Windows to Go (W7) or Portable W7 windows

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Has anybody been able to make a W7 equivalent of W8's Windows to go -- this is a FULL RUNNING Windows system that boots AND RUNS entirely from the external device and where you can also install standard Windows programs -- I even have Office and Adobe Photoshop installed on mine. The system will even run if there's NO HDD or a broken one in the host computer.

You can make various WINPE type of W7 disks but anybody succeeded in running W7 totally from an external HDD without needing ANYTHING from the Host such as a boot manager.

The only way I've managed this is by running a small Linux system and then running Windows as a VM from Linux but I'd rather have a real NATIVE portable W7 system.

Anybody done this yet -- note a FULL running Windows 7 system --not an INSTALL or RECOVERY bootable disk.

(I have W7 PRO, Ultimate and Enterprise so version is immaterial if someone has managed this on any of these W7 versions).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[AddRAM]

Many people have asked, but I don`t think it`s been done yet.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Thanks - that's what I thought -- the only other way I've looked at is to create a VHD (Virtual hard drive) of a Windows 7 system and mount and boot it - but this defeats the whole object of the exercise since the whole kybosh needs to be initially booted from the BOOT HDD on HOST machine.

Maybe someone has managed to get it working by looking at that method -- probably would work if one could boot and then load and mount the VHD from the external device but I don't think anybody has done that either yet.

Guess I'll have to stick with the W8 to go system.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[AddRAM]

I think I remember trying to do it a few years back and the problem was, windows wouldn`t see the usb drive as a possible installation point.

If I get some free time this week maybe I`ll give it another go and post my results.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
another possibility -- Dual boot from the Windows to go system -- if the W8 to go boot loader could attach the VHD, mount and boot it that would be fine -- W7 will boot from a VHD BTW. The trick is that the bootloader has to be able to attach and mount it --and that currently has to be done on the HOST HDD. Since the W8 to go's bootloader can handle the external USB as its system disk this type of attack might yield some results.

Cheers
jimbo