Install and run Windows 7 on an external USB hard drive?

[PingSpike]

I thought I was all clever and set when I saw the drive in the list after booting off the windows 7 DVD, and then setup informed me installing to USB devices is not supported.

Is there anyway to get around it? I guess I won't worry to much, I just wanted to run off an external drive to try and clean out some nasty viruses on a laptop I'm working on as a favor...ugh.

 

[Nothinman]

Not without some fairly major hacking. Windows just wasn't designed to run from USB so those drivers don't get automatically loaded early enough in the boot process for it to work.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If search was working, I would direct you to my thread in the *nix forum, where I installed Ubuntu 10.4.3 directly to a 32GB Sandisk Cruiser USB drive, and then inside Linux, installed VirtualBox, and then installed Windows 7 32-bit inside the VM.

Voila! Portable Windows 7, running off of a USB drive. (Since Linux works with nearly any hardware, and will boot off of USB.)

Be sure to remember to check off the option to encrypt your home folder. That way, your Win7 install will be protected, should the USB drive fall into other hands.

 

[takeru]

there are a few ways to do it, but all will require a bit of effort.

http://reboot.pro/9196/page__st__150

i have done the boot from vhd on usb hd method successfully, but there are other methods discussed as well. the good thing is, you are using the native hardware you are booting your usb hard drive from, and can create a base vhd and use differentials also.

 

[PingSpike]

Thanks guys. I ended up finding an esata enclosure that I have no idea when I acquired it and used that instead. I was lucky this particular laptop actually had an esata port.

I really need to clean my closet out again since I apparently have acquired more junk than I realized as I'm forgetting what I even bought.

 

[zCypher]

If search was working, I would direct you to my thread in the *nix forum, where I installed Ubuntu 10.4.3 directly to a 32GB Sandisk Cruiser USB drive, and then inside Linux, installed VirtualBox, and then installed Windows 7 32-bit inside the VM.

Voila! Portable Windows 7, running off of a USB drive. (Since Linux works with nearly any hardware, and will boot off of USB.)

Be sure to remember to check off the option to encrypt your home folder. That way, your Win7 install will be protected, should the USB drive fall into other hands.

That is awesome. I'll definitely be doing this with my next thumb drive purchase.