Boot Windows 7 from USB hard disk

Hello,

I've been able to boot Windows 7 from my USB hard disk,by reading this tutorial :

http://www.911cd.net... vista from usb

the problem occurs when I use my USB hard disk on a different computer from that where has been installed Windows 7 the first time,because as soon as the windows 7 logo appears,the computer reboots. I would like to do something like this :

http://www.usboot.org/tiki-index.php


Thanks.

the problem occurs when I use my USB hard disk on a different computer from that where has been installed Windows 7 the first time,because as soon as the windows 7 logo appears,the computer reboots.

Look at this:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=22473
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=8710

Joshua

ok. I'm running Windows 7 on my USB hard drive. I copied usbbootwatcher.exe and usbbootwatcher.conf inside c:\windows\system32 and I did :

c:\windows\system32\usbbootwatcher.exe /install

but nothing happens and when I use the USB hard disk on another computer,it reboots.

ok. I'm running Windows 7 on my USB hard drive. I copied usbbootwatcher.exe and usbbootwatcher.conf inside c:\windows\system32 and I did :

Did you read readme.txt from usbbootwatcher ???

Joshua

maybe not. Where can I get it ?

maybe not. Where can I get it ?

Hmm??
It is in my usbbootwatcher folder.

readme.txt

Vista / XP on usb drive tutorial

1) Start installing on the USB drive and break after first reboot. Then boot working OS and connect your USB drive there.

If you use Vista/2008 you might get error message (system cannot be installed on USB hdd blabla). Easiest way is to connect your USB hdd to your PC over sata/ide, start installation, and after first reboot, place it to your external USB case again (continue step 2, and continue installation from USB drive!!!). The harder way is to start installation somewhere else and after first reboot copy complete image of partition to your usb drive / I didnt tried this one yet >_<

2) In working OS simply run usb_boot.bat and enter your USB drive system32 path

3) Continue installation from USB drive.

4) If you get bluescreen after installation reboots, repeat step 2.

5) Done :sorcerer:

Joshua

it is not the usbbootwatcher readme,but the readme that's inside the Tutorial_31_12_2008 folder. I did all the steps explained there and I think I did everything right,because I'm running Windows 7 on my USB hard disk without problems,but I don't use neither USBBOOT nor usbbootwatcher service,because they don't work. This is what happens if I use the first :


sc create "USBBOOT" binpath= C:\WINDOWS\System32\usb_boot.exe start= auto
sc start "USBBOOT"

I restart the computer and it reboots everytime.

and this is what happens if I use the second one :

sc stop "USBBOOT"
sc delete "USBBOOT"
copy usbbootwatcher.exe c:\windows\system32
copy usbbootwatcher.conf c:\windows\system32
c:\windows\system32\usbbootwatcher.exe /install

nothing happens when I write this and when I use the USB hard disk on another computer,it reboots everytime.

I did all the steps explained there and I think I did everything right,because I'm running Windows 7 on my USB hard disk without problems,but I don't use neither USBBOOT nor usbbootwatcher service,because they don't work.

I will try himself, and give feedback!

Joshua

There are TWO services.
An OLD one (Tutorial_31_12_2008.zip), and a NEW one (UsbBootWatcher.zip).

Choose which one are you using.

With the new one (and WITHOUT having fiddled before with the OLD one), readme.txt becomes :

Vista / XP on usb drive tutorial

1) Start installing on the USB drive and break after first reboot. Then boot working OS and connect your USB drive there.

If you use Vista/2008 you might get error message (system cannot be installed on USB hdd blabla). Easiest way is to connect your USB hdd to your PC over sata/ide, start installation, and after first reboot, place it to your external USB case again (continue step 2, and continue installation from USB drive!!!). The harder way is to start installation somewhere else and after first reboot copy complete image of partition to your usb drive / I didnt tried this one yet >_<

2) In working OS simply run usb_boot.bat usbbootwatcher.exe /prepare and enter your USB drive system32 path

usbbootwatcher.exe /prepare e:\windows\system32

3) Continue installation from USB drive.

