bit of a noob question regarding OS installs...

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Turbonium

Turbonium

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Mar 15, 2003
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My netbook HDD died, and I'm replacing the HDD with a new one.

Problem: I can't transfer my OS over, as I didn't backup my install in any way (I have no OS disc or USB memory stick with the install files on it). I have a legitimate license for a copy of Win7 Home Premium 64-bit, and I know the key; just have no way to get the install files.

What are my options here? I'm a bit rusty when it comes to fresh installs of OSes (it's been a while).
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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Last edited:
Dahak

Dahak

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Mar 2, 2000
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If you are using a mac at the moment the only option is to burn the iso. if you where on windows you could make a usb bootable drive to install from

To do so download the version in this case win7 home premium 32bit from the link above direct from digital river links in here that berryracer posted about

here is some instructions on how to burn an iso on the mac
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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Mar 15, 2003
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Dahak said:
If you are using a mac at the moment the only option is to burn the iso. if you where on windows you could make a usb bootable drive to install from

To do so download the version in this case win7 home premium 32bit from the link above direct from digital river links in here that berryracer posted about

here is some instructions on how to burn an iso on the mac
Click to expand...
Ugh, seriously?

I already bought a USB key and I'm ready to put the ISO on it. But I'm using a Mac...

Can anyone confirm whether or not this bit is true (not being able to make a bootable ISO in a Mac environment)? I'm going to Google it to make sure.

Thanks either way.
 
Cerb

Cerb

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Aug 26, 2000
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The problem is that the program you're supposed to use to make the bootable thumb drive with the installer on it runs inside of Windows, which is what you can't install.

If you've got a big enough USB key, now, just put the ISO, and the program to make the bootable stick (item 3 in my linked article), on the thumb drive, and borrow somebody else's Windows PC for a little while. Copy them on to their HDD, and then use them to make the installable thumb drive version.
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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Mar 15, 2003
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Cerb said:
The problem is that the program you're supposed to use to make the bootable thumb drive with the installer on it runs inside of Windows, which is what you can't install.

If you've got a big enough USB key, now, just put the ISO, and the program to make the bootable stick (item 3 in my linked article), on the thumb drive, and borrow somebody else's Windows PC for a little while. Copy them on to their HDD, and then use them to make the installable thumb drive version.
Click to expand...
I was under the impression that you just put the ISO file onto the USB key, without any special preparations, and that you just tell the target PC to boot from USB, and that it takes care of itself (i.e. acting as a disc). I guess I was wrong; didn't read past step 2 on your original link, lol.
 
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S

SimMike2

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Aug 15, 2000
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Not all older computers will boot to USB key drives. You should access the netbook BIOS, usually hitting "delete" key on booting, or somethings an F key. Check the boot section and see what options you have.
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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SimMike2 said:
Not all older computers will boot to USB key drives. You should access the netbook BIOS, usually hitting "delete" key on booting, or somethings an F key. Check the boot section and see what options you have.
Click to expand...
I already checked some time ago, and I'm pretty sure it had the option. It's a newer netbook anyway (Acer Aspire AO725), so I'd be surprised if it couldn't boot from a USB key.
 
Cerb

Cerb

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Turbonium said:
I was under the impression that you just put the ISO file onto the USB key, without any special preparations, and that you just tell the target PC to boot from USB, and that it takes care of itself (i.e. acting as a disc). I guess I was wrong; didn't read past step 2 on your original link, lol.
Click to expand...
The stick needs to have a bootable partition to read, and a bootloader to actually load the setup. Setting that up is what the tool handles for you, without overly complicated machinations.
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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It worked, but I got the following error, which is probably an issue:

"...we were unable to run bootsect to make the usb device bootable."

I'm running the utility on a system running XP Home 32-bit OEM, with a x86 CPU. Is that why?
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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Currently following this guide more or less: http://icrontic.com/article/install-windows-7-from-usb-using-windows-xp

I have to download the 32-bit version of the ISO just to get through steps 1-3. Is that normal? It has to do with me using a 32-bit version of XP to set up the USB key (and making the USB key bootable using the ISO's appropriate files), but does a 32-bit version of the bootable file(s) work for what is supposed to be a 64-bit version of an install/ISO? Seems a bit odd.
 
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Dahak

Dahak

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Mar 2, 2000
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Turbonium said:
It worked, but I got the following error, which is probably an issue:

"...we were unable to run bootsect to make the usb device bootable."

I'm running the utility on a system running XP Home 32-bit OEM, with a x86 CPU. Is that why?
Click to expand...

Usually when I get that error, i just re-run it with the /force at the end and it usually works out

As for 32-bit or 64-bit to make the usb drive bootable does not matter, once it setup as bootable you can just copy whichever version you want and it will boot
 
Cerb

Cerb

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Aug 26, 2000
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Turbonium said:
Currently following this guide more or less: http://icrontic.com/article/install-windows-7-from-usb-using-windows-xp

I have to download the 32-bit version of the ISO just to get through steps 1-3. Is that normal? It has to do with me using a 32-bit version of XP to set up the USB key (and making the USB key bootable using the ISO's appropriate files), but does a 32-bit version of the bootable file(s) work for what is supposed to be a 64-bit version of an install/ISO? Seems a bit odd.
Click to expand...
I used the MS USB/DVD Download Tool, and that worked just fine. You can even use any old ISO. 32/64-bit shouldn't matter.
 
Cerb

Cerb

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Turbonium said:
Aren't you using a 64-bit OS though? You run into a lot of problems in a 32-bit environment.
Click to expand...
Yes, but what kinds of problems? It's a .NET application, so it shouldn't care, until it need to use more than 2GB of RAM in a 32-bit environment. Also, it should not be any different to the program, either way. It will see a device with a certain topology, and work on that.

The MS tool does not require you to mess with the partitions and such yourself, or use another 3rd-party tool to extract the ISO's contents.
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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Mar 15, 2003
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Cerb said:
Yes, but what kinds of problems? It's a .NET application, so it shouldn't care, until it need to use more than 2GB of RAM in a 32-bit environment. Also, it should not be any different to the program, either way. It will see a device with a certain topology, and work on that.

The MS tool does not require you to mess with the partitions and such yourself, or use another 3rd-party tool to extract the ISO's contents.
Click to expand...
That's odd then. I'd normally believe you, but I ran the MS tool and it said it couldn't make the all-important bootsector workable (if I'm using the proper terminology here). Everything else worked fine. Mind you, I didn't try using the USB key to install; I just wiped it and started fresh with 3rd-party tools.
 
Turbonium

Turbonium

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Mar 15, 2003
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If I burn the ISO onto a DVD in an OS X environment, it should work just fine without issue, right?
 
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