Vista Clean Install WITHOUT DVD drive??????

On Thu, 08 May 2008 02:54:07 -0700, Donald L McDaniel
<orthocross.DeleteThis@invalid.invalid.com> wrote:

>>I'm trying to intstall it on my test machine.
>>The machine has no DVD drive.
>
>>I tried copying the DVD contents to a secondary partition,
>
>HOW did you open the DVD to copy the contents? You are making no
>sense.

He's trying to use a SECOND computer to make a workable copy for the
one without a DVD.

In your motherboard BIOS, set one of the DVD drives to be the bootable
optical drive and then use that drive to install Vista.

You may be able to specify the boot drive at boot time, usually by using F11
to override the BIOS setting.



"mike" <spamme9.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:CwyUj.22099$aA1.9774@trnddc05...
>I picked up the Vista Ultimate DVD at the "Heroes" seminar.
> I'm trying to intstall it on my test machine.
> The machine has no DVD drive.
> I tried copying the DVD contents to a secondary partition,
> but I can't find any .exe files that will run from a dos boot.
> Is there any way to get Vista install started without a
> bootable DVD drive?
> I do have a CD drive on the machine...can I split the DVD into CD's?
>
> Anticipating the most likely input...let me say these...
> Yes, I have googled my ass off.
> Yes, I have IDE DVD drives, I have external usb DVD drives.
> What I DO NOT HAVE is a way to get THIS machine to BOOT from
> any of them. Buying a new DVD drive won't help me.
> I can boot from a CD or floppy or hard drive.
> I want to do a CLEAN build without leftovers from previous OS.
> Yes, you can order Vista on CD if you want to wait...and they
> won't even tell you what it costs until you enter personal
> information...sorry, but that really chaps my...
> --
> Return address is VALID!

On Thu, 8 May 2008 10:44:50 +0100, "Dominic Payer"
<dominic.DeleteThis@dcp.fsv.co.uk> wrote:

>In your motherboard BIOS, set one of the DVD drives to be the bootable
>optical drive and then use that drive to install Vista.

He clearly stated that the computer that he needs to install SP1 on
doesn't HAVE a DVD drive.

On Thu, 8 May 2008 10:44:50 +0100, "Dominic Payer"
<dominic.TakeThisOut@dcp.fsv.co.uk> wrote:

>In your motherboard BIOS, set one of the DVD drives to be the bootable
>optical drive and then use that drive to install Vista.
>
>You may be able to specify the boot drive at boot time, usually by using F11
>to override the BIOS setting.

Dominic, the OP clearly claims to have no bootable DVD drive(s). So
which one would he set to be bootable in the BIOS?

Also, such hotkeys are different with different OEMs. As an example,
the BIOS on my Dell motherboard requires that I press F12, rather than
F11, to override the Boot order, and all it does is present me with a
Boot Menu, from which I can choose the Boot device. Of course, if the
device I choose is not bootable, I can try booting from it all day,
and never succeed in anything but increasing my stress-level.

>
>
>
>"mike" <spamme9.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:CwyUj.22099$aA1.9774@trnddc05...
>>I picked up the Vista Ultimate DVD at the "Heroes" seminar.
>> I'm trying to intstall it on my test machine.
>> The machine has no DVD drive.
>> I tried copying the DVD contents to a secondary partition,
>> but I can't find any .exe files that will run from a dos boot.
>> Is there any way to get Vista install started without a
>> bootable DVD drive?

That machine must be very old indeed, if the motherboard does not
allow you to boot from a DVD drive, or if your drive itself is not
bootable.

>> I do have a CD drive on the machine...can I split the DVD into CD's?
>>
>> Anticipating the most likely input...let me say these...
>> Yes, I have googled my ass off.

Then google no further. Your answer is staring you right in the face,
but apparently, you don't want to accept it.

>> Yes, I have IDE DVD drives,

So, use one of them.

>I have external usb DVD drives.

Do you have a motherboard which allows you to boot from such external
drives? Additionally, Windows cannot be booted from external block
devices, anyway. There is one exception to this rule, however:
Windows can be installed on and booted from an e-SATA drive, since for
all intents and purposes, such a drive would appear as an internal
hard drive to Windows.

>> What I DO NOT HAVE is a way to get THIS machine to BOOT from
>> any of them.

