Windows Vista Help with installing Vista from either 2nd HD, or USB flash drive!

...and after this, I'm going to pay. For this site. You guys have always helped me, and this one should be easy to answer. I just don't remember how to deal with the Master Boot Record (MBR), and the like. EDIT: I don't like how I come off "selling" myself like that. I'll bcome a member either way. lol...Sorry, jetlagged beyond belief. Uuuuugh...

So here it is. I got my little SSD, and it's running in my system just beautifully. HOWEVER, I was stupid enough to leave my DVDRW drive in Germany, as I virtually NEVER need or use it. I almost didn't bring the USB SanDisk Cruzer either, for the same reason.

So here it goes: I made myself an ISO image of my Vista Ultimate DVD, and installed the OS on the SSD (HDD0). I installed it from my 2nd hard drive (HDD1), after making that drive the one to boot from in the BIOS, and obviously that's where the boot records are, am I right so far??

So I switch it back to the SSD, now my main drive and HDD0 as far as the BIOS is concerned, and it will not boot. Obviously this is a bad way to install it in the first place, as it makes both Vista installs a dual-boot configuration, and as we all know, Vista does not like Vista when it comes to dual-boot systems.

So I have this 8GB USB flash drive. Copied all the files to it, put all USB devices IN FRONT OF either hard drive as far as the order in which I want to boot, and it won't boot, the USB Flash drive. The ISO image IS bootable. PowerISO says as much.

I wouldn't be writing this, if I only had taken my DVDRW drive, but I didn't. So how do you guys think I should go forward.

Damne, this is Internet 101, and I'm failing BAD...

Thanks everyone!

P.S. I want to get this answered ASAP, and finally be able to deal with the REAL matter at hand, which is the SSD of course. This is just IN THE WAY! No, I'm inflicting a self-imposed "fine ", if you will, haha, so I'll become a financial supporter of this great site! Arie, if you could please tell me how to pay for it!? Thx.

 

Hi Crunch

You sound desperate!

OK I am not sure (from your descriptions exactly what you have done to the boot) but do the below.

Hit F8 for Boot Menu.

Get into Repair console. Try without the SSD connected if possible and follow instructions here, or with SSD if no joy with it connected:

http://www.averagetech.com/2008/08/17/fixboot-missing-in-vista/

Mike

 

You might need this download!

http://members.rushmore.com/~jsky/id39.html

Mike

 

After you get back in control you may want to look at this in order to Dual boot Vista and Vista!

http://www.vistabootpro.org/

Mike

 

Thanks for the links. Well, it's all a matter of installing it FROM the USB drive. Is that absolutely not possible??

But ok, if I "fix the boot record ", where would I do that?? From the 2nd hard drive (HDD1), even though I need it for my main drive, the SSD (HDD0)??

Also, if I just mirror my current installation to the SSD, might that degrade the performance of the drive. I'll buy another DVDRW, just so I can install the **** OS from my DVD.

But again, installing from the USB Flash drive...is that not possible? ARGHHH!???

Thanks to everyone who responds.

 

OK hold on!

If you can boot up either of the drives to Vista you should be able to F8 to the boot menu to run recovery console. Can you?

Don't matter which drive then run the BCD in my last 2 posts or download the VistaBootPro install it either OS that does boot and run it.

Image/mirror or whatever the other drive will not effect the running OS in any way.

Mike

 

Hey Mike,

Yes. I can boot into Windows Vista on BOTH the HDD and SSD. But ONLY if I have the HDD1 (the 7,200rpm drive) set AHEAD of the SSD in the BIOS boot order. When I change the BIOS to have it boot from the SSD FIRST, it won't boot into EITHER drive!

I'm ready to do a mirror because I'm sick of this, but I kind of wanted to re-install it from scratch, and thought this would be the perfect opportunity.

And yes, the F8 option IS available for both the SSD and HDD if I have the boot order set in the way I just explained.

Again, USB Flash drive? No way on that??

 

Crunch

Slow down, calm down, and listen!!!!!!

D/L and run the VistaBootPro. That is what it is for, it should allow you to boot from either without changing the order!

Forget USB! Not needed!

Mike

 

Mike, thanks. Took a Xanax, and am back on track LOL...Alright, per your advice, I downloaded VistaBootPro 3.3.

