There is a workaround if you are willing to try another method for booting your win7 from USB-HDD,
That method Includes using ImageX tool for .wim directories manipulation and excludes that cloning7 script (wich is great btw) presented in first post on this thread.
All u need to have & thing you will use :
1. ImageX.exe (3.1) is the latest that came for win7 sp1 but older version will also work, you can download it separately or with WAIK for example. You will copy ImageX into you winPE disk and ofcource to your host machine.
2. An software for virtualization like Virtual PC, Virtual Box or other.
3. bootfix.bat file . Download link in first post of this thred.
4. bcdboot.exe
5. winPE with ImageX.exe bootable disk.
You can google out tutorial for making winPE disk, Just make sure that you put ImageX.exe tool in root of you winPE. I used winPE RAM disk with scratchspace of 512 RAM.
Lets start
1. Make virtual machine with like 15 GB of hdd space and 1024 RAM.
2. Install desired windows 7 version and edition.
(Virtual Box part):
3. Copy bootfix.bat file into your just created win 7 virtual machine and invoke "Run as Administrator".
4. When registry fix is apllied insert your WinPE disk/iso into you win7 virtual machine a make sure that you set it as bootable first boot device
5.Reboot into WinPE, X: is the usual winPE partition letter so if you copied your ImageX.exe in root of X: all u have to do is run it from there. Startnet.cmd launches wpeinit.exe and that whould be the default command prompt window in Winpe, if you didn't add custom shell.
6.In wpeinit window type cd and hit enter to change to you root.
7.Now to invoke ImageX , type :
Imagex /capture C: C:yourfoldernamewhatever.wim "DescriptionOfYourChoice" /verify [Bolded part represents destination of you capturing .wim. It can be via network share ( if it is, it automaticaly includes /verify swich that prolongs process a bit), or previously attached USB device to your virtual machine. Or even can be, like in this case, drive of you virtual machine. Captured .wim is around 2,5 GB. You can Include swicthes like /compres max | fast ...etc. First C: represent drive letter of your virtual machine OS. I just love that ImageX tool. Compress is stunning ,about 1/3 of your OS size. And it can do much more].
(Host Part):
8. When process completes copy to you host machine, if you didn't allready, captured .wim file and put it for example on C: namewhatever.wim .
9. Attach your USB hard drive to you host system. From diskpart , Create partition primary, format fs=ntfs (quick), assign letter ( lets presume it's I:), active, exit.
10. From command prompt (host) go to the directory where you downloaded /copied ImageX and type:
imagex /apply C:namewhatever.wim 1 I: /verify
11. When its done. Use bcdboot.exe to insert boot envir,onment files into USB-HDD partition,command bcdboot I:windows /s I: or u can manually edit existing bcd store on your host machine but there is no need for that and it could couse no boot if your host HDD crashes (if there is no bootmgr and bcdstore on USB). Oftherwards when u boot your USB hard drive that store gains a new entry for USB-HDD, so ...
12. If they are successfully applied then it is done. Make sure BIOS options are set straight (legacy USB) and whatever your BIOS needs to boot your USB storage.
13.Hope I wasn't too confusing.
Edited by Sideshow_B0B, 25 November 2011 - 08:02 PM.