First Timer Here

[katbhappy]

Hi All:
Sorry for being dumb here but I am going to be doing some partitioning and imaging of a computer with Win 7 on it and I have the original disk. Lots of people are talking about making a bootable CD but I won't need this if I have original disk will I?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You don't need a bootable disc to partition a hard drive. You normally can do that within Windows itself.

If you make an image, some imaging programs require that you use a bootable disk to restore that image. Others don't.

But maybe I don't understand your question.

 

[katbhappy]

I know I don't need to partition. What I need to know is ...Is a bootable cd for win7 the same as the original Win7 dvd?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Not necessarily.

A bootable CD is just that--a CD that will boot---irrespective of Windows 7. It may also have Windows 7 on it or it may not.

More info needed.

Why do you think you may need a bootable CD?

 

[katbhappy]

Ok, here's the long of it. At work here we test software on various operating systems. Our previous engineer who is no longer here put a program on our xp machine that allowed us to essentially have multiple images on the same machine, ie. one with all updates, one with none, etc. Then we would use a boot disk to start machine that which was old PowerQuest deploycenter program. The tech can choose from multiple images they want, it will then boot up clean into that image for us to tweak around and test and then we can wipe it away for the next test.
So, I need to do this on a new machine with Win7 on it and eventually have win7 with updates, one without, and preferably one with vista with updates and vista without updates.
So, I need to capture those original virgin images with the builds I want to keep and be able to somehow boot to whichever one I am going to use to test software on that day and then blow away software and reboot to virgin image 1,2,3 or 4 again to do it again!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I don't know about using a boot disk for the process, but I think you could have 4 separate partitions, each with its own operating system as follows. I assume you want this:

OS1: Vista
OS2: Vista updated
OS3: Windows 7
OS4: Windows 7 updated

And be able to choose which one you want to boot into when you start the machine, through a menu?

As far as I know, that is doable. Someone with experience in that should help you in this thread.

But, as I said, I don't know if a separate bootable CD to help you choose the OS would be necessary or advantageous. Normally, I think you would just want to see a menu?

You could of course make images of any of these OS, but you would have to store the images on another partition. And you MIGHT have to use a bootable CD to restore the images, depending on what imaging program you used. That CD, if you needed it, would NOT be your normal Windows 7 install disc.