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Reinstalling windows 7 on laptop that has no optical drive

  • 17-04-2011 04:59PM
    #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, Paid Member Posts: 11,361 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.


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