Install Windows 7 TO external drive?

[atomsk]

I installed PLOP without any trouble.

Instructions for XP on the site.

I had to figure it out for Vista/7. Only took a few minutes.

Instructions are right on the site:

Harddisk install using the Windows boot menu (2K, XP and VISTA)

Download the file plpgenbtldr-0.7.zip and extract it.

http://download.plop.at/files/bootmngr/plpgenbtldr-0.7.zip

Create a directory like c:\plop. You can use any directory you want.

Copy plpinstc.com and plpgenbtldr.exe to your c:\plop directory

Rename plpinstc.com to plpbt.bin.

As administrator/with administrator rights open a command shell and change to c:\plop

Then start plpgenbtldr

This program searches for the file plpbt.bin In the current directory.
plpgenbtldr generates the file plpbtldr.bin.

Adding to the boot menu. Windows 2K and XP :

add the line below to your c:\boot.ini

c:\plop\plpbtldr.bin="Install PLoP Boot Manager"


For Vista/7 add it to bcd the same as you would add ntldr.

Thanks. I was going to make a comment about how you simply stating that it installed fine for you wasn't really helpful. lol Anyway, I don't like how that site is put together. It seems broad, generalized, and all over the place.

 

[SIW2]

Try it - see if the boot from usb feature works for you.

I see you watching Greg - are you going to give it a go?

 

[gregrocker]

I just ignore the URL bar's history unless it gives me an autocomplete to grab.

What I like a lot is the history in the Favorites bar where I can quickly revisit sites in order I visited today, or past days, or by site, using tabs other then my Favorites.

 

[atomsk]

Try it - see if the boot from usb feature works for you.

I see you watching Greg - are you going to give it a go?

The last bit has me confused. In the 1README file is this:

4.2) Windows VISTA
    run notepad as administrator
    create a file c:\boot.ini and add the following lines

[boot loader]
[operating systems]
c:\plop\plpbtldr.bin="PLoP Boot Manager"

But you say to add the line to bcd? Should I edit bcd in Notepad and place the line e:\plop\plpbtldr.bin="Install PLoP Boot Manager" in there somewhere?

Placing that line somewhere is the last thing to do...

 

[SIW2]

That didn't work for me.

That's what I meant by I had to figure it out.

Just add plpbtldr.bin to bcd like you would ntldr.

Ignore the boot.ini bit for Vista/7 - unless you want 2 entries popping up on the boot menu.

If you called the folder PLOP, it goes something like this: (you will probably be on C )

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /create /d "PLOP" /application bootsector

The entry {ced785a4-a6da-11de-a68e-001966657855} was successfully created.

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /set {ced785a4-a6da-11de-1966657855} device boot

The operation completed successfully.

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /set {ced785a4-a6da-11de-a68e-001966657855} path \plop\pbtldr.bin

The operation completed successfully.

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /displayorder {ced785a4-a6da-11de-a68e-001966657855} /addlast

The operation completed successfully.

D:\Windows\system32>

 

[atomsk]

That didn't work for me.

That's what I meant by I had to figure it out.

Just add plpbtldr.bin to bcd like you would ntldr.

Ignore the boot.ini bit for Vista/7 - unless you want 2 entries popping up on the boot menu.

If you called the folder PLOP, it goes something like this: (you will probably be on C )

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /create /d "PLOP" /application bootsector

The entry {ced785a4-a6da-11de-a68e-001966657855} was successfully created.

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /set {ced785a4-a6da-11de-1966657855} device boot

The operation completed successfully.

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /set {ced785a4-a6da-11de-a68e-001966657855} path \plop\pbtldr.bin

The operation completed successfully.

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /displayorder {ced785a4-a6da-11de-a68e-001966657855} /addlast

The operation completed successfully.

D:\Windows\system32>

Is that a typo? Meh, I treated it as one. SO that's all done now. Should I now see Plop at boot? If so does this mean that I will have to choose my OS at each boot (or just wait the 20 some seconds to pass) to load it up?

 

[SIW2]

You should see PLOP on your windows boot menu.

I assume you already have 7 and XP on there and have set the default and time out of your choosing.

Select PLOP

If you pointed bcd the right way, you will get a fun sci - fi screen .

Select which device you want to boot from on the PLOP menu.

You don't have to select PLOP -select another entry from Windows boot menu if you want that, or select nothing and you will boot whichever item on the menu you set as default.


reduce the timeout of windows boot menu like this:

bcdedit /set timeout 5

 

[atomsk]

You should see PLOP on your windows boot menu.

I assume you already have 7 and XP on there and have set the default and time out of your choosing.

Select PLOP

If you pointed bcd the right way, you will get a fun sci - fi screen .

Select which device you want to boot from on the PLOP menu.

You don't have to select PLOP -select another entry from Windows boot menu if you want that, or select nothing and you will boot whichever item on the menu you set as default.

I am blond. I am prone to those special moments as well. I forgot the boot menu is accessed by pressing F8 prior to Windows boot. I'm thinking dual boot.

 

[SIW2]

HUH.

Just restart and see what pops up on the screen.

PLOP should be there .

 

[gregrocker]

Try it - see if the boot from usb feature works for you.

I see you watching Greg - are you going to give it a go?

Can you explain in plain English what PLOP is?

I thought OP got their XP installed from desktop.

Is this a science experiment?

 

[SIW2]

It's a boot manager - has a lot of options to boot from different devices.

Easiest is to install it and add to Windows boot menu - when selected - you get the PLOP manager - and a menu to select devices to boot from.

Install it and see.

It should give the OP the ability to boot from usb - which he doesn't have currently.

 

[atomsk]

Well PLOP is listed there but can't be loaded because \plop\plpbtldr.bin is missing or corrupt...

Now when I did my XP install via that command line the install set E: as the drive and not C:....

So my PLOP dir is E:\PLOP. Would this affect bcd in any way? I see PLOP there and plpbtldr.bin IS in the \PLOP dir so I don't see why it's "missing or corrupt."