Installing Windows 7 on a USB drive

[grabmyrooster]

I've tried searching for some help with this, but I've found nothing. If possible, I'd like to install Windows 7 onto a 128Gb USB drive and boot from it. All I've found on the issue are guides on how to have the Windows 7 installer itself on a USB drive, not having the actual operating system stored on the drive. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[whs]

I am running Windows 8 and several Linux from an external SSD. That is also possible with Windows 7. The performance is nearly the same as from an internal SSD - maybe faster than from an internal HDD.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/276540-portable-os-carry-your-os-external-drive.html

See Demo: http://www.sevenforums.com/virtualization/277690-vmware-player-windows-8-demo.html

And here is a 60GB SSD for $39.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...513-_-EMC-111513-Index-_-SSD-_-20227961-L012B

 

[gregrocker]

How is this achieved with Win7, Wolfgang? I've not seen it documented anywhere.There are been claims made for years here of installing Win7 on USB or external but never anything to show how or document it, just hearsay.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Three methods for running Windows from external devices.

1) If you have access to Windows 8.1 or 8 ENTERPRISE you can create a FULLY FUNCTIONING Windows system (Windows to Go) on an external device that will boot and run totally independently of any HDD in the Host system (although it can access any internal and network HDD's). You can download a 90 day evaluation of W8.1 enterprise from the Ms site (FREE). You don't need to use "Certified" devices for creating your Windows to Go system - it can be done manually.

Creating a Non-Certified Windows To Go USB Drive » ADMIN Magazine

2) For windows 7 unfortunately you will need the "C" drive in the host machine to start the boot process - but THEN you can attach and mount a Windows 7 VHD from an external device.

Windows 7: Auto-Mount VHDs at Startup | martin w. angler


Play around with these two options should give you some more info - but if you are looking for a fully "Windows 7 to Go" then you are out of luck.

3) If you use an SSD and a USB3 / e-sata external connection you can get adequate response by installing a SMALL Linux system on your device - these boot and run easily from external drives, and then start VMPLAYER on it to load a W7 virtual machine. Runs fast enough provided you use a USB3 device or better an SSD.

@WHS - if you've got a way of BOOTING and running W7 DIRECTLY from an external device please post how you did it. Either using a VHD - in which case you still need the "C" drive initially or running Linux and then starting a Virtual machine seem to be the only way to get this to work as far as I can tell. Windows 8 and 8.1 is another story of course.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[whs]

How is this achieved with Win7, Wolfgang? I've not seen it documented anywhere.There are been claims made for years here of installing Win7 on USB or external but never anything to show how or document it, just hearsay.

Greg, you just install Windows 7 under VMware Player. That puts the Virtual Machines folder into Documents. From there you copy or move the folder to the external device.

Then you have to start the VMware Player and 'Open a Virtual Machine'. You point to the VMX file on the external device (which is in the virtual machines folder) and off you go.

I agree with you that a USB stick is not a good device for that. I have tried it on a $60 very fast USB3 stick but it still ran like molasses. An external HDD is acceptable in terms of performance. But the best is an external SSD which performs better than an internal HDD. And with SSD deals @ $39 for a 60GB SSD, that is an affordable option - cheaper than a high speed USB3 stick.

With the external SSD, I also noticed very little difference between USB2 or USB 3. Unfortunately eSata is not supported by VMware Player.

Here is a little tutorial I once made for installing one of the Linux distros in VMware Player. The first part of this tutorial would be exactly the same for installing Windows 7 - you just chose Windows in lieu of Ubuntu when it comes to selecting the guest operating system.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/278957-vmware-player-install-setup-zorin.html

Here is a pretty good video tutorial by sombody else that is worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_m1wa47ZOI

Btw: If you do not have Windows on your system to host VMware Player, you can install Mint or Ubuntu and run VMware Player from there.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VMware/Player

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I think you missed the original point of the post -- was the OP wanted to BOOT and RUN a Windows system from an EXTERNAL device -- that means for example the "C" drive on the Host machine could be either defective or even NOT CONNECTED.

If you need to start VMware from a WINDOWS HOST OS that means you aren't actually BOOTING from the external device.

The only way (and I'm discounting "WINPE" type of solutions as those aren't "True Windows systems" and in any case still don't work completely for W7 - XP is fine though) is to either use a WINDOWS TO GO (windows 8 / 8.1) or A LINUX system and then start W7 as a VM. - This solution on an SSD isn't actually too bad -- especially if the SSD is connected via a USB3 port via anUSB ==> eSATA adapter.

Cheers
jimbo