[tav20k]

I'm having trouble with the Windows 7 install. I have the Build 7000 ISO file extracted to a USB key but I've had trouble getting a boot configuration that will work.

The problem is I only have XP on other machines, not Vista so the DISKPART method of making a drive "active" doesn't work.

On a separate board in this forum I followed this advice

http://mydellmini.com/forum/installa...rom-t2441.html

and now have a bootable USB key which takes me into the GPart utility. How do I then point to the Windows 7 files sitting on the USB key to start the installation process?

[vansmack]

If you boot from the USB Drive with the ISO files expanded and copied on it, it should autorun setup.exe. If this isn't happening, then maybe something is wrong with the boot disk (I have one USB stick from PQI that I can't get to boot no matter how many times I try).

What error is the Mini9 giving you?

[tav20k]

I was getting a "disk error" until I created the GParted-format stick. Once I had that it booted into the proprietary GParted startup screen so I knew the USB key was bootable.

I have in the past couple of hours managed to get Windows 7 on. The missing link was to use bootsect to write a /nt60 sequence which I think points into bootmgr on the stick and Windows 7 took it from there.

During the install I found I had to interrupt the re-start sequence to un-check the USB boot option otherwise the install sequence fired up back into the USB loader and went back to the beginning. That apart, it went smoothly.

Now just up and running with replacement Synaptics driver and (eventually) joined to my XP home network.

[flipside]

boot another computer using the windows 7 disk and go into "repair" and then "console"

you can then use diskpart from there.