I need to install a image of windows on a hardrive externally help

[mustang05Gt]

Hello,

i am trying to put a bootable image of windows on a hardrive for another computer without using the pc. I have the hardrive in a dock. How can i put a bootable windows image on a hardisk other than the one in my computer.

 

[geofelt]

A cloning program, like Acronis true image will copy all of your current os drive to an external drive.

Of course, you will need to reactivate with a different activation code on the new pc.

 

[mouse24]

I don't think that would work geo, unless the other pc has the same motherboard or you could find a way to manually delete and reinstall the proper drivers for it.

 

[geofelt]

I don't think that would work geo, unless the other pc has the same motherboard or you could find a way to manually delete and reinstall the proper drivers for it.

Actually, I recently did this.
I bought a new laptop to replace an old obsolete one.
I had a larger empty ssd that I wanted to use on the new one.
So in anticipation, I downloaded the drivers for the new laptop in a file on the old.. I used the intel ssd migration tool to clone the data from my old 40gb ssd to a new 120gb ssd which I mounted in an external usb enclosure.
When the new laptop arrived, and I verified that it worked properly, I installed the new ssd and it booted.
I was able to install the drivers for the new laptop and got everything working.
I needed to boot in safe mode because some of the old startup programs were interfering.
I reactivated with the activation code from the new laptop without issue.

In the end, it saved me much time in rebuilding from scratch which I was prepared to do.

 

[fpresiado]

only way you can do this is install the OS onto the external hard drive. but if your looking for a spitting image of your pc like programs games pictures etc then you need to copy over the stuff you want. you cannot copy your os to a external because the chipset is different from the external drive. so by installing the OS to the external the os will install the external chipset to the drive to work properly. but it might work for awhile if you copy your PC OS to the external, im 90% percent sure it will not work. you might get a BSOD error. but you can try it your self by using a third party program to copy your os to the external. by you trying it out you will experience the issue if their is any.

 

[fpresiado]

Actually, I recently did this.
I bought a new laptop to replace an old obsolete one.
I had a larger empty ssd that I wanted to use on the new one.
So in anticipation, I downloaded the drivers for the new laptop in a file on the old.. I used the intel ssd migration tool to clone the data from my old 40gb ssd to a new 120gb ssd which I mounted in an external usb enclosure.
When the new laptop arrived, and I verified that it worked properly, I installed the new ssd and it booted.
I was able to install the drivers for the new laptop and got everything working.
I needed to boot in safe mode because some of the old startup programs were interfering.
I reactivated with the activation code from the new laptop without issue.

In the end, it saved me much time in rebuilding from scratch which I was prepared to do.

he is doing something different that what you described. he wants his os on a external drive and boot it up on another computer some where else. you are talking about copying your os to another hard drive on the same computer. migrating mechanical drive(a.k.a. hard drive) OS to a SSD.

 

[unksol]

you are talking about copying your os to another hard drive on the same computer. migrating mechanical drive(a.k.a. hard drive) OS to a SSD.

No, he's not. He's talking about cloning his old laptop SSD to a new external SSD, then sticking that SSD in a new laptop... Where did the mechanical drive come from?

That being said the OP seems to want to do a new install to an external drive which windows does not allow. And there's no reason to do if it's not a migration. It makes far for sense to just install it correctly

 

[mouse24]

No, he's not. He's talking about cloning his old laptop SSD to a new external SSD, then sticking that SSD in a new laptop... Where did the mechanical drive come from?

That being said the OP seems to want to do a new install to an external drive which windows does not allow. And there's no reason to do if it's not a migration. It makes far for sense to just install it correctly

So, hes taking the windows install from 1 completely different laptop then putting it into another more different laptop? I tried this with windows xp and it did not work at all. I'm not certain how windows 7 does it but I'm also fairly certain this will not work since the systems are just to different and windows did not install the dependencies required to completely boot into the new system.

If I am way off base please tell me, I have no experience doing this with any os above windows xp.

 

[geofelt]

So, hes taking the windows install from 1 completely different laptop then putting it into another more different laptop? I tried this with windows xp and it did not work at all. I'm not certain how windows 7 does it but I'm also fairly certain this will not work since the systems are just to different and windows did not install the dependencies required to completely boot into the new system.

If I am way off base please tell me, I have no experience doing this with any os above windows xp.

One difference is that windows 7 comes with many drivers already installed. XP had a pricess where you might need a floppy to install some needed drivers up front. AHCI as an example.

I really don't know what the OP is trying to accomplish. A windows dvd is bootable from a dvd drive.

 

[fpresiado]

So, hes taking the windows install from 1 completely different laptop then putting it into another more different laptop? I tried this with windows xp and it did not work at all. I'm not certain how windows 7 does it but I'm also fairly certain this will not work since the systems are just to different and windows did not install the dependencies required to completely boot into the new system.

If I am way off base please tell me, I have no experience doing this with any os above windows xp.

yeah you are right. no need to correct.

 

[fpresiado]

No, he's not. He's talking about cloning his old laptop SSD to a new external SSD, then sticking that SSD in a new laptop... Where did the mechanical drive come from?

That being said the OP seems to want to do a new install to an external drive which windows does not allow. And there's no reason to do if it's not a migration. It makes far for sense to just install it correctly

yeah i read it wrong my bad.