Partition Problem

A usb key is made from a usb flash drive. It can be used for installing 7 or writing another live image using the same method. USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

With the same method outlined there you would substitute the 7 iso image for either GParted live available at SourceForge.net: GParted: Files

Or the latest ubuntu 9.04 release a live for cd Linux distro includes GParted as well. A usb key would help you out since you lack a cd or dvd burner. If you add in another hard drive you could simply use the disk management tool for partitioning and formatting while booted from the present drive.

While some have even managed to see 7 installed on an external usb hard drive generally Windows isn't installed to removable devices to start with as a rule. The idea was to boot live from a usb device in order get past the limitations being imposed by Windows to start in order to gain access to the 100gb that seems lost to your there.

While booted live with GParted written to a flash drive you no longer have Windows placing a lock on the 100gb of drive space if actually free and not reserved for any scheduled backup or system restore points. Windows no longer has any say on you shrinking the primary in order to create the second primary on the main drive itself.

Without problems appearing later you can then use the same method for seeing 7 installed onto the new primary created for it. If the free drive space is found available you then having a working dual boot of both with 7 going on last. Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista

With another drive added in you solved where to put 7 or files being stored. But a flash drive or better yet a burner would be a thought there as well. If you can order from newegg or another vendor you'll find better prices on burners like $18-$30 over the retail store's typical $45-$70!

Meanwhile until 7 is final and the next one is out for beta testing I'll be keeping Vista at bay on a virtual machine. Besides the newer versions always seem to look more colorful when first seen!

Did you right click on it in the disk management to see if that was greyed out or if it is seen as offline?

What make and size is the external drive? If it's large enough and a WD model you can easily extract it from the external casing and install it internally just like any other drive. Reboot Daily: How to open the Western Digital My Book 500GB

The installation attempt of Vista to an external drive will go over like a lead balloon since the Windows installer itself won't install to an external drive but internal only. But I've already removed a few drives from the usb housings for internal use here when the drive space was needed.

For shrinking any primary with an OS loaded on it I simply boot live with GParted on a disk or usb key I have made up for that purpose. There's no OS loaded from the partition at the same time you are working with it.

One thing needs to go on first? That sounds all too familiar with the new XP mode and the need for the Virtual PC beta to go on first there. No need to dual boot here except for seeing the 32bit RC on one drive while the 64bit is on the host. The rest are either storage or backup or simply left open for ?

Glad to see you got going on 7 there. I recently managed to get some old XP stuff running on the 64bit RC that would not run on the 32bit Vista! (well until lately anyways!)