Windows from a USB HDD would function the same way as USB Flash Drive..

The Microsoft ISO burner is more than enough to do this task..
 
Afran said:
Cheers, I've followed that guide, just have two things I'm unsure about as they're not covered in the guide as such and are a part of the options in Rufus

File System FAT32 NTFS, UDF or exFAT ? It defaults to FAT32, guide appears to use NTFS, however some say to use FAT32 so I'm not really sure which to select.

This part isn't on the guide at all, no idea which of the 3 options to chose;

Partition scheme and target system type

1) MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI computers
2) MBR partition scheme for UEFI computer
3) GPT partition scheme for UEFI computer
Click to expand...

USE NTFS

Use MBR for BIOS Or UEFI

I tested it using those methods worked ok on my Z77.
 
mrbell1984 said:
Why do it the long winded way. Just use this tool for ISOs.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool
Click to expand...

What is so long winded about using Rufus ?

Rufus will let you decide to over ride any file which maybe on your selected USB stick. The M.Soft tool does not. thus you would have to format the USb stick before starting to use the M.Soft tool.

Rufus works with XP. M.Soft tool does not.

I prefer and use DISKPART to format my USB stick\s then copy the files manually. Nowt long winded about that way either but you do have to be careful. This puts folk off.

the OP should really be thinking of adding an optical drive, burning the image to disc then installing.

The easiest way.
 
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d_brennen said:
Burning optical disks? What is this, 1865? :p
Click to expand...


Guess you have never made a DVD for anybody, say an old relative.

Guess you don't have files on disc you wish to access.

Guess you don't have a car which only has a CD player and no iPod connection.

Did the Victorians have optical drives anyhow ?
 
tnx said:
Guess you have never made a DVD for anybody, say an old relative. Nope

Guess you don't have files on disc you wish to access. Nope

Guess you don't have a car which only has a CD player and no iPod connection. Nope

Did the Victorians have optical drives anyhow ? Probably
Click to expand...

I hope you don't take every post on the internet so seriously :p For installing an OS, especially if you might have to do it every now and then (which, for people using this forum is likely), USB makes absolute sense. It's far faster and less prone to physical damage.
 
Well, following that rufus guide and the settings I was unsure about then set to the ones you suggested tnx it's working perfectly on my brothers computer so success :) Thanks

As for the optical drive discussion, yeah probably should've ordered one with the new system n' all, just didn't really think about it because I haven't used a CD in I don't even know how long, probably getting on 4-5 years now?

Everything is online nowadays and while I hit a wall here with the whole modern usb sticks being defaulted to a fixed drive as opposed to a removable drive in order to work with windows 8 and as a result not being a bootable drive however rufus was the way around that so thanks for the tips! :)

Now praying the replacement motherboard tomorrow isn't also faulty and all goes well!
 
d_brennen said:
I hope you don't take every post on the internet so seriously :p For installing an OS, especially if you might have to do it every now and then (which, for people using this forum is likely), USB makes absolute sense. It's far faster and less prone to physical damage.
Click to expand...

yesssssssssssss, I went off on one a bit...

And I usually the first for sarcasm...My bad...:D
 
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