I want to install Windows 7 ON (not FROM) a USB key

[celjan34]

I want to install Windows 7 ON (not FROM) a USB key (instead of disk) and run from it.

But without VirtualBox or VM Player or something. Directly to the USB key.

But how? ...so please help

 

[kegobeer]

Google is your friend. Try this.

How To Install Windows 7 On USB Flash Drive

You need something with at least 6GB of space.

Virtualbox is your only option, AFAIK. There is no way to install Windows 7 on any type of removable media. The only Windows OS that I was able to do that with was Windows XP.

 

[DocBrown]

Can you set your computer Bios to Boot from USB ?


Tutorial

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

 

[kegobeer]

Can you set your computer Bios to Boot from USB ?

Even if you can boot from USB, there's no way to install Windows onto a removable media device and then boot into it. At least I've never found/read about/actually saw it done.

 

[DocBrown]

Can you set your computer Bios to Boot from USB ?

Even if you can boot from USB, there's no way to install Windows onto a removable media device and then boot into it. At least I've never found/read about/actually saw it done.

Yes I mis-read the OP post

 

[Petey7]

I tried something like this with XP. It is very hard to do right. Windows test the USB ports during start-up by turning them on and off. As soon as they are turned off, Windows stops loading. I can't remember if it crashes or just freezes. Someone found what needs to be changed to keep it from testing the USB ports during start-up but its not for the faint of heart. It's a lot easier to do something like this with Ubuntu or Knoppix, which are both great linux OSs.

 

[celjan34]

DocBrown, tnx man
yes, i have boot from USB

and now tray your link
tnx


eeee, DocBrown, this iis not this

this tutorial make DVD=USB
I need Disk=USB

 

[Petey7]

Can you set your computer Bios to Boot from USB ?

Even if you can boot from USB, there's no way to install Windows onto a removable media device and then boot into it. At least I've never found/read about/actually saw it done.

Forgot about this. So, basically the only option is to use Linux for something like this.

 

[celjan34]

Forget that

 

[Petey7]

Have you tried Ubuntu or Knoppix? Both work well, have less security risk than Windows or Mac, and both (Ubuntu especially) have a large enough user base to find the solution to any issue you have online. They both also come with Firefox, and Ubuntu has OpenOffice built in. Not to mention both are light on resources.

For a portable OS, both are right up your alley.

 

[gregrocker]

By now someone normally should have posted that it can be done and that they have done it. However, by all reports it is deadly slow.

MS obviously does everything possible to keep their OS from being carried around in your pocket.

The tutorial to install XP to USB stick is one of the most complicated on the web.

 

[Faladu]

Even if you got the USB Win7 going I'm expecting it to RUN poorly at best.
Linux flavors on the other hand might be passable.
M$ activation issues I think become a major issue with this USB install anyhow, I was looking it this myself a couple weeks back just to see if it was doable.
Linux flavors have for years allowed running entirely from a CD without actually installing it, though saving? NO of course not. Ubuntu is a cake install on a PC other than some minor driver hassles if any, but last time I experimented with it was 1.5 years ago.

 

[Mark Phelps]

Even if you COULD install Win7 to a USB stick (which you can't, BTW), for the purpose of being a portable installation you could reuse from machine to machine -- it STILL would not be feasible -- for at least the following two reasons:
1) Drivers -- presuming the machines you plug the USB stick into are all different, the install would have the wrong drivers, and while it MIGHT boot, there's every possibility that other things (audio, etc) would simply not work.
2) Activation -- MS does NOT want folks carrying around MS windows in their pockets, so as soon as the machine you plug this into connects to the net -- BAM! The copy will be deactivated. Best case, it won't work on that machine. Worst case, the Key you used to activate it gets blacklisted by MS and it will no longer work on ANY machine.