Fastest 7077 Clean Install Method?

[ickymay]

I have done all of my test installs from 7k beta onwards by mounting the image in vista using daemon tools then run it as a virtual disk and using custom install point to the spare formatted partition

the only limitation it seems is that the new install inherits the partition letters from the operating system it's installed from which means vista insists on being the C drive , but hey a minor problem

 

[Night Hawk]

Any custom install while booted in Windows would see that to begin with. The first install of the 7000 build while booted in Vista saw that end up being the J drive then. The second install saw the Vista drive unplugged while setting up the XP/7 dual boot on the second drive with both ending up being C. XP was first boot sector until mounted to become D while in 7.

For maintaining each installation to see itself as C you would install without cohersion from Windows in order to prevent the drive letter offset whether off a dvd, flash drive, external without any version loaded. If you lack any of those in case of either a laptop or desktop seeing only a cd or cd-rw drive then you have to mount an image for the custom install in Windows.

One thing not to expect is trying to run the installer while booted in any present 7 or expect to see the incompatibility message appear being the same version even the build is 3 times newer.

 

[baarod]

Well I got one for ya. This is easily the fastest way to install 7. Does it in 8 minutes on my box. ImageX install.wim onto an activated partition and reboot. That's it.

1) Make a primary partition. The easiest way it to use diskmgmt.msc to shrink an existing partition.
2) Use diskpart.exe create primary partion, quick format ntfs, and activate
3) Mount Windows 7 ISO using Virtual Clone Drive and run ImageX /apply v:\sources\install.wim 5 d:\ where v is the VCD mount and d is the new partition.
4) d:\windows\system32\bcdboot.exe d:\windows to configure system files
5) Reboot and it will install the right drivers and finish setting up.

Done. No goofy drive assignments, no messing with booting from removable media, no touching existing Windows install -- it can even be XP/Vista. Boot back into your previous OS by activating it's partition using diskpart.

This is based on the method that big IT shops and OEMs like Dell use.

EDIT: almost forgot -- you can download the entire 1.5GB WAIK or this View attachment imagex.zip

 

[Night Hawk]

Gee I will have to try that on one of these so called newer builds sometime on the test for bogus builds partition set up for that!

 

[baarod]

Gee I will have to try that on one of these so called newer builds sometime on the test for bogus builds partition set up for that!

That's what I use it for too! Great minds...

 

[Night Hawk]

I'm looking at the time saving factor in order to see a fast install, good lookover, and ready to trash if fake in a relatively short amount of time. That would also help alert the over anxious that any new build rushed on isn't always what it's crocked up to be!

I wonder if that work as well off of a usb flash drive? naaa.... internal drives are still faster there!

 

[baarod]

I'm looking at the time saving factor in order to see a fast install, good lookover, and ready to trash if fake in a relatively short amount of time. That would also help alert the over anxious that any new build rushed on isn't always what it's crocked up to be!

I wonder if that work as well off of a usb flash drive? naaa.... internal drives are still faster there!

It's nice to just have the partition ready, mount the iso, imagex the drive, activate it and check it out. If it looks bogus, diskpart activate your main partition and format..

 

[johngalt]

VMs are good for this too, yanno - with an added advantage that your running as a guest of a host that has antivirus and antimalware software built in - so that you're in less chance of getting an infected build that starts going willy nilly all over your HD....

 

[baarod]

VMs are good for this too, yanno - with an added advantage that your running as a guest of a host that has antivirus and antimalware software built in - so that you're in less chance of getting an infected build that starts going willy nilly all over your HD....

But you never really know about the hardware support that way since it's all virtualized...

 

[johngalt]

ummm, I thought it was to spot a fake or not....

If it is not fake, then you install it for real - if it is you don't have to play around with partitions...

 

[Night Hawk]

One of the reasons for seeing the old ide drive hooked up again was for looking at the unlocked 7000 as well as taking a close look at the 7057. When popping the external out of the enclosure later I could then take that out of the equation for simply seeing quick installs on an extra drive without the ide pver sata factor.