You have no BIOS settings which enable you to set the Boot order? You
are definitely out of luck.

>>Buying a new DVD drive won't help me.

It definitely will if all the DVD drives you possess are not bootable
by design, as in older CD or DVD drives. But they would have to be
very old indeed, and SHOULD be replaced as soon as possible, anyway.

>> I can boot from a CD or floppy or hard drive.

Unfortunately, you cannot use a CD drive to boot the DVD install
media. Nor is there a way to start the installation from a floppy
(i.e., "from a DOS prompt"). In fact, many Vista-class machines have
no floppy drive at all. Face it, Vista is NOT DOS, nor is it even
Windows 9x or ME. It is Microsoft Windows Vista, an entirely
different OS.

Nor is there a way to get the code copied from the DVD onto ANY Hard
Drive, ANYWHERE, without a DVD drive.

>> I want to do a CLEAN build without leftovers from previous OS.

Then either do it the right way, or your own. However, your way will
not be very successful, I fear.

And, unless you can do a Network Installation, you will be very
frustrated in the end.

>> Yes, you can order Vista on CD if you want to wait...and they
>> won't even tell you what it costs until you enter personal
>> information...sorry, but that really chaps my...

Then wear trousers or some kind of padding between your hide and the
chaps, and don't forget to put a saddle-blanket on the horse before
saddling him up. Or grow a tougher hide.


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the correct thread and article.
================================================

On Thu, 08 May 2008 05:21:29 -0500, Nonny <nonnymoose.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>On Thu, 08 May 2008 02:54:07 -0700, Donald L McDaniel
><orthocross.TakeThisOut@invalid.invalid.com> wrote:
>
>>>I'm trying to intstall it on my test machine.
>>>The machine has no DVD drive.
>>
>>>I tried copying the DVD contents to a secondary partition,
>>
>>HOW did you open the DVD to copy the contents? You are making no
>>sense.
>
>He's trying to use a SECOND computer to make a workable copy for the
>one without a DVD.

Think about that, nonny:

If he HAS NO BOOTABLE DVD drive, as he appears to say, he will NOT be
able to do what he wants to, since it MUST be installed using the DVD
media itself, which is Bootable, and which REQUIRES a working and
bootable DVD drive. Additionally, it will be IMPOSSIBLE for him to
COPY it to a HD WITHOUT a DVD drive.

Which comes first, the horse, or the cart?
Can a horse-cart pull itself? Of course not. It needs a horse (or
other draft animal).

In the OP's case, the DRIVE is the horse, and the DVD media is the
cart. "No DVD drive, no copy" (to paraphrase the late and great Bob
Marley. Sorry, Bob. I wrote a terrible paraphrase, but you wrote a
great song.


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the correct thread and article.
================================================

Come on guys - read his "entire" post.

Quote "..The machine has no DVD drive...." - then further on "...get Vista
install started without a bootable DVD drive?...". By "no DVD drive" he
evidently means he cannot boot from the drive.

Further along is his post "...Yes, I have IDE DVD drives, I have external
usb DVD drives...." and "...I DO NOT HAVE is a way to get THIS machine to
BOOT from any of them..." - note no reference to a second computer.

Simply put - no boot from the DVD - reply by Dominic only sensitble
suggestion.



"mike" <spamme9 DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:CwyUj.22099$aA1.9774@trnddc05...
>I picked up the Vista Ultimate DVD at the "Heroes" seminar.
> I'm trying to intstall it on my test machine.
> The machine has no DVD drive.
> I tried copying the DVD contents to a secondary partition,
> but I can't find any .exe files that will run from a dos boot.
> Is there any way to get Vista install started without a
> bootable DVD drive?
> I do have a CD drive on the machine...can I split the DVD into CD's?
>
> Anticipating the most likely input...let me say these...
> Yes, I have googled my ass off.
> Yes, I have IDE DVD drives, I have external usb DVD drives.
> What I DO NOT HAVE is a way to get THIS machine to BOOT from
> any of them. Buying a new DVD drive won't help me.
> I can boot from a CD or floppy or hard drive.
> I want to do a CLEAN build without leftovers from previous OS.
> Yes, you can order Vista on CD if you want to wait...and they
> won't even tell you what it costs until you enter personal
> information...sorry, but that really chaps my...
> --
> Return address is VALID!