Installing Windows 7 through several CDs?

[Muhammad]

I'm thinking of installing Win7 (not sure if I will right now) but the download size is very large, and thus incapable of fitting on a CD. I'd need a DVD for that; but I don't have one. (I do have many CD-Rs, however). So is there any way to use several CDs to install Windows 7 instead of using just one DVD?
And please remember that I use Linux, so don't recommend any Windows apps to break the ISO image into several parts. If there is any such app for Linux, I'd be pleased to hear its name.
Thanks in advance.

 

[logicearth]

Do you have a thumb drive, at least 4 GB?

 

[Tews]

Before attempting any install of Windows, consider adding at least another full gig of ram, and a larger drive.. While you could probably get it running, with your current specs, the result would be less than satisfying ...

If you are going to stick with what you have, you will need to have the ISO burned to a DVD .. Have one of your friends burn one for you... Good Luck, and welcome to the forums...

 

[Muhammad]

Isn't my computer Win7-capable? My PC is Windows Vista Premium Ready (according to MS) and that means I can run Windows 7 on it too.
Anyway, I can't use a large USB because I don't know where our ultra-huge one is right now (it's around 8 GB).
So back to the original question: is there any software or method for Linux to split a large DVD ISO into smaller bits, each fitting on one CD? Also, once these bits have been burnt to CDs, how can I install Windows 7 from them? Is it as simple as the installer asking for CDs one after the other as I install, or is it something more complicated?

 

[theog]

HI Muhammad

Re-read Tews post.

With no DVD, installing Win 7 or Vista you will be going no were.

 

[Subsonic]

I think Muhammad is referring to Tews saying he needs more ram. I was running 7 ultimate quite well on 1gb of ram with an old AMD Athlon 2000+. I've since added another gb of ram but it did run quite well on 1gb. That is a pretty small HD though.

 

[logicearth]

So back to the original question: is there any software or method for Linux to split a large DVD ISO into smaller bits, each fitting on one CD? Also, once these bits have been burnt to CDs, how can I install Windows 7 from them? Is it as simple as the installer asking for CDs one after the other as I install, or is it something more complicated?

For Linux...not in the slightest. And splitting the ISO isn't going to be enough, the installer must be aware of the split. I haven't tried it with Windows 7 but I have used it with Vista, vLite has the option of splitting for CDs.

But like I said if you have a thumb drive of at least 4 GB you can install from that instead of a DVD/CD.

 

[Muhammad]

Well... On my Linux system I have a compatibility layer software, called WINE, for running some Windows apps on Linux. (Not all apps work, though.) I could try vLite under WINE compatibility mode, and see if it works... If it does, I could install Vista on my system instead. By the way, is Vista good with 1GB RAM?

 

[Tews]

I doubt ... in the extreme ... that you will get wine to install vlite ... you will either need someone to burn the DVD for you or use a thumb drive to install Windows 7..

Good Luck..

 

[logicearth]

vLite requires .NET Framework 2.0 which I doubt WINE has. This is also the case that vLite requires you to download WAIK from Microsoft which is almost 1 GB.

 

[sup3rsprt]

you can prevent wasting 1GB of bandwidth by installing the vLite version 1.1.6 before 1.2. but you make a good point about .NET framework.

Buy a DVD writer. Can get them online with a pack of DVD+R for very cheap.