How to create a Win 7 bootable CD with external drive support


  1. cma6
    Posts : 49
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       New #1

    How to create a Win 7 bootable CD with external drive support


    I am able to create a system image of my Win 7 x64 drive. But if I had to restore the system image, it seems I would need a Win 7 bootable CD with external drive support, as my drive system image is on an external drive.
    Windows backup does make a System Repair CD but that is for repair of Win 7; or can it be used for the System Image restore operation?
    If not, how would I make a bootable Win 7 CD with external drive support?
    Thanks in advance to the system experts.
    CMA
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  3. ICIT2LOL
    Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       New #2

    Hello CMA6 mate I think this is a much better option to be honest I set mine to a weekly imaging bit it can be set as often as you like.
    Imaging with free Macrium

    there is this too
    System Image Recovery
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  4. Ranger4
    Posts : 9,746
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit sp1
       New #3

    I also use Macrium to image my Hard Drive on a weekly basis. Macrium has provision to be able to make a bootable CD for recovery.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  6. cma6
    Posts : 49
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    How to make a Windows 7 bootable CD


    Thanks for the replies but neither of them answer my question. I know how to use Win backup to make a system image. That does not concern me.

    My question is how to make a Win 7 boot disk with external drive support so that the image backup can be used for restore.

    Thanks to Ranger and Icit for the link to Shawn's (fantastically complicated) Win 7 recovery methodology. I don't suppose that MS actually expects anyone to be able to do this :)

    However, assuming one can execute the recovery method, it still begs the question: one needs a Windows 7 boot CD with access to Backup/Image Restore as well as to the external HD.

    Section 6 B) of Shawn's tutorial implicitly acknowledges this issue of not having access to the external HD:
    "If the drive can't be seen to select a system image from, you may need to use the tutorial below to load your SATA drivers. You would click on the Advanced button and on 'Install a driver.'" option."
    This brings us back to the basic issue: how to create a "System Repair" disc that also loads the SATA drivers.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  7. ICIT2LOL
    Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       New #5

    Hmm well I can only suggest this Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 and just have it on a disk or stick. I am not sure how it would work from an external drive because it needs to boot that ISO?

    I am equally unsure as to why you want to have that copy of Windows on the external drive when it can be kept separately on a disk and not be open to getting mixed up with what is on the drive??

    Just make sure you have the right version though as the activation code you have is only for that version and is tied to the motherboard.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails How to create a Win 7 bootable CD with external drive support-iso.png  
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  8. cma6
    Posts : 49
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    Adding Sata drivers to Windows Repair disc


    I won't have Win 7 on an external drive, which contains only the system image. The Windows 7 Repair disc already has Windows 7 on it. The issue is how to add the Sata driver(s) to the Windows 7 Repair disc so that the external drive can be recognized.
    Thanks for your help which clarified these issues for me.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  10. SIW2
    Posts : 16,335
    7 X64
       New #7

    Your question is not clear.

    1) Have you already made a win7 repair cd/usb drive?

    2) If so, when you boot it up, does it fail to see the external HD which contains your backup image?

    3) If that is the problem, then if you have the required drivers, you can install them permanenetly into your win7 repair wim.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  11. cma6
    Posts : 49
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       New #8

    SIW2,
    Your response is exactly on point. Not having the SATA drivers, the Win 7 Repair disc does not find the external HD. If it did find the external HD, I would not be posting here.
    How do I find the WIN7 SATA driver(s) for my external HD?
    Once I know that, I can copy them to my Windows Repair disc.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  12. ICIT2LOL
    Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       New #9

    Well I was under the impression that you wanted to make the machine boot from the external as far as I know the drivers are loaded by Windows whe you do the install.


    Plus as there are no specs for the machine you are working with then it is hard to determine what those drivers are from the manufacturers site.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

 

  Related Discussions
I am replacing my previous backup drive, which I have divided in 2 partitions: - an 8gb bootable partition that I can use for booting into programs like Macrium Reflect or even to install Windows from, or really any bootable media - a data partitions for saving all my backups to This way I...
How to Make a MS-DOS Bootable Flash Drive This will show you how to create a flash drive that is able to boot your computer into a MS-DOS environment. This will be accomplished by using the HP Flash Utility and the Windows 98 MS-DOS System FilesThe flash drive being used in this process will be...
How to create Bootable USB drive
in General Discussion

Hi, I want create a Bootable USB drive on my pen-drive for Windows 7. Searched on Google and this looked quite good: 4 Ways to Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Also, checked few tutorials on Windows 7 forum but wasn't sure how accurate they were. Simple I want step by step...
Create a second bootable drive?
in General Discussion

A year ago, I did a fresh install of Windows 7 on a second hard drive and installed all my normal programs. It worked fine afterwords and was bootable and I set it aside. My idea was to be able use this drive (or to clone it) at any time I wanted to start over with a fresh install or in case of a...
I'm using Windows 7 Professional as a 32 bit version. Now I want to install Windows 7 Professional 64 bit on my machine from my USB drive. The problem is that my machine doesn't boot from the USB drive. Anyway, I've tried with a 32 bit version of Windows 7 on my USB drive. This works well, but...
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

 © Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 16:51.
Find Us