Once you verify a clean build you have to decide if that will replace what you have on or go to another drive if not partition if you have the extra space. The first look at something in a VM environment however is one way to decide if real or just another fabulous fake!

What I look for here besides being a crocked up number is any bugs included in any of them! If spotted that can save a good number of people rushing into it from trashing their systems! Once on I can sweep it with security tools while being booted from an entirely different drive and installation.

 

[johngalt]

Indeed - with the Chinese 7106, if I had been so inclined to actually DL it, I would have fired up VBox and looked at it there before venturing forth and putting it on my HD.

 

[baarod]

ummm, I thought it was to spot a fake or not....

If it is not fake, then you install it for real - if it is you don't have to play around with partitions...

Not JUST that If it's not a fake, good to know what it supports clean.

 

[johngalt]

Again - My method is load it in a VM, and if it is not a fake, then load it *live* on the HD.

 

[Night Hawk]

I dumped the latest on a new primary on the drive that will eventually be totally wiped for the actual RC1. With it seeing a full install anything noticed with scans for hidden folly will be added to the thread seen at http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/7084-7106-bogus-alert.html

The initial sweep for example with AVG hasn't turned up any malware so far while other tools will be used to go further until the new primary sees a new wiped look meaning nothing on it until the next...?

 

[RST101]

Well I got one for ya. This is easily the fastest way to install 7. Does it in 8 minutes on my box. ImageX install.wim onto an activated partition and reboot. That's it.

1) Make a primary partition. The easiest way it to use diskmgmt.msc to shrink an existing partition.
2) Use diskpart.exe create primary partion, quick format ntfs, and activate
3) Mount Windows 7 ISO using Virtual Clone Drive and run ImageX /apply v:\sources\install.wim 5 d:\ where v is the VCD mount and d is the new partition.
4) d:\windows\system32\bcdboot.exe d:\windows to configure system files
5) Reboot and it will install the right drivers and finish setting up.

Done. No goofy drive assignments, no messing with booting from removable media, no touching existing Windows install -- it can even be XP/Vista. Boot back into your previous OS by activating it's partition using diskpart.

This is based on the method that big IT shops and OEMs like Dell use.

EDIT: almost forgot -- you can download the entire 1.5GB WAIK or this View attachment 8141

Installed from my san disc pen drive in 8 minutes too. My post near the beginning of this thread stated this. It is a really simple and quick way but it is everyone to their own.

I'm looking at the time saving factor in order to see a fast install, good lookover, and ready to trash if fake in a relatively short amount of time. That would also help alert the over anxious that any new build rushed on isn't always what it's crocked up to be!

I wonder if that work as well off of a usb flash drive? naaa.... internal drives are still faster there!

It works in the same way mate because like I say above it took 8 minutes to install of a san disc pen drive. Rapid!

@jimbo45 the point in trying to save time is the same reason people spends thousands on ddr3, i7, sli, etc etc all in their quest to save seconds.

 

[baarod]

How are you measuring install time? If I start the clock when I first see the cool new Windows boot animation and stop it when it reboots to run Windows the first time it's a little over 4 minutes. It takes a little bit during the first run to tell it about my username, timezone, update prefs, join the homegroup, etc. so my 8 minute measurement was from the time I rebooted my current installation of Windows 7 to the point of a usable desktop in the new one. Regardless, that's damn fast for any Windows install -- I've seen some machines that take that long to reboot to a usable desktop!

 

[PotatoMan83]

if the ISO was stored on the hard drive, and ran (what I do for upgrades), can it also do a fresh install that way as well, and keep the folder the files are in whereas it does not erase it during the install process?

 

[baarod]

if the ISO was stored on the hard drive, and ran (what I do for upgrades), can it also do a fresh install that way as well, and keep the folder the files are in whereas it does not erase it during the install process?

No, it will try to replace or upgrade your existing 7. What this method does it replace the installer. It lets you make all the decisions.

 

[PotatoMan83]

ok. im runnin 7077. I extract iso of newer build to folder and run setup.exe. Can i click custom and fresh install this way is what im asking