Windows 7 Complicated Install.

[MaXiMiUS]

First off:

I have ONE hard drive to work with here (not counting the fact that I'm on another computer to type this up)

I can partition/format that hard drive ANY way required.

The hard drive is currently partitioned as such:
40~GB NTFS (partition 1, empty), 7GB NTFS (.isos contained here), 7GB FAT32 (extracted Windows 7 .iso contained here, -identical- to the DVD itself) [has BOOT flag]

I am able to partition the drive via a 1GB USB stick with GParted installed on it.

I do NOT have access to a working DVD burner.

I would like to install Windows 7 on that 40~GB NTFS partition, but can't seem to boot from the 7GB FAT32 partition. I have NO idea what steps would be required to boot from that partition properly. I -do- know that my computer is trying to boot from there, but it has no idea what files to open.

Simply put, I need to figure out a way to get that 7GB FAT32 partition to behave as if it was a DVD-ROM drive.

There is NO operating system installed on the computer in question, so "booting in to Windows" is not an option.

Edit: I should clarify, the boot priorities are set up correctly, and I know exactly how to do that. That's not the problem. Also, I "extracted" the Windows 7 .iso via Daemon Tools.

Edit 2: The message I get goes something like "This is not a bootable disk." "DISK BOOT FAILURE" .. etc.

Update: Re-did most of what I did before.. now I get the error "Remove disks or other media." followed by "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK TO CONTINUE"

 

[haxcid]

my suggestion is to go get a 4gig flash drive and extract the iso to that. I have read that it works fantastic and is way faster installing than using any other method of installation.

 

[mynd]

I would install XP on the 40 gig drive, access MMC ( console ) format and give the 7GB drive a letter, copy is ISO to that drive, mount it using

Mark's Technomusings: Mount .iso files under windows XP

if unavailable then download winxpvirtualcdcontrolpanel_21.exe ( just a suggestion, there are newer and other options )

It only works with ISO images

Installation instructions
=========================
1. Copy VCdRom.sys to your %systemroot%system32drivers folder.
2. Execute VCdControlTool.exe
3. Click "Driver control"
4. If the "Install Driver" button is available, click it. Navigate to the %systemroot%system32drivers folder, select VCdRom.sys, and click Open.
5. Click "Start"
6. Click OK
7. Click "Add Drive" to add a drive to the drive list. Ensure that the drive added is not a local drive. If it is, continue to click "Add Drive" until an unused drive letter is available.
8. Select an unused drive letter from the drive list and click "Mount".
9. Navigate to the image file, select it, and click "OK". UNC naming conventions should not be used, however mapped network drives should be OK.

You may now use the drive letter as if it were a local CD-ROM device. When you are finished you may unmount, stop, and remove the driver from memory using the driver control.

Install Windows 7 from the 7gb and have it format the 40 GB in the process. This is from my brain, so I am not positive it will work and can't think of any reason for it not too, so give it a go.

 

[djwayne]

I had a similar problem, my dvd player quit working for me, I solved this by running up to the local computer store and bought a OEM Samsung cd/dvd player recorder for $25.00. Works great !!