Please help, about to shoot myself

beckster

beckster

beckster

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28 Jan 2006
Posts
367
I am a linux noob and currently running Mint. However, I need to install Vista to play games, etc. I am on an x61 which doesn't have a DVD drive so I can't simply install Vista from a dvd. I have managed to copy the contents of a Vista DVD to my 8gb flash drive and have since transferred them over to my laptop. So to sum it up:

I have a lenovo x61 laptop with no dvd drive
A folder with all the contents of a Vista DVD
A 8gb USB pendrive (Ridata)
Linux Mint OS

How the heck do I go about moving the files over to the usb drive and make it bootable? I don't know what I am doing and have tried ever guide I can find on the net so nothing seems to work. Please help me, I have been trying for days now and still nothing. I am getting increasingly frustrated so please please please help!!
 
I once did this with xp by copying the i386 folder from the CD to a network share, booting the x60 into dos using a floppy/usb stick (with network drivers) then running the XP dos installer from the command prompt. Maybe you could do a similar thing with Vista?
 
Tried:

i make my usb vista bootable with hp format tool and win98 boot files[im not sure if the win98 is needed]

and then with bootsec /nt g: i make it boot from bootmgr

But not sure what is meant by the last line - ie. I have formatted with HP tool and loaded win98 files to get it to command prompt but then that bootsec command does nothing.

Tried:

Simply download soft PeToUsb.EXE, check format disk and other settings let be. Then hit START. After this copy your vLited Vista to USB stick. I always install Vista from USB key :-)

Comes up with an error when it reaches 100% so didn't bother wasting time copying all the files across from the Vista folder.

Tried diskpart:

# 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
# assign
# exit

The win xp machine I tried it on doesn't list the usb drive as a disk but rather as a volume. Therefore can't make it active, etc.

And yes, the files are in my home folder on my linux machine in a folder called linux. I have both an iso of the folder and the folder itself. HELP!
 
ok i can see youve found the guide here...

http://kurtsh.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!DA410C7F7E038D!1665.entry

..bot it looks to me like steps 1 and 2 can be dropped in favour of the HP usb boot utility.

So my guess is..

1) Format the USB drive and make bootable using the HP utility

2) Check it works and that you can boot off it

3) Put the USB drive into a machine that has a DVD drive with the Vista DVD in it

4) Do "xcopy d:\*.* /s/e/f e:\" where d: is the Vista DVD and e: is the USB drive

5) Boot off the USB drive

NOTE - from memory you need to press F12 on thinkpads to choose a temporary boot device - that may let you select the USB drive if youre having issues

..may not work - I'm just running off the guide linked and what if can remember of doing similar stuff before.

Good luck!!

EDIT - thinking about it - you would get a much better response asking this question in the "Windows" section. The hard part is installing Vista from USB.. the rest is easier.

EDIT 2 - or borrowing a DVD drive perhaps :0
 
Last edited:
I can't borrow a dvd drive and I have tried that above guide but it doesn't work. I have tried formating the drive and usb command but it doesnt work. I can boot into dos with the files in on the usb disk but i cant run boot manager.
 
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