Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Reinstalling windows 7 on laptop that has no optical drive

  • 17-04-2011 4:59pm
    #1
    Tinie
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,402 ✭✭✭


    Right so, ive got a Lenovo U450 laptop which has no disc drive. It was working fine when I wanted to do a clean install, and foolishly I powered off the laptop while it was doing the clean install from the image on the HD.
    It now says when I boot up "Windows failed to start". A recent hardware or software change might be the case.To fix the problem: Insert windows install disc. etc.."
    So im wondering is there a way to reinstall windows without needing a disc drive? Can I access the recovery image on the HD without needing to boot to Windows? I remember on my old Iqon laptop years ago I could do that by pressing R when it was booting. Please help!!


Comments

  • #2
    MarkR
    Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 11,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭MarkR


    You can do it by usb, but you'd need to have an image file already created. You could possible get the image off the hard drive using a linux distro on a usb flash drive, and copy the image to another usb drive, then from another computer make a bootable usb drive from the image.


  • #3
    cookie1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,794 ✭✭✭cookie1977


    MarkR wrote: »
    You can do it by usb, but you'd need to have an image file already created. You could possible get the image off the hard drive using a linux distro on a usb flash drive, and copy the image to another usb drive, then from another computer make a bootable usb drive from the image.

    If you can get it have a look here:
    http://gizmodo.com/%23!5257386/how-to-install-windows-7-on-almost-any-netbook


  • #4
    jay93
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,323 ✭✭✭jay93


    If you can use another computer with an optical drive you can make a bootable USB drive which ive made myself plenty of times for my notebook

    http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/120444-how-to-install-windows-from-usb-winsetupfromusb-with-gui/

    download links are in the first post its a GUI tool that will make the usb drive a bootable windows install disk have used it many times and is very handy for computers without a DVD drive!


  • #5
    practice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 304 ✭✭practice


    When you first start the computer and before it gets to the windows screen look in top right corner for which key to press usually ( Del, F2 or F10) .
    You may get the chance to boot to the recovery partition here.


Advertisement