Trying To Boot Win7 Of External HDD.

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Trying To Boot Win7 Of External HDD.

Okay I Have been trying To Install Win7 Of A External HDD but it wont boot i restart and hold Option.! And It Still Wont Show A bootable Partition.?? And when i try and format to the MS-DOS(Fat) it is not a Bootable partition? So Can Someone Please Help Me Get Make A bootable Partition That Will Allow Me To Boot And Install Win7? Help With Be Extremely Appreciated! Thank You!

Macbook 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Apr 26, 2010 8:43 PM

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Answer 1

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Lyssa

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Apr 26, 2010 8:57 PM in response to Macninuser

I don't think you can run Windows 7 from an external drive. You can install the operating system FROM an external device, like a hard drive or flash drive, but only if the installation disc has been replicated on the hard drive/flash drive.

For the installation, you must use NTFS.

~Lyssa

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Answer 2

Macninuser Author

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Apr 26, 2010 9:37 PM in response to Lyssa

Yes It Has Been Replicated!! So Their Is No Way To Run It Of The External HDD? And What is NTFS??

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Answer 3

Lyssa

Level 8

41,327 points

Apr 26, 2010 9:43 PM in response to Macninuser

So, what exactly do you have on this external drive?

If it's a copy of a Windows 7 installation disc, what is the exact procedure you followed to replicate the disc?

I believe you have to follow the process outlined here for your idea to work:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd535816.aspx

or the process here:
http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool

Both mention using flash drives; I'm not sure using an external HD will work as well.

~Lyssa

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Answer 4

Apr 27, 2010 2:57 AM in response to Macninuser

NTFS stands for New Technology File System. It's the format that Windows has used for years; in the same sense that HFS+ is the Mac filesystem.

Unlike UNIX-based (Mac, Linux, etc) systems, Windows isn't designed to be run from an external drive. As Lyssa said, you may be able to install it to your internal hard drive if you partition it & use Boot Camp; but you're not going to run it from the external.

I think a good question here is also to ask: do you want to dual-boot your Mac? As in when you turn it on do you want to be able to switch between OS X & Windows 7?
And also what do you need Windows 7 for? Is it for playing video games, editing video, editing pictures, database work, media center?

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Answer 5

Macninuser Author

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Apr 27, 2010 3:55 PM in response to Lyssa

I Am Using A Mac. I Have Nothing On The External Drive.

Brand New And Just Partitioned!
And I Have Downloaded The Windows 7 Installation Disc.

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Answer 6

Macninuser Author

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Apr 27, 2010 4:00 PM in response to CIA Jones

Okay So If I Want to Dual Boot?
I Have A Partitioned Internal Hard Drive That I Used Bootcamp To Do.
Is Their Any Way I Can Delete The Partition And Then Re Partition So That I Can Install Win7?

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Answer 7

Apr 27, 2010 4:11 PM in response to Macninuser

To remove your partition:
# Launch the Boot Camp Assistant by going to your Applications -> Utilities -> Boot Camp Assistant.
# Click Continue on the initial Boot Camp Assistant Introduction window.
# Select Create or remove a Windows partition and then click Continue
# Click the Restore button to remove the Windows partition and restore the disk to a single-partition OS X volume.
# You’ll be prompted to enter your password – do so and then click OK.
# The Boot Camp Assistant will start partitioning…
# and then you’ll be back to a single OS X volume. That’s it – Windows is gone.

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