Installing Windows 7 on a USB Flash Drive

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  1. Posts : 27
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Edition w/ SP1 RTM build 7601.17514
       #1

    Installing Windows 7 on a USB Flash Drive


    Would it be possible to install Windows 7 x64 Ultimate onto my 32GB USB Flash Drive as a portable OS on the go? I'm not talking about creating a Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive as an alternative to a DVD Installation, I'm talking about being able to have Windows 7 x64 Ultimate OS on a USB drive.

    I'm asking because I need to be able to have another Windows OS on a separate drive in order for me to be able to Secure Erase my OCZ RevoDrive PCI-E SSD using OCZ Toolbox.
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  2. Posts : 7,730
    Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-Bit
       #2

    As far as I'm aware it's not possible and even if it was, performance would be way too slow.

    If I'm wrong, the cavalry will be along shortly. :)
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  3. Posts : 16,129
    7 X64
       #3

    Yes. it's possible. Performance can be good.

    It isn't all that easy.

    I don't know anything about ocz toolbox - surely you can just pop it into pe and run it from there?
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  4. Posts : 7,730
    Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-Bit
       #4

    SIW2 said:
    Yes. it's possible. Performance can be good.

    It isn't all that easy.

    I don't know anything about ocz toolbox - surely you can just pop it into pe and run it from there?
    Do you have a source? I'd love to know how to do it out of interest more than anything else.
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  5. Posts : 27
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Edition w/ SP1 RTM build 7601.17514
    Thread Starter
       #5

    OCZ Toolbox can only be used on a separate Windows installation, like on another HDD or SSD, on the SSD that you wish to use it for. I found something on Google, it said you can use Virtual Portal Box to do it. But never mentioned how to with it. I downloaded it and have no idea how to do it with it.
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  6.    #6

    I wish someone would do it and report back on performance, just to get this settled here after almost 3 years.

    I can only recall one OP who reported back success but said it was slow as molasses.

    The activation issues for a portable thumb drive are critical enough that I don't know how you'd activate or maintain activation. I've always thought that alone makes it too sketchy to support here.
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  7. Posts : 27
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Edition w/ SP1 RTM build 7601.17514
    Thread Starter
       #7

    I don't plan on using it fof a dedicated OS. I only want to be able to use OCZ Toolbox on it. I wouldn't even install anything on it not even drivers.
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  8.    #8

    Flava0ne said:
    I don't plan on using it fof a dedicated OS. I only want to be able to use OCZ Toolbox on it. I wouldn't even install anything on it not even drivers.
    Have you checked out the favored boot disks like Hirens or Universal? They have many similar tools and are said to have worked out using them legally.

    Our expert SIW2 has built some of these using Win7 so can advise you on that and how to write disk to flash stick, perhaps using Win2Flash.
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  9. Posts : 27
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Edition w/ SP1 RTM build 7601.17514
    Thread Starter
       #9

    OCZ's RevoDrives prior to the one I have, RevoDrive 3 X2 Series, you would use MagicPart to secure erase the drive. With mines, apparently only OCZ Toolbox can be used to do it. I just don't want to have to go out and buy a spare HDD for this single purpose and I already have a 32GB USB Drive that I'm not even using for anything.
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  10.    #10

    Why are you needing to secure erase an SSD - are you concerned about data being made unrecoverable?

    The correct way to prepare a drive otherwise is to delete each partition in Disk Mgmt or using the Installer Drive Options. Clean Install Windows 7

    If you have another reason to Secure Erase then someone here may know an alternative. Diskpart Diskpart Clean and Clean All Command can do this from the DVD Command line, with Clean All writing zeroes to make data unrecoverable while Clean can solve some Install and boot problems by zeroing the boot sector.
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