Windows 7 USB install drive with both 32 & 64 bit versions AND USB 3.0 support?

[GCS]

Yes I know Windows 8 is out and Windows 10 recently release, blah, blah, blah.

We still have to use W7 and occasionally I need to either redo a system or set up a new one and this would be very helpful to have ONE stick with these capabilities.

Is this possible? If so how?

TIA

Greg

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Yes I know Windows 8 is out and Windows 10 recently release, blah, blah, blah.

We still have to use W7 and occasionally I need to either redo a system or set up a new one and this would be very helpful to have ONE stick with these capabilities.

Is this possible? If so how?

I take it you mean if its possible to install via USB3? Unfortunately no. 7 does not include a class driver for USB3, so a USB3 drive cannot be used during the install process.

I suppose it could be possible to make an image for a specific system by including the USB3 driver required. I haven't tried it though, and for a general purpose stick, you'd have to include drivers for every last USB3 controller to be certain.

A USB3 stick in itself works just fine in USB2 mode however, so you don't miss much. The real trick is getting a drive with good random read performance, since a lot of the installation involves just that. The rest is just sequential reads, and you should be able to get 35-40MB/s out of a good USB2 stick. Besides, even USB2 is still -a lot- faster then installing from optical media...

 

[GCS]

Not so much worried about the speed as I am about compatibility. Some of the newer Intel NUC systems out and coming out are USB 3.0 and will not let you install Windows 7 since W7 does not support USB 3 natively (lots of NUC users with this issue). We may very well switch out to some of these in the near future due to small form factor etc but are not ready/able to go to W10 and I am not a fan of W8 even with things like Classic Shell installed.

Guess we have to stay away from the NUCs that do not have USB 2.0 for now unless we can make the jump to W8 or W10 on those.

 

[Compman55]

This will require lots of research. I will definatly follw this thread.

Here are the options I am familiar with:

1. Slipstream the copy of W7 with USB3 drives for your device.
2. Use the shift F10 to open the console and possibly load the drivers that way.
3. Check the bios for a USB2 or legacy USB emulation. I would bet many no longer have this.
4. Install from optical which will be slow. And you will have no keyboard support unless the bios can emulate lagacy usb.

I hope others have ideas.

 

[Compman55]

http://codeabitwiser.com/2014/03/how-to-install-windows-7-with-only-usb-3-0-ports/

 

[escrow4]

Use 10 or 8.1. Its not 2009 anymore.