4) If you get bluescreen after installation reboots, repeat step 2.

5) Done :sorcerer:

The bolded part may be part of the problem.

jaclaz

This is my USB hard disk :

http://www.wdc.com/i...asp?driveid=703

Can you explain to me how Can I connect this USB hdd to my PC over sata ?

10x

Can you explain to me how Can I connect this USB hdd to my PC over sata ?

Yes, same way as i currently do. Open the case.
I am nearly ready with my test, will report soon!

Joshua

Excusme but I don't understand. My USB hard disk can be attached on the computer only using the USB cable ! How can I attach it on the sata slot ?

Yes, same way as i currently do. Open the case.

Unneded reminder:
WARNING:
usually opening the case of an external hard disk bought as "bundle" (i.e. bought as "USB drive"as opposed to "USB HD enclosure" + "normal hard disk") will void the warranty.



jaclaz

Excusme but I don't understand. My USB hard disk can be attached on the computer only using the USB cable ! How can I attach it on the sata slot ?

After you open the case, you can do it. But you need a special adapter fo that!

Just ready with testing. And i now can say, that it works, after installing usb boot watcher!
I just bootet german windows enterprise-32bit trial version from external usb-drive!!!

A exact tutorial, what i do, will follow.

Joshua

Unneded reminder:
WARNING:
usually opening the case of an external hard disk bought as "bundle" (i.e. bought as "USB drive"as opposed to "USB HD enclosure" + "normal hard disk") will void the warranty.

Yes, you are right, but i have no time, to do it like the other possible way.

The harder way is to start installation somewhere else and after first reboot copy complete image of partition to your usb drive / I didnt tried this one yet >_<

Joshua

Can you attach your USB hard disk on another computer and tell me if it is able to boot ? 10x.

Can you attach your USB hard disk on another computer and tell me if it is able to boot ? 10x.

Just testet, and it did not work!

Joshua

I know. I think that open a project to accomplish this task will be a good idea ! :)

Anyway,I've tought about another idea to make Windows 7 works everywhere,sata or usb disk,it doesn't care. It should works because Windows 7 run as virtual machine,but it didn't work for me...

The whole procedure is explained here : http://edge.technet....-Boot-from-VHD/

This is what I did :

1) I installed Windows 7 on the USB hard disk using the procedure explained here :

http://www.911cd.net... vista from usb

2) I installed Windows 7 inside a virtual machine using Microsoft Virtual pc 2007 until the first reboot

3) I copied the VHD image file on the USB disk

4) While WIndows 7 was running on the USB disk,I did :

c:\windows\system32>bcdedit /copy {current} /d "Boot From VHD"
The entry was succesfully copied to {d1c322bc-0f4e-11de-a271-8c2cd1e4be0a}

c:\windows\system32>bcdedit /set {d1c322bc-0f4e-11de-a271-8c2cd1e4be0a} device vhd=[C:]\7.vhd
c:\windows\system32>bcdedit /set {d1c322bc-0f4e-11de-a271-8c2cd1e4be0a} osdevice vhd=[C:]\7.vhd

c:\windows\system32>bcdedit /set {d1c322bc-0f4e-11de-a271-8c2cd1e4be0a} detecthal on

c:\windows\system32>bcdedit /set {d1c322bc-0f4e-11de-a271-8c2cd1e4be0a} description "VHD Boot"

5) I started Windows 7 from the sata disk as primary disk and the USB hard disk as secondary

6) I mounted the VHD image file with winmount and I ran :

usb_boot.bat with destination --> USB hard disk \windows\system32 folder

7) I restarted the computer with only the USB hard disk attached and I tried to boot Windows 7 from the VHD image file,but the computer reboots. It did it again and again,but it reboots everytime.

Try replacing [C:] with [locate] and see

There are a couple of threads here too about VHD booting.
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=7453
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=6982

But no reports of VHD booting from a USB stick, AFAIK.

