Boot windows 7


  1. Posts : 208
    Windows 7
       #1

    Boot windows 7


    Is it possible to install windows7 on a usb device and boot from it, not like install windows 7 from a usb device on your pc, but to boot it up from there and just run it?

    -Joshua
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 428
    Windows Seven x64
       #2

    I am going to say no to this one. (I don't think it is possible because of all the drivers, hardware changes when moving to another computer) I also think the Windows 7 license may be an issue as well.

    Ryan

    Edit: However I think some Linux OS can do this..
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #3

    Torongo said:
    Is it possible to install windows7 on a usb device and boot from it, not like install windows 7 from a usb device on your pc, but to boot it up from there and just run it?

    -Joshua
    No.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 8,375
    W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
       #4

    Back in the RC time frame a few blogs appeared for how to run those from a flash drive while no direct install to any usb device or drive will work. At that time 7 beta was available in ISO disk image form and was run with the help of a 3rd party program called Portable VirtualBox. How To Install Windows 7 On USB Flash Drive

    You watch a video on that one with another page linked for download of the now defunct RC direct from MS at that time. That then leads off to How To Install Windows 7 On VirtualBox

    In fact this has been done with XP. "How to install and run a FULL Windows XP from a USB drive" was the name of one guide dated 4/12/2008.

    Another one like that for 7, "Installing Windows 7 Beta on an External USB Hard Drive", takes you through several steps to where the writer mentions the install being caught in a loop. The bios was set to boot from the external drive only to get as far as the logo screen before the next restart.

    You first have to go through the process of seeing PVBox custom installed onto the flash drive there.(A Royal Pain!) Otherwise the the VHD gets stuffed into your user folder's AppData\Virtual Box\hard disk sub folder with the newer versions of that program seen since.

    Note that this only worked for a "quick look" and even when installed to a VHD on the regular VBox was still found quite limited and was not able to be activated when tried here not getting online. Something prevented connection while on a flash drive while custom install to vhds on the main drive always were able to connect.

    The licensing then seen for beta and RC versions of 7 did however allow activation until expiration. With 7 on now all you could expect to see would be a quickie temp install. https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...-120-days.html
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  5.    #5

    MS works hard to keep Windows installs off of USB or else we'd be able to carry their OS around in our pocket.

    The few who've reported they have done it admit it is slooooooowwww. There's also the issue of how to reactivate every time you plug it into new hardware. So you'd really have to be the slowest pirate on the Seven Seas except you'd never make it out of the first one.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 8,375
    W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
       #6

    Even on VBox the practicality was none since the host was the same but 64bit over 32bit. As far as the loading part when this was first seen last year through the USB 2.0 bus? Call ut a day!

    The word slloowwwwww doesn't quite make the accurate description as well as listing all the complications. This is why the word "temp" fits well for any custom set up like that. If you want Windows portable a laptop or netbook still remains the answer.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 16,132
    7 X64
       #7

    You could make a version of pe3 with everything in it you want.

    That will boot fine from a flash drive - it loads into ram , of course, so a little care is needed to keep it down in size.

    My current one is about 330mb with full network capabilities, aero, themes, video, audio, net framework ( to run easybcd, etc ), Windows disk management with create and mount vhd, Paragon Virtual Server, Partition Wizard , Macrium, etc.

    The snag is, it takes a lot of work to make.
      My Computers

  8.    #8

    SIW2 said:
    You could make a version of pe3 with everything in it you want.

    That will boot fine from a flash drive - it loads into ram , of course, so a little care is needed to keep it down in size.

    My current one is about 330mb with full network capabilities, aero, themes, video, audio, net framework ( to run easybcd, etc ), Windows disk management with create and mount vhd, Paragon Virtual Server, Partition Wizard , Macrium, etc.

    The snag is, it takes a lot of work to make.
    Si, will you teach me again? I'd love to have one with networking.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #9

    Me too. I made a custom PE at one time but now if you have a step-by-step, then that sure saves me backtracking thru alll the mskbs, articles, blogs, etc which I used before.

    Guess who never got around to documenting what he had done.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 8,375
    W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
       #10

    The one thing to know about the Portable VBox if you decide to try that one is make sure you don't have the regular VBox already in use! That despite trying to custom install after download of the main file will still try to default to the main drive.

    The work previously seen with VBox here ended up being trashed when trying to help someone else also looking to run OSs from a flash drive to avoid any install onto a customer's machine. What an annoyance wiping VBox, reinstall, redoing the vhds for that... etc.
      My Computers


 

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