[Paul B]

I've currently got XP on my Acer Aspire D150 and want to upgrade to Win 7 however I don't have a flash drive big enough to create a bootable USB stick. Its connected to my home wireless network which allows it to access the optical drives on the desktop PC, does anybody know if I can use one of those to run the update CD or won't it work because of re-boots etc?
I could just try it but I don't want to leave myself without my trusty netbook while I get around to fixing it.
Thanks,
Paul

[Jaspersharpe]

You're lucky I don't punter you for that factually incorrect signature. The grading sense reprieves you.

[Jim]

your trying to do something the hardest way possible, either fork out just less than a tenner to do via a usb pendrive or borrow one or borrow a usb dvd rom

[Jaspersharpe]

I've got a usb DVD drive you can borrow (in exchange for your euro ticklist). 

Incidentally, is it a good idea to put Win 7 on a netbook? What's the minimum memory requirement etc? Might put it on mine if possible......

[BB]

I've got windows 7 running on an acer aspire one and it works fine.

[Jim]

got win 7 on my eee pc, works brilliantly.
I upgraded the memory to 2 gig but 1 gig works just fine

[Jaspersharpe]

Interesting. Been meaning to put another gig in my Toshiba anyway. Is it easy enough to upgrade it then? Installing Win 7 on the PC was as easy as you said it would be but I've never tried changing an OS.

[BB]

Installing Win 7 on the PC was as easy as you said it would be but I've never tried changing an OS.

Not much different, insert disk/USB drive, boot and follow onscreen instructions.

[Jaspersharpe]

I was hoping you'd say that. Better to use the 32bit version?

[BB]

Yup. There are some rather good migration tools which are detailed on the bit of paper inside the windows 7 box. They migrate all your shortcuts, browser favourites, outlook pst files and more with very little hassle indeed.

[Jim]

I was hoping you'd say that. Better to use the 32bit version?

depends what processor is in your netbook (its probably a 32bit one)

[lagerstarfish]

technical geekish blah blah to do with computers

I can't believe what I'm reading

Who is logged on as Jasper?

[BB]

Who is logged on as Jasper?

It could be anyone. He's got so many doubles. Just look at the 'shit isn't that....' thread.

[Jaspersharpe]

Yup. There are some rather good migration tools which are detailed on the bit of paper inside the windows 7 box. They migrate all your shortcuts, browser favourites, outlook pst files and more with very little hassle indeed.

Ah now that's where I might have a problem...........

It's me Lagers. I don't know what I'm on about but it is me!

[BB]

Here you go:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=734917D8-0663-4C26-89D0-2D00B632EBDB&displaylang=en

[Jaspersharpe]

Brilliant, nice one.

Sorry for the thread hijack by the way Paul.

[Paul B]

CVNT.

I was led to believe you need a 16GB flash drive, thats 25 quid on memorybits. If I can do it for half of f*ck all instead then it makes sense. I'm taking it in your opinion it won't work?

[Jaspersharpe]

Just borrow my DVD drive you dick. I can leave it at The Works for you this PM if you like or if you fancy a pint I'll be in The Sheaf about 1800 - 1930?

[Paul B]

I'm Watford bound this evening otherwise I would.

[Jaspersharpe]

OK. Offer still stands if you've not sorted it over the weekend etc.

[Johnny Brown]

My Windows 7 ISO is a little over 3Gb. That's not a huge flash drive to buy.

[Paul B]

no thats fine thinking on it you'd not need to go >8gb anyway...

The fact still remains that there is NOT one sitting around the flat and there are two networked drives. Will it work still hasn't been answered (I was well aware before asking that it wasn't the way you'd chose to do it).

[Jim]

win7 = 3.5gig so 1 dvd or 4gig pen drive = £7
I have never installed from network, depends if your netbook bios will allow you to boot from network I suppose.
Tried google?

[Jaspersharpe]

Hey Paul, what does F.A.C.T. stand for in the second part of your sig?

I was thinking Fact and Accuracy Contradicting Twaddle, am I right?

Off to The Works. 

[Paul B]

win7 = 3.5gig so 1 dvd or 4gig pen drive = £7
I have never installed from network, depends if your netbook bios will allow you to boot from network I suppose.
Tried google?

Have done now, it doesn't look straightforward. I think I'll meet Jasper for a pint instead sometime next week if I can twist his arm?

Jasper - F.A.C.T.: Full, Absolute (&) Complete Truth or to you CVNT

[nik at work]

Do you have something you could use as a usb drive? Phone, mp3 player etc

[Paul B]

nothing I can mount the ISO to as everything is full.

[iain]

Just cause it hasn't been answered directly, yes you can do a clean install from a network drive. However, it requires either booting from usb with a minimal setup allowing network connectivity, (Bart's boot disks), or setting up your existing pc to allow it to respond to your netbook when it tries to network boot, both of which if you've never done it before can be a lot of effort for a single machine.

Jasper's usb dvd drive is a much better, and simpler, idea

[Jim]

Have done now, it doesn't look straightforward.

I'll refer you back to my first comment then

[iain]

Oh yeah, you did 

[Paul B]

Just cause it hasn't been answered directly, yes you can do a clean install from a network drive. However, it requires either booting from usb with a minimal setup allowing network connectivity, (Bart's boot disks), or setting up your existing pc to allow it to respond to your netbook when it tries to network boot, both of which if you've never done it before can be a lot of effort for a single machine.

Jasper's usb dvd drive is a much better, and simpler, idea

you can also use WDS it seems. I have an abundance of 2gb drives which is mildly frustrating. Next week -> Jasper -> Sheaf ( ) sound best

[Johnny Brown]

That's one hell of a payment for the lend of a drive.

[Paul B]

don't you wish you'd offered? maybe I can borrow your nikon ( ) ?

[iain]

WDS (or RIS) is what I meant by configuring the pc.

If you've got time and the inclination:
http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm and
http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/

Might be telling you how to suck eggs, but doable with what you have although perhaps pointless now anyway.

[Jaspersharpe]

Upgraded the netbook this pm using the usb dvd drive. Piece of piss. Win7 running very smoothly and I've not increased the memory yet.