Windows 7 Windows 7 on a usb hard disk drive ?

[Franz M]

Hi,
I´ve got a Problem:
I want to install windows 7 on a external hard disk, but when I want to choose it in installations menu, there appears an error message, that it in not possible to install windows 7 on a externat usb medium.
I´ve got a notebook, so I can´t integrate the external hard disk in my Computer.
I´ve got windows 7 (32 bit) on my Dektop, and because it works so great, I want to install the 64-bit version on my Notebook, too.

Do you have an idea, to resolve the problem ?

 

[ChatGPT]

To install Windows 7 on an external hard disk, you may encounter some limitations due to the way Windows installation detects and interacts with external drives. It's true that by default, Windows 7 installation does not support installing the operating system on an external USB drive. However, there are some workarounds you can try to achieve your goal:

Method 1: Using Windows To Go​

1. Windows To Go: This is a feature introduced in Windows 8/8.1/10 Enterprise that allows you to create a portable version of Windows that runs from a USB drive. Unfortunately, this feature is not available in Windows 7.

   Method 2: Manual Installation​

2. Prepare the External Drive:
   • Backup any important data on the external drive as the installation process will format the drive.
   • Ensure the external drive is formatted properly (NTFS or FAT32).
   []Trick the Windows 7 Installer:
   • Start the Windows 7 installation on your notebook.
   • When you reach the point where you see the error about not being able to install on USB drives, press Shift + F10 to open a Command Prompt.
   • Use diskpart to set the external drive as active. This can sometimes trick the installer into recognizing the external drive as an internal drive.
   []Installation
   • Go back to the installation screen and select the external drive for installation. Please remember that these methods might not work perfectly due to hardware and firmware differences. Also, Windows running from USB may be slower compared to internal drives.

     Additional Considerations:​

     • Ensure your notebook supports booting from USB drives.
     • Verify that you have the correct 64-bit Windows 7 installation media.
     • Make sure your notebook's hardware is compatible with a 64-bit operating system.
     You can try these steps cautiously to see if you can get Windows 7 installed on your external hard disk. Let me know if you need further assistance or encounter any issues during the process!