Install Vista FROM HDD instead of DVD?

[Mr D]

Hi

I wish to install Vista from fresh (Not an Upgrade)

I know that XP is able to be installed from a HDD by formatting the HDD as
FAT32, copy the I386 folder to it and install by running winnt.

Is it possible to do the same for installing Vista from a Formatted Fat32
HDD?

The problem i have is that my laptops DVDRW has packed up and i don't want
to rush out and buy another DVD Drive as i usually access all my filess etc
from a remote PC.

It would be very handy to be able to just copy the Vista installation files
to a HDD and run the setup directly from the HDD

Cheers

 

[Jawade]

Hi

I wish to install Vista from fresh (Not an Upgrade)

I know that XP is able to be installed from a HDD by formatting the HDD as
FAT32, copy the I386 folder to it and install by running winnt.

Is it possible to do the same for installing Vista from a Formatted Fat32
HDD?

The problem i have is that my laptops DVDRW has packed up and i don't want
to rush out and buy another DVD Drive as i usually access all my filess etc
from a remote PC.

It would be very handy to be able to just copy the Vista installation files
to a HDD and run the setup directly from the HDD

Maybe it will work if you first install XP, copy the DVD to a map,
and start the setup from Vista.

 

[Mike Brannigan]

Hi

I wish to install Vista from fresh (Not an Upgrade)

I know that XP is able to be installed from a HDD by formatting the HDD as
FAT32, copy the I386 folder to it and install by running winnt.

Is it possible to do the same for installing Vista from a Formatted Fat32
HDD?

The problem i have is that my laptops DVDRW has packed up and i don't want
to rush out and buy another DVD Drive as i usually access all my filess
etc from a remote PC.

It would be very handy to be able to just copy the Vista installation
files to a HDD and run the setup directly from the HDD

Cheers

The Vista setup is a 32-bit application so you cannot just copy the files to
a hard disk and then run the setup from "DOS". It either has to be started
from inside a current running 32-bit OS or from the WinPE boot that is
actually what the DVD does.
So your options are limited unless the machine is network attached then you
would still have to install a 32-bit OS and then run the setup from a
attached shared drive or a from the files copied locally.
Or repair your PC so you meet the minimum spec for Vista which includes an
optical drive

 

[Tony]

You could try to use nero burning rom or alcohol 120% (or any burner, or
image utility etc. check here for info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_image) to create a dvd image on the remote
PC, copy the image to the laptop,
and use an image utility on your laptop, to make a virtual dvd drive, mount
the image, and run setup from windows, it will copy all the files from the
image, and setup will reboot, and finish the install.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

As I understand it, the OP wants to start with a clean HDD.
How can the image utility run on the laptop without an OS?

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

Hi,

Well, when you create an image of your hard drive, the image utility will
ask you to create a zone (small empty partition), where this image will
resides at the same the image utility will be imaged as well, in addition,
the image utility will also change your boot manager (or loader). At POST,
this image utility will be triggered by you pressing certain key(s). Below
are few key steps in this process.

1) Install OS/Drivers
2) Install your favorite Apps./Enhancements
3) Install Image utility of your choice
4) Defrag your C drive
5) Create an image of your C drive

 

[Guest]

But this will not be considered as a clean installation, you will still have
remnants of XP, this is more or less upgrading. In my opinion, "Clean
Installation" is when your hard drive frees of any OS, and partition or hard
drive must be like clean slate.

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

Hi,

Well, when you create an image of your hard drive, the image utility will
ask you to create a zone (small empty partition), where this image will
resides at the same the image utility will be imaged as well, in addition,
the image utility will also change your boot manager (or loader). At POST,
this image utility will be triggered by you pressing certain key(s). Below
are few key steps in this process.

1) Install OS/Drivers
2) Install your favorite Apps./Enhancements
3) Install Image utility of your choice
4) Defrag your C drive
5) Create an image of your C drive

To follow your directions, the OP would STILL have to copy the Vista setup
files from a DVD drive. He has indicated he HAS NONE at present.

Mr. Brannigan's directions are the best: the OP needs to install a
working DVD drive. PERIOD.

Considering how cheap they are, I don't see his problem in the first
place.

Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread and newsgroup
===========================================================

 

[Tony]

That would be tough lol, i just saw (not an upgrade) i took it to mean a
clean install on top of XP (vista basically wipping out the current install)
If a totaly clean HD is wanted, a DVD drive (or CD drive with the CD
version) would definatly be needed to install Vista.

Unless... he found a way to attatch a second hd, more likely would have to
be USB for the laptop, somehow make that the boot drive, and have his main
HD changed to drive D (temporarily), have 2000 or XP on it to be able to
extract the contents of the DVD from another PC into folder on a formated
drive D, make D somehow bootable straight into Vista setup, so that when D
becomes C again, it boots right up, and you install it onto the same drive.
Possible, but way too much work.

 

[Tony]

Well, that would be your opinion, a clean install doesn't necessarily mean
to install on a clean HD.
Clean install's can also be installing on top of the current os, not as an
upgrade, but by windows setup deleting the previous os's files from a
predetermined list
(all XP files would be deleted, any reminents would be from applications you
forgot to uninstall before shutting down xp and running Vista setup) or
installing into a new folder, or onto another drive.
By your definition, it sounds, that if i wanted to make a dual boot, with
win2000 on my c drive, and running vista setup after to install win vista on
my d drive would sound as if it were unclean.
since there would be two os boot files on one drive.

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

Well, that would be your opinion, a clean install doesn't necessarily mean
to install on a clean HD.
Clean install's can also be installing on top of the current os, not as an
upgrade, but by windows setup deleting the previous os's files from a
predetermined list
(all XP files would be deleted, any reminents would be from applications you
forgot to uninstall before shutting down xp and running Vista setup) or
installing into a new folder, or onto another drive.
By your definition, it sounds, that if i wanted to make a dual boot, with
win2000 on my c drive, and running vista setup after to install win vista on
my d drive would sound as if it were unclean.
since there would be two os boot files on one drive.

I'm not totally convinced that doing a "clean" installation of either XP
or Vista over an existing Microsoft OS actually DOES "completely wipe out
ALL remaining vestiges of the previous OS". Many user-installed drivers
are also sometimes left behind.

No, if you want to do a "clean installation", WIPE the partition you want
to install the OS to, then recreate it, format it, and then install the
OS. Of course, this can be done from within either the XP or Vista
install disks. The partitioning can also be done if one starts the Vista
installation from within Windows. The install program will simply reboot
to the install disk in the DVD drive, and start the install, from which
the disk operations can be carried out.

Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread and newsgroup
===========================================================

 

[Chad Harris]

Thanks for this info. I wonder if Vista could be installed to a 16 GB thumb
drive? Conventional wisdom has always been it couldn't, but I wonder if
there is a way..

CH

 

[DDW]

Thanks for this info. I wonder if Vista could be installed to a 16 GB thumb
drive?

You mean installed FROM a thumb drive (like the installation files
were copied to it) or TO a thumb drive and and then booted from it?

If the former, try it and see.

If the latter, no way. Vista doesn't understand seeing itself on a
removable drive.

DDW

 

[Peter Foldes]

DDW and Chad


This is another leach post from User-Agent: vBulletin USENET gateway. The OP will not see the answers that was posted to him by you and Chad. Lately these posts are showing up more and more. Have to check the Properties of posts starting with Re: and if it is from Usenet Gateway then let it just be