Windows 7 too big for mem stick, what to remove to to slim down?

[javalu882005]

So i snapped off the IDE on my mother board, totally fxxxed my self lol
and just found a 4 GB mem stick which is like 3.69 GB. So it is 110 MB short for my Windows 7 Disk to fit on it. How can i slim down my Boot disk so i can make my Boot stick?

D:\
boot
efi
sources
support // don't really need this also right?
upgrade // i feel i can remove this one.. i think

 

[DocBrown]

Any win7 Install DVD should fit on a 4GB USB stick

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

 

[javalu882005]

actually, nm, i can just take two trips and put the windows on the desktop and install it from there.

 

[SlasherIT]

Um no you can't, Windows has to be installed from USB or Disk, no exceptions, you can't just mount a .iso file of Windows 7 and install it.

 

[severedsolo]

Um no you can't, Windows has to be installed from USB or Disk, no exceptions, you can't just mount a .iso file of Windows 7 and install it.

Technically you can.... it just takes a little more work http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/58455-recovery-partition-create.html

Just substitute "Windows Disk" for "mounted Windows ISO"

 

[SlasherIT]

Yes I know that, but he said to place it on the desktop and install it. Also, if the bootmanager is corrupt, it is useless.

 

[severedsolo]

Yes I know that, but he said to place it on the desktop and install it. Also, if the bootmanager is corrupt, it is useless.

No arguments there, although with Windows 7 most OEM recovery partitions are also useless if the bootmanager goes south, as they are linked to the f8 recovery console. In fact my tutorial has big red warnings pointing this out...

Although for this scenario, I would say the recovery partition is probably the best solution. Assuming the USB is genuinely just a little bit too small for the whole installation, there is no reason why the files can't be copied in two trips, and then the recov. partition made. The files have to be decompressed either way, Easy won't care whether they have been added in one lump or two, unless you try to create it without everything there.

Also, it's possible to do an UPGRADE from a recov partition with a shortcut on the desktop, although you are correct, a clean install can't be done from desktop.

 

[SlasherIT]

True, but I'm gonna stick to the tried and true old fashioned way of using disc or USB. Besides, OP, if you can't use USB, burn the .iso to a DVD, which is dirt cheap.

 

[severedsolo]

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree. There is no substitute for physical media, be it USB or a disk. I do find the recov partition useful for doing quick things like loading system images though, installs take half the time and it saves looking for the disk. As you say though, if something goes wrong with the BCD/MBR or the HDD fails, yeah you're pretty much screwed if you don't have physical media to fall back on.

I sort of assumed that the DVD drive was IDE, and the OP lost the use when they broke it. Could just be me making assumptions though.

 

[SlasherIT]

Ur guess is as good as mine really, the OP didn't specify if his disk reader got screwed up or not.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

In the OP they said the PATA/IDE on the mobo got broke.

 

[DocBrown]

Here is snip for showing the size of the win7 Ultimate x64 w/ SP1 from my TechNet download.

 

[gregrocker]

Easiest method I've found to write installer to flash stick is this utility, with Win7 in dropdown menu: Universal USB Installer – Easy as 1 2 3 | USB Pen Drive Linux

 

[SlasherIT]

Actually using this tutorial is the easiest way:

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

You can make the Windows 7 disk you have into an .iso with ImgBurn http://www.imgburn.com/