13 replies to this topic

[hellbraker]

Basically im trying to make a Bootable Vista USB Drive following the advice/suggestions from this site or to be exact this page.
But i get stuck when Im supposed to type "Active" (after selecting my flash drive).If i input "Active", i get a message.The message states that "There is no partition selected.Please select a partition and select again".

Is there any way to make the USB Flash Disk to be active?

[maanu]

WHY r u making bootable usb device ? to install vista ?

[steve6375]

You need to select a volume or a partition first.

Try

List DISK
SEL DISK x (where xxx is the disk number of the USB drive)
LIS PAR
SEL PAR x (where x is the partition of the USB drive you want active)
ACT
DET PAR
EXIT

Or - just don't bother with HP format or diskpart or bootsect - just use my tool RMPrepUSB which does all three things in one go (but remember to right-click on RMPrepUSB and run as administrator)

[hellbraker]

Thanks steve..ill give it a go and say how it went..in the mean time, i was wondering if i could continue installation of Vista from this removable device, because since all the setup files are in this device,when i plug it in my USB port, autorun kicks in asking to whether to launch Setup.Can i start the setup and will the setup continue after a reboot( if needed during the installation) even though the system identifies the device as "removable" ??

[steve6375]

Thanks steve..ill give it a go and say how it went..in the mean time, i was wondering if i could continue installation of Vista from this removable device, because since all the setup files are in this device,when i plug it in my USB port, autorun kicks in asking to whether to launch Setup.Can i start the setup and will the setup continue after a reboot( if needed during the installation) even though the system identifies the device as "removable" ??

Yes.

[hellbraker]

Did as u said steve, but to no avail..
These are the steps I tried:

1) Set the FILESYSTEM as NTFS and OVERDIVERS as Boot as HDD
2) Set Boot Options as WinPE/Vista v2

Then i clicked Prepare Drive an a command prompt sceern showed up, showing the processes takin place.(Always Windows Explorer jumps in to say that the Disk have to formatted to be used)
When its over, the command prompt ends saying that the Drive is identified as USB-ZIP Removable.

I tried using FAT16-Boot as ZIP but still the same results...

Thank you

[was_jaclaz]

hellbraker,
maybe it's time you have a look at the "common sense advice" attached to Rules:
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules
with particular regards to points #f1 and #f2


Just in case the easier answer to the question:

How can i install Vista from USB?

is here:
http://www.msfn.org/...p?showforum=157
possibly here:
http://www.msfn.org/...howtopic=120444



jaclaz

[steve6375]

Did as u said steve, but to no avail..
These are the steps I tried:

1) Set the FILESYSTEM as NTFS and OVERDIVERS as Boot as HDD
2) Set Boot Options as WinPE/Vista v2

Then i clicked Prepare Drive an a command prompt sceern showed up, showing the processes takin place.(Always Windows Explorer jumps in to say that the Disk have to formatted to be used)
When its over, the command prompt ends saying that the Drive is identified as USB-ZIP Removable.

I tried using FAT16-Boot as ZIP but still the same results...

Thank you

You originally asked

'Is there any way to make the USB Flash Disk to be active? ' - You now have a WinPE bootable, active USB drive - which is what you asked for.

You did not ask 'How do I make my USB drive into a Fixed Disk rather than a Removable Disk'?


What problem are you trying to solve exactly?

[hellbraker]

Sorry if i misguided you...(may b its because of my my lack f knowledge in these matters)
I dint use WinPE but instead Vlite.I used it to create a custom installation.Well, the problem is, even though i copy all the finished setup to the Flash Drive, when i boot up the system nothing happens (compared to a Setup DVD) .Thats all steve.

Thank you

jaclaz i dint understand the common sense advice..can u help me understand it better, to prevent me from doing something wrong again..
Thank you

[was_jaclaz]

jaclaz i dint understand the common sense advice..can u help me understand it better, to prevent me from doing something wrong again..
Thank you

Nothing "wrong", rest assured, simply a bit pointless.

Let me make one of my (in)famous wooden planks examples.

If your goal is to repair your roof by applying to it two new planks replacing old, rotten ones.

What you do not do normally:

• Go to the delicatessen seller and ask him some suggestions.
• Go to the locksmith and ask him to explain you the instructions the delicatessen seller gave you.
• Go to the carpenter asking him how you use a jigsaw and a planer two join two planks.
• Go to the hardware store and get screws instead of nails.
• Use a glass instead of a hammer to drive nails.

What you do normally:

• Go to the carpenter, tell him what the problem you have is and ask him to teach you a way to solve that problem, and the carpenter will probably tell you that first thing you need a hammer, some nails and to learn how to drive nails into wooden planks with the hammer....

If the question (or your goal) is the one I presumed in post #7, you already have an answer to that question.

If the question is different, please ask it.

If the presumed question is "right" but you do not want to use that method, as well say so, there are other ones, though not as much easy/automated.



jaclaz

[hellbraker]

Thanks jaclaz for the info..

I started the installation from the USB from the old Windows Vista as steve have said.
Now it seems that when I boot up i get an error stating that " HAL is missing, or corrupt". Whts the next option?
In the BOOT Device priority, I have set the priority to Boot from "Hard Drive Group" and in here there is a sub menu which shows up like this:

1) Ch1 M. : ST3160021A
2) USB-HDD0 : 0.00

Thanks!

[gabrio]

Hi everybody! I'm new on this forum
I'm trying too to make a bootable usb device, to install win 7.
I go through the procedure as outlined by steve. Everything is fine until the command select partion. Either typing "select partition 1" either 'select partition=1" I get the message "There is not partition selected".
Any suggestion? Thanks

[Wonko the Sane]

Hi everybody! I'm new on this forum
I'm trying too to make a bootable usb device, to install win 7.
I go through the procedure as outlined by steve. Everything is fine until the command select partion. Either typing "select partition 1" either 'select partition=1" I get the message "There is not partition selected".
Any suggestion? Thanks

gabrio, those instructions are the answer to the question (translated in a more easy form):

How do I make an EXISTING PRIMARY partition Active?

You are asking a completely different one:

How do I make a USB stick bootable?

Choose ANY of the applications listed here:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=9460
(it will be easier)
OR
use the PROPER sequence of DISKPART commands (please note that only the diskpart from Vista/Server2008/7 will work on Removable Devices:
http://www.techarp.c....aspx?artno=431


Wonko

[gabrio]

Thanks for the reply, Wonko!

..next time I'll be more careful on where I post my messages