How to make drive which doesn't have the MBR bootable?

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hondaissace

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Apr 9, 2011
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I suspect my main hard drive is dying, which has Windows 7 on it. So I attached another drive and installed Windows 7 on it, so in case the main drive fails at least I will have a bootable computer. The problem is that the MBR is on the main drive, so without the main drive the new drive fails to boot. How can I make the Windows 7 on the new drive boot without having the main drive connected to my computer? I can't install Windows using a DVD as my DVD writer is busted. Thanks.
Edit: I have a linux live bootable cd, which works with my DVD writer..
 
Solution
hang-the-9
You can make a USB boot stick for Windows 7 setup from an ISO of the Windows 7 DVD. Get the Microsoft DVD to USB utility, point it to the ISO of the setup disk, it makes a USB boot setup disk. You need at least a 4gb USB stick, but don't need anything larger.

Then as PC said above, install your second disk as the main one, remove your old one, and setup Windows on that. Then swap the old one back in or just continue to use the new one.
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hang-the-9

hang-the-9

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Mar 25, 2010
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You can make a USB boot stick for Windows 7 setup from an ISO of the Windows 7 DVD. Get the Microsoft DVD to USB utility, point it to the ISO of the setup disk, it makes a USB boot setup disk. You need at least a 4gb USB stick, but don't need anything larger.

Then as PC said above, install your second disk as the main one, remove your old one, and setup Windows on that. Then swap the old one back in or just continue to use the new one.
 
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