Computer Hope

Other => Other => Topic started by: bbcoachmatt on February 18, 2014, 05:11:16 PM

Title: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: bbcoachmatt on February 18, 2014, 05:11:16 PM
I am trying to create a bootable flash drive to reload Win7 on my laptop. I have followed your instructions to the letter, but near the end, I run into a problem. On this step...

6. Go back to the command prompt window and type in D: CD BOOT (substitute your DVD drive letter for "D:" if necessary) and press Enter. Type CD BOOT again and press Enter. Lastly, type BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H: (substitute your USB flash drive letter for "H:" if necessary) and press Enter.

When I enter "CD BOOT" the second time, I get the below error.....

"The system cannot find the path specified"

Please advise why I get this error?
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: Geek-9pm on February 18, 2014, 05:31:34 PM
Welcome to the CH forum.
Did you get the instructions specifically from this web site?
Is this the page you found?
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001366.htm
Quote
...the computer you want to use your bootable USB drive in will need to have the capability of booting to a USB drive. ....
also...
Quote
you need to have Windows Vista or 7 installed on your computer. It is recommended that you have a flash drive of at least 4 GB in size
and ...
Quote
You will need a Windows Vista or Windows 7 disc for these instructions to be successful.
Did you check those details carefully?

Of course, if you laptop does hot have a working system, this has to be done on another computer.
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: bbcoachmatt on February 18, 2014, 08:02:09 PM
Thank you for that reply. Yes that is the page I got the instructions from. I am trying to create this bootable flash drive on another Win7 machine as my laptop is completely hosed. SO i need to be able to boot to a disk or flash drive. All the suggestions you mentioned are in order, I just need to know why I'm getting that error, and how to correct it so I can finish making the bootable drive.

Thank again
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: BC_Programmer on February 18, 2014, 08:50:56 PM
Exactly what "Windows Vista or Windows 7 disc" are you using? It has to be a Windows Disc- and cannot be one of the "Recovery Discs" that are provided with many machines.

And of course make sure the drive letter is correct, too- D: could be a recovery partition or backup hard drive.
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: bbcoachmatt on February 19, 2014, 02:31:20 AM
The Windows disk was burned from a download from a subscription I have to MSDN. It is a legit version of Windows 7. But that shouldn't have anything to do with this problem. I'm not even to the part where I copy the OS to the flash drive. I am stuck on this step with  this error?? The drive letter is correct.

Thanks
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: Geek-9pm on February 19, 2014, 04:29:14 AM
I have tried to duplicate yurt problem and had a different result.
I do not yet have an answer.
This looks promising.
http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20140213/how-can-i-upgrade-my-netbook-from-xp-to-windows-7
The article claims there is a way to load Windows 7 on a net book with no DVD drive. It uses tools from Microsoft.
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: BC_Programmer on February 19, 2014, 08:06:41 AM
But that shouldn't have anything to do with this problem.
Well, it would, considering The steps are intending to run bootsect.exe from the disc. a disc burned from MSDN works fine as I just tried it.

It sounds very likely you are not using the correct drive letter for your disc drive. On my computer my disc drive is E: and making the appropriate drive letter substitutions to the instructions ran for me without issue.






Quote
The drive letter is correct.
Can you link to, or provide the title of the MSDN download you used? The one I used is titled "Windows 7 Ultimate with Service Pack 1 (x64) - DVD (English)"
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: bbcoachmatt on February 19, 2014, 02:07:57 PM
Thanks BC.....I have verified the drive letter is correct. I have tried this procedure several times from different PC's, and its the same problem every time. The Win version I have on the disk is:  en_windows_7_enterprise_with_SP1_x64.
I downloaded from my MSDN subscription.

Thanks
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: patio on February 19, 2014, 02:22:49 PM
Why Enterprise ? ?
Is your MSDN subscription still valid ? ?
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: bbcoachmatt on February 19, 2014, 11:54:34 PM
Yes my subscription is valid. Why Enterprise? Why not? Thats just what I decided to use. I really don't think that has anything to do with the problem though.
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: Geek-9pm on February 20, 2014, 02:56:48 AM
I just now got it to work. Not very easy. Every detail was important. I used my 64 bit Win 7 pro OEM DVD on the desktop machine that had same installed. Then  I was able to boot up flash drive on a different machine and install without using the DVD for a new install.

One thing I did different, as per another version of the instructions, I did copy all the DVD to a desktop folder  and then copied to the USB flash drive. Other that that, it was as the CH article said. I am not sure if that made any difference.
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: bbcoachmatt on February 20, 2014, 12:17:52 PM
Ok. So when it comes to step 6 in the process, as in my opening statement of this forum, what did you do to get past the "CD BOOT" problem that I first mentioned?

Thank you
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: BC_Programmer on February 20, 2014, 12:47:22 PM
Actually, I just realized the instructions are in fact wrong, or have an extra step. You can either Ignore the "type CD BOOT again and press enter" part, or omit the "CD BOOT" from the first typing instruction (so it would be D: instead of D: CD BOOT).

Quote
Go back to the command prompt window and type in D: CD BOOT (substitute your DVD drive letter for "D:" if necessary) and press Enter. Type CD BOOT again and press Enter. Lastly, type BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H: (substitute your USB flash drive letter for "H:" if necessary) and press Enter.

Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: Geek-9pm on February 20, 2014, 01:56:10 PM
Yes. In the DVD there is a bottler called BOOT.
And in that folder is a filed named BOOTSECT.EXE  which you must open with a CMD box. (Like DOS)
That step is vital to making the USB flash bookable.
Photo enclosed below.


[recovering disk space, attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: camerongray on February 20, 2014, 02:46:55 PM
Why not just use this: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool (http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool)?

It takes your Windows .iso file and creates a bootable USB drive from it automatically
Title: Re: Please help with bootable flash drive!!!!
Post by: michaewlewis on February 20, 2014, 03:19:22 PM
Why not just use this: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool (http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool)?

It takes your Windows .iso file and creates a bootable USB drive from it automatically

That's what I was thinking, too. Except, I usually use the Universal USB Installer.....
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
.....and it works with Windows Server ISOs, too. I used it just yesterday to upgrade my hyper-v cluster.