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"Burning" Windows 7 iso to External Hardrive Partition Possible?

SilversunStreak

SilversunStreak

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 26, 2004
31
0
Hey Macrumors perusers,

I was wondering if it's possible to "burn" a Windows 7 iso to a partition on an external hardrive. The reason I was interested in doing this is to boot from the partition and install Windows 7. I already have installed Windows 7 through bootcamp from a DVD, but it's been having issues and I'd like to clean install the final RC retail copy. I know I could burn it to a DVD and boot from that, but I'm an extremely strapped college student studying abroad and anywhere I can save money, ie not buying DVD-Rs, I'd like to.

It seems so plausible, but it's looking like more trouble than it's worth. I've googled the subject a bunch of times with no luck or came across something I couldn't grasp, and I'm pretty techno-savy.

Any help or a solution would be amazing.:cool:

And for those trolling "Why would you install windows blah blah blah." I use Windows 7 for videogaming and use :apple: for school work and such.

- Sam
 
QuarterSwede said:
You sure can. Same steps as creating an install from a usb flash drive. Google it.
Click to expand...

I have, I can't get the partition/drive to show up on startup when I hold the Option Key. I've made the partition Active and FAT-32. I've also tried editing the bios upon startup in Windows 7. Only the system installed on the internal hd appears.
 
Do you have a USB stick? You can make it bootable and install Windows 7 from there. That's the case on PC's anyway. And I'm not talking about this software tool that Microsoft has come out with. You don't need that.

I haven't been using optical drives for a long time. I always swap out whatever optical drive there may be in my Thinkpads over the years for a second hard drive. ;)
 
Crunch said:
Do you have a USB stick? You can make it bootable and install Windows 7 from there. That's the case on PC's anyway. And I'm not talking about this software tool that Microsoft has come out with. You don't need that.
Click to expand...
I just have the 500 GB USB HD that should work. I have a USB stick somewhere, but it's only 128 MB.:(
 
SilversunStreak said:
I just have the 500 GB USB HD that should work. I have a USB stick somewhere, but it's only 128 MB.:(
Click to expand...

If you can get it to boot from the 128 MB you might still be able to make it work. You'll need to load a boot loader like GRUB/LILO/rEFIt onto it and have that help you load up the HDD.

I used to do something like that to boot Linux back in the day...

B
 
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