I guess that next step would be to avoid rebooting, but rather HALT (and have an occasion to see which error code you get).

Cannot say if Vista/7 has the same settings as "old" XP:
http://www.theelderg...ystem_crash.htm
or maybe you can do that from Virtual PC.

jaclaz

ok. this is what I did :

1) I installed windows 7 on a virtual machine with virtual pc.

2) When the installation of windows 7 has completed,I edited the registry,like this :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl
Data Type: Dword // Value Name: AutoReboot
Setting for Value Data: [0 = AutoReboot Disabled]

3) I copied the VHD image file on the usb disk

4) I started Windows 7 from the USB disk booting from the VHD file

5) A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. Technical Information :

*** STOP: 0X0000007B (0X80786A90,0XC000000E,0X00000000,0X00000000)

Marietto2009
you are introducing variations to the reported methods, it is difficult to understand/pinpoint a problem as it could be caused by any of the variations introduced.

Installing in a Virtual PC is NOT the same of using a diskpart vdisk:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=7453

By installing in a Virtual PC, you create an installation that is hardware dependent (on the virtual hardware of the VPC).

The STOP 0x0000007b means "inaccessible boot device", i.e. windows 7 tries to find the hardware of the VPC, and since it cannot find it, it throws an error, this could be "all", or once solved this, ANOTHER 0x0000007b may happen, this time caused by the USB drivers not starting/being configured properly.

You can try making the steps detailed in diddy's thread from within the VPC, but the result must be NOT Windows 7 installed in the "main" VPC .vhd, but Windows 7 installed in a .vhd INSIDE the "main" .vhd, but you should first thing FORGET completely:

• the USB disk
• whatever you tried till now

and simply follow diddy's experience TO THE LETTER.

Once you have the diskpart made vdisk install woirking on your internal, normal HD, and only then, try copying the .vhd to the USB disk.



jaclaz

Let's start ! This is what I did :

1] Created the Windows PE 3.0 image file and burned it on a cd :

a) imagex /mountrw c:\winpe\winpe.wim 1 c:\winpe\mount

b) xcopy "c:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\Servicing" c:\winpe\mount\Windows /s

c) xcopy "c:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86" c:\winpe\mount\Windows /s /y

d) imagex /unmount c:\winpe\mount /commit

e) copy c:\winpe\winpe.wim c:\winpe\ISO\sources\boot.wim /y

f) oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe\etfsboot.com c:\winpe\ISO c:\winpe\winpe.iso


2] Copied Windows 7 files from DVD source to "(hd0,0)\Win7" directory

3] Booted into WinPE and identified (hd0,0) as c: drive and (hd0,1) as d: drive

4] Started diskpart and entered the following commands to create a 16GB .vhd file :

a) create vdisk file=d:\win7.vhd type=fixed maximum=16000
b) select vdisk file=d:\win7.vhd
c) attach vdisk
d) exit

5] Ran the Windows 7 setup file on "C:\Win7\setup.exe" (from directory Win7 on disk (hd0,0)).

6] Installed Windows on the Unallocated Space until first reboot.

7] During the installation,the BCD store has been automatically created on the active partition on (hd0,0). I booted Windows 7 from it and the installation has been completed

8] While Windows 7 was running on the 16 GB active partition located on (hd0,0) I copied the VHD image file on the USB hard disk.

9] Tried to boot the VHD image file from the USB disk. It said that the previous attempt to start Windows 7 had failed,I chose to continue the installation normally,but the computer reboots when the Windows 7 logo appears.

10] While Windows 7 was running on the 16 GB active partition located on (hd0,0),I Edited the registry to make the AutoReboot Disabled

11] Windows 7 on the USB hard disk reboots for this reason :

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. Technical Information :

*** STOP: 0X0000007B (0X80786A90,0XC000000E,0X00000000,0X00000000)

It's not clear around point 8]. (or maybe I am failing to understand ).

Does the Windows 7 build on the .vhd file boot and work normally as long as it is on an internal hard disk?

If yes, continue here:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=22618

jaclaz