Windows 7: Bios wont recognise my partitioned drive with the windows set up on it

I have a Windows 7 32 Bit mini pc (SPO-Book Turo) It has 4Gigabytes of installed memory but windows will only use 3.The mini pc hasn't got a CD drive.I have put my windows installation files on my second partition of my 1000 gigabyte drive. My BIOS will not identify that the windows set up is on it what so ever.I am trying to install Windows 7 ultimate 64 bit.



any help will be appreciated...

Has anyone heard of this happening before?

From what you said and what is in your specs, it sounds like you are trying to install Win 7 x64 from an external USB hard drive and can't.

Does your Bios support booting from a USB flash drive?

If it does, try installing from the USB flash drive.

Take a look at this SF tutorial by gregrocker.

Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

ok i will try tonight

I would think if you are going from a 32 bit to a 64 bit version of windows that you need to be able to boot to the install media.

If you do not have a dvd drive, the USB flashdrive is an option.

can i ask if i make another partition on my external hard drive mentioned above, and format it to ntfs if i could then run the installer onto it and would my bios recognise the external hdds partition

No Windows 7 will not install to an External HD.

Why do you want to do this?

I'd just delete all partitions and create new or let the installer do so during reinstall. Unplug all other HD's and peripherals first.

i dont want windows to install the OS on the partition, i want to have the installation files on the os so i can then install onto my internal hdd. Anyway i cant delete all partitions because that hdd has all my personal stuff on it

Is there some reason you have not tried creating and using a bootable USB flash drive for installing FROM?
If you do not have a USB flash drive, can you get one - buy or borrow one?

When installing Windows it is best to:
- Have only 1 HD connected - the HD where Windows is being installed TO
- Have the minimum number of peripherals connected during the install - usually only the keyboard and mouse
- In this case you would also need the USB flash drive you are installing Windows FROM

With the approach you are trying to use installing FROM the USB HD, you risk losing data on the external USB HD.

I'm no expert, gregrocker is the best installation expert.

I think there was a misunderstanding in using the USB HD for installing Windows FROM / TO.

I would wait for further advice from Greg before continuing with the approach you are trying to use.

The link i gave you in post #3 has all the instructions for creating and installing from a USB flash drive.

thank you for the link and i also think there was a bit of a misunderstanding