Boot XP/Vista/7 from USB-HDD without USB-BIOS-Support?

[Funkstorm]

hello

my BIOS doesn't support any boot-from-USB features, but i want to try to install a XP, Vista or 7 to a USB harddisk on this machine. is there any way to realize it without using a CDROM or boot-from-USB features? can grub4dos mount on boot time the harddisk and initialize a setup from .iso or so? i would try to run a 7 setup from iso located on a build-in harddisk or external and then install to a partition on the external. would be pretty cool if that would be possible.

thanks for help!

[wimb]

hello

my BIOS doesn't support any boot-from-USB features, but i want to try to install a XP, Vista or 7 to a USB harddisk on this machine. is there any way to realize it without using a CDROM or boot-from-USB features? can grub4dos mount on boot time the harddisk and initialize a setup from .iso or so? i would try to run a 7 setup from iso located on a build-in harddisk or external and then install to a partition on the external. would be pretty cool if that would be possible.

thanks for help!

You can boot from RAMDISK with PE ISO Boot Image loaded by grub4dos boot option in menu.lst on HDD.

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21883&st=35#entry161425'>http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21883&st=35#entry161425

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=23931

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21883

Then you can Install Windows 7 on USB-HDD using section 3 of

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=23553

The tools are there to help you.

Make_PE3.exe and BOOT_IMG.exe and IMG_XP package

[jaclaz]

Why not try using PLoP?

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=140412

jaclaz

[Funkstorm]

@wimb: looks like an adventure. i will take it if PLoP fails. thanks!

@jaclaz: well, i downloaded and installed PLoP v5.0.10 and it's up and runnning. but i can't figure it out how to load an iso file into ram using PLoP for installation onto external usb. maybe, you misunderstood something? referring to plop.at, PLoP can't do that. you could install PLoP using a floppy/iso image, but not use it to install another OS from ISO.

any easy to realize idea?

thanks

[jaclaz]

I guess that you assumed that PLoP does everything (it doesn't).

A "normal" Install XP from USB setup is needed to install from USB normally.

If the machine BIOS does not support USB booting you can use (if it works on your machine) PLoP to replace the missing feature (and nothing else) in order to be able to run the said "install from USB".

As well, you need PLoP to initiate the whatever will allow to copy files from the USB to the internal HDD to follow other methods or to boot a PE of some kind from USB.

In other words, grub4dos can initiate a lot of "things" from HDD, but how do you get the things ON the hdd?

If you prefer you have a "limping" PC (with the BIOS missing a feature) PLoP may act as an artificial limb to allow it "walk" normally, but won't take it anywhere, it only changes your question to

my BIOS doesn't support any boot-from-USB features, but ....

jaclaz

Edited September 1, 2010 by jaclaz

[Ponch]

would be pretty cool if that would be possible.

Pretty slow as well, running Windows7 from external HDD on a (more than) 6 years old PC?