Creative solution to install Win7 on new SSD, laptop

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Bolimomo

I've gotten a HP laptop (it's a lemon... but that's a different story)...

Just purchased a new SSD 256 GB. Wanted to use it as a primary drive for Windows and my essential data storage on the laptop. I have the Win7 Ultimate installation disk (DVD).

Problem:

The built-in DVD-RW on the laptop crapped (part of why it was a lemon). Can't boot my Win7 install DVD. It just doesn't read any DVD any more.

Tried to use a portable USB DVD reader... but the laptop CMOS does not support booting from USB port.

So I have a blank SSD for this laptop but I can't install Windows on it.


Here is what I am trying:

I use another desktop computer. Removed all my other drives. Hooked up this blank SSD drive. I am installing Win7 on the new SSD on this desktop, on behalf of the laptop hardware. I am not sure if this will work. I am afraid that there may be hardware-specific drivers that Window 7 installation script may load or not load depending on the hardware configuration at the time. So I am not sure if the result SSD-Win7 OS is bootable from the laptop.

If you have any words of wisdoms, please share.
 
I am installing Win7 on the new SSD on this desktop, on behalf of the laptop hardware
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:confused:

at the end most likely you will have t call to MSFT and explain the situation in order to reactivate OS
 
Thanks for the advice Bob111.

I can deal with calling Microsoft and provide explanations on the licensing issues. My concern is on the technical aspect.

I just tried it. Win7 installed okay on the new SSD via my desktop. But when mounted on the laptop and tried to boot with it, blue screen. Whatever was built on the new SSD did not match the laptop hardware. As I feared. And the Windows "repair" option did not produce anything.

I am trying something like "disk clone" kind of app and see if I can clone my existing SSD to the new SSD. Hopefully that would boot.
 
Quote from murrica:

Can you possibly access the (sata?) port for the broken laptop DVD player and connect another DVD drive to it?
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Hmmm... Thanks for the suggestion murrica. That should be possible. There are 2 drive bays in this laptop. Each one is a SATA connection. I will just plug in a SATA DVD drive to the second set and see if I can use it. Thanks! Will try tomorrow.
 
You already said you were running a lemon.

Try Linux on it. I recently installed Ubuntu on an old Dell with zero problems. Just make sure your bios can see your SSD correctly.
 
If you can't boot from USB, sounds like you'll need to replace the optic drive. I know years ago the mobo played a role in formatting the drive, so I assume it still does.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I am not partial to Windows, but my trading software (TradeStation and RealTick) would not support Linux. We are driven by the trading software.

I am trying to get the OS on the new SSD without investing more money into this lemon (buying a replacement loptop DVD). I will try other routes first until all fail.
 
If you do have access to a 2nd sata port to which to connect a working optical drive, and can set that as the boot device, this should work?
 
Quote from Bolimomo:

Thanks for the suggestions. I am not partial to Windows, but my trading software (TradeStation and RealTick) would not support Linux. We are driven by the trading software.

I am trying to get the OS on the new SSD without investing more money into this lemon (buying a replacement loptop DVD). I will try other routes first until all fail.
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And because of experiences like yours, I'm not partial to laptops... though I have a Dell Precision Mobile Workstation which has been 100% perfect for nearly 5 years.
 
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