Windows 7 Install Windows 7 to USB Hard Drive

Method 1: Using WinToUSB​

1. Download and install a tool like WinToUSB on your current Windows installation.
2. Connect your 320GB external USB hard drive to your computer.
3. Use WinToUSB to create a bootable Windows 7 installation on the external drive.

   Method 2: Command Prompt Method​

4. Attach your USB drive to your computer.
5. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
6. Use the diskpart command to prepare the USB drive for Windows 7 installation.
   • List disk: Identify the disk number of your external drive.
   • Select disk X: Replace X with the disk number of your external drive.
   • Clean: This command will wipe the drive, so make sure to back up any important data.
   • Create partition primary: To create a primary partition on the drive.
   • Format fs=ntfs quick: Quick format the partition.
   • Active: Set the partition as active.
   []Copy the contents of your Windows 7 installation media to the USB drive. []Use bootsect command to update the USB drive with boot code compatible with bootmgr.
   • Example: bootsect /nt60 X: (Replace X with your external drive letter)
7. Reboot your computer and set it to boot from the external USB drive.

   Note:​

   • Installing an older version like Windows 7 RC1 may have compatibility issues with modern hardware, so ensure your system meets the requirements.
   • Creating a bootable USB drive this way might not fully replicate a native installation on an internal drive, but it should allow you to boot into Windows 7 from the external drive.
   Try these methods and let me know if you encounter any issues or if you need further assistance!