trying to make an external hard drive bootable

[Oxydo]

Hello.

I'm trying to make an external hard drive bootable without losing any data that's already stored on it, if possible and use it to install Windows 7 on my computer, I'm currently running XP. Thanks!

 

[Oxydo]

What, no one knows how?

 

[Maguscreed]

Wow you waited all of an hour in the middle of the night.

Allow me to assist you.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+make+external+drive+bootableHow to make a external drive bootable

 

[Oxydo]

Yeah, this looks rather helpful and up to date.

Don't want to be an asshole I'm just really tired, I've been searching for a solution for hours. Tried installing Win7 from a CD but an error occured everytime. Then I find out it's most likely the DVD or the DVD Recorder. So I google some more and find out I need a way I can make an external Hard Drive bootable without losing any data on it, then copying (I suppose) the setup files from the CD and maybe, just maybe, then I'll finally install W7 on my computer. *sigh*

P.S. Love that Stephen King quote. =)

 

[Oxydo]

Will doing this make me lose data on my external drive?

 

[Kaktussoft]

So you want to install win7 on your harddisk in your pc? Why don't you install from dvd?

Do you have an installation dvd or iso-file?
Installing Windows 7 From a USB Stick From Windows XP works for sure. But be sure to select the right disk when entering "select disk". And the same for "select partitïon".
You wanna keep all files already on external drive, so first shrink the partition on usb and create a new ntfs partition in the free space. But you can't shrink a partition with standaard winxp. So install free Best Free Partition Manager Freeware for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP 32 bit & 64 bit. MiniTool Free Partition Manager Software Home Edition.
It can shrink the partition (called resize partition) and create a ntfs partition. You can also make it active.

So if you use this tool ... diskpart isn't needed!

 

[Kaktussoft]

Yeah, this looks rather helpful and up to date.

Don't want to be an asshole I'm just really tired, I've been searching for a solution for hours. Tried installing Win7 from a CD but an error occured everytime. Then I find out it's most likely the DVD or the DVD Recorder. So I google some more and find out I need a way I can make an external Hard Drive bootable without losing any data on it, then copying (I suppose) the setup files from the CD and maybe, just maybe, then I'll finally install W7 on my computer. *sigh*

P.S. Love that Stephen King quote. =)

If the DVD is unreadable or has errors ... making a copy give you read errors as well. Same goes for a not working dvd drive.

Did you make the dvd from an iso? If so is that still on pc? If so simply use the iso instead of dvd

 

[Kaktussoft]

Btw do you want winxp and win7 to dual boot?
Or you want win7 to replace winxp?

 

[Oxydo]

First of all, thank you! Finally somebody willing to help unlike Magus up there.

I couldn't install from the dvd because I kept getting Error code: 0x80070017. I have another question now that I tried the diskpart solution. I couldn't copy a certain file named install.wim (it said something about cyclic redundancy check). Do you know why is that?

Edit: I want Win7 to replace XP. I haven't got the iso, just the cd.

 

[Golden]

Hi,

Which version of Windows 7 is the DVD? If the DVD is damaged, which it sounds as if it is, then you can legitimately download a legitimate version of the same Windows 7 ISO - hint : do a search in Google using the terms "Digital River".

Once you have that, use this tool to burn the ISO to a bootable USB drive to use to install Windows to your PC:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html

NOTE : the USB drive will be formatted - there is no other way around this. The USB drive needs to be a minimum of 4GB in size.

Regards,
Golden

 

[Oxydo]

Windows Ultimate. I'm not paying for another copy, thank you.

Btw, using that partition tool am I supposed to make the partition created Primary so it can be active?

 

[Golden]

Hi,

You do NOT have to pay anything - you have already paid for the licence to use the DVD, but seeing that its broken, you can get the ISO to replace it, install it and activate with your licence key that you got with your DVD. Nothing more to pay.

When you paid for your Ultimate, you actually paid for the licence key - the media (DVD) is a fraction of the cost. In fact, if you have a friend with exactly the same version of Windows 7 on a DVD, you could have installed with that, using your licence key to activate it.

Regards,
Golden

 

[Kaktussoft]

I think you got error 0x80070017 because of install.wim which has failures or is unreadable. Clean the dvd or download iso

 

[Kaktussoft]

Windows Ultimate. I'm not paying for another copy, thank you.

Btw, using that partition tool am I supposed to make the partition created Primary so it can be active?

primary ntfs partition. And make it active.
Then maybe you have to reboot? In windows assign a driveletter to the new partition let's say X. Then in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

D:\boot\bootsect /nt60 X: /mbr
D:\boot\bootsect /nt60 X:

Replace D with the driveletter of DVD (put install dvd in).

 

[locoloco]

I found how to boot windows 7 on a external hard drive by using a program called PWBoot.
Again, the name is PWBoot.
It took me ages to find a program like this.
All you have to do is install windows Vista or windows 7 by connecting the drive on ata or ide. Then after the installation is over, you boot into windows and install the program PWBoot. From that moment on, your hard drive will be able to boot from a USB. Sweet uh?