How to install Vista from hard disk.

sconley · 07-09-2008, 03:44 PM

I've read many, many posts on many web sites on how to do this. In all cases, the poster did not have a DVD drive. That is not my situation.

Here is what I want to do.
I want to setup an unattended install of Vista 64 bit for my PC. I want to copy the contenets of the Vista DVD drive to a partition on my second hard drive.
I want to start with NO operating system on my PC.
I want to boot to something other than CD/DVD: could be hard disk, USB drive, floppy.
The reason I want to do this is simple. I'm an IT professional. I reload my PC frequently due to testing of software on my PC. Please don't reply with using other software like RollbackRx, etc. I know about those and use them.

I've read articles on how to create a bootable USB to install VITA. Didn't work.

To give you a better idea of what I want to do, here is how I install XP.
1. I use Disk Director to make a 30G Fat32 partition on first drive.
2. Second drive has a fat 32 partition with copy of WinXP install CD in a folder along with unattend.txt, etc.
3. I boot to a DOS floppy and then run setup from the second hard drive telling it to use the first hard drive (which is C:) and the unattend.txt file.

This works very fast since the source is on the hard disk.

Mordax · 07-09-2008, 05:40 PM

Create an image of the hard drive you want Vista on while Vista is installed
Store that image on a partition
Create a bootable USB with Symantec/Norton Ghost on it and image from A to B

I'm not exactly sure how to create the image, or how to make the bootable USB with Ghost, but I have a working bootable USB with Ghost that was given to me at my old job, so its deffinitly possible, the technique is out there somewhere

I know it works by emulating a floppy disk if that helps

sconley · 07-10-2008, 07:09 PM

Thank you for your suggestion. I'm wanting to do a clean install from hard disk, not install an image from hard disk.
One of the first things I do with XP after installing from my hard disk, is to create an image so I don't have to reload from scratch; however, I do want to reload if I've made major changes to my hardware.

Anyway, I want to see if anyone knows how to installed Windows Vista using a hard drive or usb thumb drive (or even a USB hard disk) as the source media. The answer much include how to create boot media to do the install. Windows Vista 64 cannot be loaded from a 32 bit operating system so the only way I can install it now is to use the DVD which is very slow.

Jamsers · 07-10-2008, 08:27 PM

Vista doesn't install on FAT32 file systems. Vista only works on NTFS file systems.

sconley · 07-11-2008, 03:31 AM

I must not be explaining myself correctly.
No where in my post did I say I wanted to install VISTA on FAT32.
I mentioned FAT32 as the partition type used when I install Windows XP.

I want to be able to install VISTA from a source that is not a DVD or CD.
By install, I do not mean install an image. I want to be able to run the VISTA setup program.

Jamsers · 07-13-2008, 12:05 AM

Oh, sorry, I thought that you wanted to install on FAT32. Just wanted you to know. You know, I installed my Vista from a hard disk. It's just that you cant boot with it, you have to enter in Windows and run the setup executable. If you're trying to boot with it, I can't help you.

07-09-2008, 03:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
sconley Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 OS: WinXP	How to install Vista from hard disk. I've read many, many posts on many web sites on how to do this. In all cases, the poster did not have a DVD drive. That is not my situation. Here is what I want to do. I want to setup an unattended install of Vista 64 bit for my PC. I want to copy the contenets of the Vista DVD drive to a partition on my second hard drive. I want to start with NO operating system on my PC. I want to boot to something other than CD/DVD: could be hard disk, USB drive, floppy. The reason I want to do this is simple. I'm an IT professional. I reload my PC frequently due to testing of software on my PC. Please don't reply with using other software like RollbackRx, etc. I know about those and use them. I've read articles on how to create a bootable USB to install VITA. Didn't work. To give you a better idea of what I want to do, here is how I install XP. 1. I use Disk Director to make a 30G Fat32 partition on first drive. 2. Second drive has a fat 32 partition with copy of WinXP install CD in a folder along with unattend.txt, etc. 3. I boot to a DOS floppy and then run setup from the second hard drive telling it to use the first hard drive (which is C:) and the unattend.txt file. This works very fast since the source is on the hard disk.

07-09-2008, 05:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mordax Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 47 OS: WindowsXPSP3, WindowsVistaSP1, UbuntuLinux	Re: How to install Vista from hard disk. Create an image of the hard drive you want Vista on while Vista is installed Store that image on a partition Create a bootable USB with Symantec/Norton Ghost on it and image from A to B I'm not exactly sure how to create the image, or how to make the bootable USB with Ghost, but I have a working bootable USB with Ghost that was given to me at my old job, so its deffinitly possible, the technique is out there somewhere I know it works by emulating a floppy disk if that helps

07-10-2008, 07:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
sconley Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 OS: WinXP	Re: How to install Vista from hard disk. Thank you for your suggestion. I'm wanting to do a clean install from hard disk, not install an image from hard disk. One of the first things I do with XP after installing from my hard disk, is to create an image so I don't have to reload from scratch; however, I do want to reload if I've made major changes to my hardware. Anyway, I want to see if anyone knows how to installed Windows Vista using a hard drive or usb thumb drive (or even a USB hard disk) as the source media. The answer much include how to create boot media to do the install. Windows Vista 64 cannot be loaded from a 32 bit operating system so the only way I can install it now is to use the DVD which is very slow.

07-10-2008, 08:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jamsers Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Phillipines Posts: 68 OS: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 My System	Re: How to install Vista from hard disk. Vista doesn't install on FAT32 file systems. Vista only works on NTFS file systems. __________________ mr.futurebillgates

07-11-2008, 03:31 AM	#5 (permalink)
sconley Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 OS: WinXP	Re: How to install Vista from hard disk. I must not be explaining myself correctly. No where in my post did I say I wanted to install VISTA on FAT32. I mentioned FAT32 as the partition type used when I install Windows XP. I want to be able to install VISTA from a source that is not a DVD or CD. By install, I do not mean install an image. I want to be able to run the VISTA setup program. Last edited by sconley : 07-11-2008 at 03:33 AM.

07-13-2008, 12:05 AM	#6 (permalink)
Jamsers Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Phillipines Posts: 68 OS: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 My System	Re: How to install Vista from hard disk. Oh, sorry, I thought that you wanted to install on FAT32. Just wanted you to know. You know, I installed my Vista from a hard disk. It's just that you cant boot with it, you have to enter in Windows and run the setup executable. If you're trying to boot with it, I can't help you. __________________ mr.futurebillgates