Windows 7: Install of W7 from HD

Hi All,
Here's something that is causing me some problems. I don't have a working DVD writer or a flash drive big enough to install Windows 7 64Bit.
No problem I thought, I have 3 disks in my pc, two unused. I created a 4Gb primary partition on one disk, made it active (compmgmnt) then used WinRar to extract the Iso file to it. I then went into the BIOS and ensured the new partition was top of the boot order.
However, when I boot the PC, it hangs after POST without any error message. Changing the boot order allows me to boot XP again.



Any ideas as to what may be wrong? Is this actually posible?

Your help is much appreciated.

Rich.

Boot into XP, extract the ISO to your new partition, (still from within XP,) view the new files on the new partition that the extraction has created. You will see a setup file, run this file and the installation will start. Once installed you can set the partition as first in boot list.

Hi Ilesal,
Thanks for your reply. I have tried that though, and I was getting a message that F:\setup.exe is not a valid win32 application. I assumed that this was because I was installing a 64bit OS from 32bit XP.
That's why I ended up trying to boot from the partition with the extracted iso files.
Hmmmmm.

Hey Rich

Im going to suggest something you probably have already done but, When you exract the file with winrar (and why would you want to) is the file extension ISO, or do you have extracted files. Second there is a tutorial in the tutorial section to do just that.

Hope this helps and let me know if you need help

Ken

Since you're not able to install x64 programs or OSs from a 32bit OS and you do not have a flash drive or an external harddisk that's big enough, I would suggest that to probably download the Virtual PC trial version and find some VPC Image with XP or Vista x64 (Server 2003 x64 or Server 2008 will also work). Now you can install Win 7 from your virtual x64 OS. :-D

I would say: install WIndows7 32 bit or buy some cheap USB stick... Perhaps some friend of yours can lend you his DVD-ROM drive...

As suggested get the 32bit of Windows 7. I did not realise you were trying for a 64bit install. If you have USB then an external DVD rom drive or USB flash is another way to go. Good luck.

This may help you. Good luck!

Tip: make your PDC 2008 (or any) USB hard drive a bootable Windows 7 install disk - istartedsomething

It is for a USB HD but you may be able to use the info.

Hi All,

Many thanks for all your help and suggestions. I downloaded the 32 bit version, just to see. Well, worked a treat - I could extract the iso to my 4Gb partition then run the setup file without error.
So, I had a re-think about the 64 bit version, and while I don't like to give up when there's a problem to solve, I decided that as most applications I'll install are 32 bit, I'll go with the 32 bit version of Windows 7.

All installed fine (And very, very quick from the hdd!). very impressed. Don't think I'll ever go back to my XP install now!

One thing I didn't do was see if I could boot the 4Gb partition - I just ran the setup file from within XP. Would be interesting to see what happens.

Thanks again,

Rich.