Hi guys, I got a little problem and hope you can help me.

I just finished downloading the Win8 DP + Dev Tools (took me that long due to my crappy connection). I happen to have only a 32bit OS installed on my PC, so I can't install it by mounting or unpacking the image. Also, I don't have a Double Layer DVD laying around and the stores here only have Single Layered ones. So neither can I install from a running system, nor can I boot from the DVD. And the somewhat hacky methods with bootable USB sticks or ImageX also don't seem to work with x86 > x64. Does anybody have a working solution?

(Downloading the x86 version isn't really an option, as it'd take me a week downloading it, and also I want the Dev Tools.)

Thanks in advance,
Homaaa

Would installing it as a Virtual Machine be an option? Then you could just mount it and install it. Also, since you currently have a 32bit OS, is your PC capable of running a 64bit OS? Other than the virtual machine option I don't know of any ways to get it to an usb or anything (I've been trying just to get a 32bit Ubuntu 11.10 beta 2 onto my netbook via usb (since it hasn't got a CD drive), and that's been so far very unsuccessful).

Yes, my PC does have a x64 CPU. Unfortunately I think your suggestion won't work as you can't have a x64 guest on a x86 host. (even if that'd work, I only have 1GB RAM in my PC , so a VM isn't a real option anyway ) However, thanks for your effort.

I'm not sure you could run a 64bit OS with 1GB of ram, I guess you could try.
No, your right, a VM is not an option since I think your right with not being able to have a x64 guest on a x86 host.
Hopefully someone else will have a solution

did you try on VMware 8 RTM one?

You are either doing it wrong or reading a bad/overcomplicated guide:

Get a USB drive big enough, format->ntfs (quick), grab 7zip, extract the Windows 8 ISO to the USB with 7zip, run->cmd type the following with your USB drive letter in place of U:


The USB is now bootable, I've done this on over 12 computers with windows 7 and 8 installs and never had an issue. (much faster than a cd).

The guide i checked indeed seems to be way more complicated (and longer) than your simple instructions. Thanks for that, I'm going to try it now and I'll report back if it worked.

EDIT:
"Die Version von J:\boot\bootsect.exe ist nicht mit der ausgeführten Windows-Version kompatibel. Öffnen Sie die Systeminformationen des Computers, um zu überprüfen, ob eine x86-(32 Bit)- oder eine x64-(64 Bit)-Version des Programms erforderlich ist, und wenden Sie sich anschließend an den Herausgeber der Software."

(translated:)
"The version of J:\boot\bootsect.exe is not compatible with the Windows version being executed. Check the system information of your computer to see whether a x86- or a x64-version of the program is needed, and ask the software's manufacturer for help."

Obviously, bootsect also is architecture dependent, so this doesn't work, at least on the direct way. I'm trying a x86-Windows' bootsect now.

let me suggest to use another way it's easy just use "windows 7 download tool" which is from microsoft store, it just select the ISO then automaticaly create boot on USB it works on WDP ISO but idk about Win to flash because i never try WDP in that software

It doesn't work because you made the boot sector from a 32-bit version, which means the bs is also 32-bit. You either need a 64-bit Windows 7 and then try again or make a CD.

Use the Windows 7 USB tool or PXEboot WinPE3 x64, extract the ISO to a directory on the PXE Server, share it, mount it, setup.exe!

Wow, would never have thought it would, thanks for the info .



I apologize, I let the architecture of the install CD slip my mind when writing those instructions for you. You should most certainly see success using a 32 bit bootsect.exe from any NT 6.X (Vista, 7, 8) based Windows OS as you say you are currently trying.

Hi all,
I'm sure what you all said is perfectly fine, but after some messing around with bootsect and various BIOS settings I figured out that my damn PC doesn't even support USB booting for whatever reason. I'm going to grab XP x64, WinPE x64 or something that fits on a CD, install that and finally from that running system, the DP. Not the most elegant way but at least I'm going to get Win8 running. Anyways, thank you all for your efforts, and good night.

Try that tool http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/149612-winntsetup-v21/

i used it to installl windows 8 from xp. works like a charm.

You may try this usefull tutorial: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=18282 but remind to replace the bootmgr (instructions in the topic)!

If your processor enables a x64 Bit, it have a good chance it will work. You can try it, just to see.

You don't install WinPE. You use the network shares to mount the Windows install directory (i.e. you share the folder the ISO is extracted to) then run setup.exe. You can't even install WinPE anyway, there's a reason why it's called WinPE.

Just unpack the ISO to a new partition (all of it, including bootmgr and boot folder). Your actual Windows 7 installation will detect it as Windows Setup (EMS enabled) in boot menu. Choose it, and that's it.
Or if you want to install another's drive partition then after unpacking the iso you need to set that particular partition to active boot and then choose that drive in bios to boot from. You need also to make to partition bootable (bootsect nt60 <partition_driveletter> /force. You can easly find bootsect command line utility with google)

Are you sure your motherboard doesn't support booting from USB?
I'm somewhat amazed that a motherboard new enough to have a CPU that supports x64 would not support USB boot!?!

I hope that you are aware that you cannot upgrade from 32bit to 64bit, you must clean install so you will lose all of your settings, files, emails, etc if not backed up.

Also, it's probably not a good idea to install a beta development OS as your primary operating system, you may want to consider dual booting if you rely on this system.