# Windows 7 on USB HD



## 001100010010 (Nov 17, 2009)

Hello, for the past week, I have been devoted to do this as I have a brand new edition of Windows 7 and am trying to get it onto my 270 Gigabytes Samsung mobile hard drive. At first I tried to just install it using the Windows 7 disk, but Windows doesn't let me install it because: "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. Setup does not support configuration of or installation to disks connected through a USB or IEEE 1394 port."

That had been annoying for a couple of hours while I researched on the internet for more ways to get this done. Finally, I have heard an idea where you install it on a partition on your drive then do a complete partition copy or a bit for bit copy of that partition. I installed it, and failed on a few early attempts as some things won't copy system files (ex. System Volume Information, pagefile.sys).

Then I finally got that done with Partition Master. Then I expanded further by using EasyBCD as command prompt was not fully understandable and had to download that. I added a new entry in the Bootloader, then restarted the system and finally, it starts. It starts not normally the way Windows 7 starts but with a more XP-like loading bar. When the loading bar blocks moved almost to the end it froze and gave a blue screen with this technical message: "*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0xFFFFF880009A9928, 0xFFFFFFFFC0000034, 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000)"

Do you people at Computer Forum have any idea how I can get this done?  I really want this to be finished as this was my dream ever since Vista came out!  As you can see, I worked pretty hard on trying to figure this stuff out and I had no choice but come to you guys, and since this is my first post I hope I am lucky!


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## Bodaggit23 (Nov 17, 2009)

You can't. Windows will not boot from a USB external drive.

Why don't you install it on an internal drive?


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## 001100010010 (Nov 17, 2009)

Well, I already did, that is how I copied that internal partition....

There really is no way? I heard that someone did it and had been running on it ever since... I also heard that someone did it with Windows XP...

Should I use Windows XP instead? I really don't want to be a couple of OS's behind but if it is the only way...


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## linkin (Nov 18, 2009)

i believe there are ways. i think google will be your best friend now. there may be some how-to's out there.


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## 001100010010 (Nov 18, 2009)

Yeah, I can't find any on Vista or 7, but loads of tutorials for XP...

I think I'll start there.


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## bigrich0086 (Nov 18, 2009)

IT can be done on CERTAIN motherboards. Some can in the bios set USB as first boot device. Your best bet is to get a eSATA external hard drive and use it that way. I have windows on a pocket size hard drive connected to eSATA and works fine.


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## Shane (Nov 18, 2009)

bigrich0086 said:


> IT can be done on CERTAIN motherboards.



Yes it can,even my motherboard has that option in the bios.


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## cmartin0 (Nov 18, 2009)

Bodaggit23 said:


> You can't. Windows will not boot from a USB external drive.



Hey, Linux can.


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## Bodaggit23 (Nov 18, 2009)

Booting from USB to install is different from booting Windows from USB.


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## 001100010010 (Nov 19, 2009)

I'm gonna install Windows XP on my Mobile HD in the next 12 hours and will get back to you.


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