The thing is, I don't really want a dual-boot config right now, which is why I was hoping I'd be able to make the USB drive bootable and then there wouldn't be any of these issues.

Do you personally use VBP? I'm going to try it now.

Thanks...you're the only one who friggin helped. Thank you very much!!!

 

Hi Crunch

No I don't dual boot anything at this time because I have a computer for each OS.

Have in the past.

Have heard only good things about VistBootPro. Have recommended it to friends and business associates and clients. All have been happy with it.

I am really at a loss as to exactly what you want to do with the USB flash drive as you have both drives working? Seems all you want is control of the boot.

When you boot from the HD does that OS see the SSD drive? And if booted from the SSD drive does it see the HD?

If you are wanting a clone of c: on the SSD drive instead of a new install, and you can see it from the HD then format the SSD from the HD and use DriveImageXML http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm to copy the live OS from C: to the SSD drive.

Give me some details about what you want to end up with and perhaps if I understand I could help more.

Mike

 

Well, I just tried VBP, and I'm not certain it worked. I know I can still NOT boot from my SSD. I'm going to just buy a DVDRW drive, so I can install it like a regular person lol...I can just not enjoy my SSD until I can install Vista on the **** thing, and run it INDEPENDENTLY of ANY other drive.

I might just do a mirror. I use Acronis TrueImage. Acronis makes excellent products.

Mike, you've been the only person to help me with this and stuck with me. I am SICK of this. I've learned that I can just THROW MONEY AT a problem and be DONE with it.

And thank God, I'm not in Iraq, so if the extent of my problems is this BS, I'm doing pretty well.

HAHA...My GF is a laywer, so after threatening Palm, after they ******* up FOUR attempts at my ordering the Treo Pro, now I'm getting a free one. $549 value. AND I got a free iPhone 3G from AT&T. As if I needed another one of those dumb@#$%^&*() iPhone's. I already put it up for sale for $800. And thr 16 giggers sell at that rate.

Mike, let me know your Paypal address. I'll shoot you some $$$$$$$$$.

And to all, a GOOD NIGHT!

 

Hi Crunch

Been out to dinner.

No no charge I do this voluntarily but thanks.

I can help you with this if you will give me specific answers so that I can determine what is happening!

Tomorrow fresh just answer the below questions.

1. What happens after VBP was installed either it did or did not? Tell me exactly what happens.

2. When booted from the HD can the OS see and access the SSD drive? And what drive letter is the SSD drive?

3. In reverse if booted from SSD can OS see and access the HD? And what drive letter is the HD?

Also I was not thinking but you should have installed VBP on the HD and not on the SSD since this is the normal boot order.

If you switched the order to boot the SSD and then installed the VBP, then uninstall it put the correct boot order back and install VBP on the HD.

Now after confirming it boots from the HD tell me exactly what happens when you select the SSD to boot via the new VBP OS selector! No OS found? No Boot sector or No Drive etc?????

Mike

 

Hi Arie,

Yes, that's EXACTLY what happened. I'm trying to get a DVD drive here locally. Why is it impossible to boot off of my 8GB USB Flash Drive?? I have the installation files extracted and put on there, USB enabled in the BIOS, and the boot order.

How would I copy the bootsector files to the SSD?? Any ideas at all?

Thing is, I hastily packed and what LOOKED like the DVDRW drive was actually an Ultrabay battery lol...

Can you help me with the above questions re USB drive, copying the bootsector, etc.?? It's worth MONEY to me. lol...I can't enjoy the SSD and test it for me and everyone else, because of this stupid problem.

 

Yes. I did that, and every time I did, it would not boot from the SSD until now.

Mike and Arie,

Thanks for your posts. VBP is a cool app. What I ended up doing just now is doing a mirror from my "old" 200GB drive to the SSD, after moving a truckload of data to yet another drive, so as to make space to be able to perform the clone.

And it worked. I'm now booting from my SSD, and all is well. I still want to do a fresh install of Vista, as the boot time has become unacceptable. Please check out my thread on this, and this thread can hereby, at LONG last, be retired. lol...

http://www.windowsbbs.com/windows-vista/77574-installing-vista-special-circumstance.html#post420538

Thank you again! I will post the first impressions and some benchies of my own shortly, now that the SSD is "in charge ".