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    Bootdisk Partition?

    Discussion in 'Panasonic' started by jtstealthuser, May 15, 2010.

  1. jtstealthuser

    jtstealthuser Notebook Guru

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    Hey guys
    I was wondering if there was anyway i could create a partition on my harddrive o my toughbook, and boot from it to load windows vista/windows 7/windows xp?

    Any ideas?

    Thanks

    Danny
     
    jtstealthuser, May 15, 2010
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  2. mnementh

    mnementh Crusty Ol' TinkerDwagon

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    Danny -

    While IN THEORY it is possible... there are a number of real issues that make it pretty much just ASKING for misery on your part.

    First off - your 20GB HDD is BARELY big enough to use Windows XP; Windows Vista and Win7 will want at least 20GB EACH for System Volume Information and Swapfile, and that's before you start installing application software. Even then, it would probably be complaining that you are "running low on disk space" right out of the box.

    Next comes the machine itself; while you CAN run a trimmed-down version of Win7 on a Mk3's 1GHZ processor if you max out the RAM to 768MB, it will BE AGONIZINGLY SLOW and you'll have to disable the Aero Interface and run in CLASSIC mode, as the video chipset will not support it. In that configuration it becomes pretty much just a bloated, slow version of Windoze XP... so again, why volunteer for the agony?

    Don't even IMAGINE running either on a Mk1 or Mk2, or running Bloat-Ro-Soft Vista; you'll be on a rooftop with a rifle before it finishes its first boot, if it even completes the install.

    mnem
    Feeling the old Win2K ghosts blowing around...
     
    mnementh, May 15, 2010
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  3. jtstealthuser

    jtstealthuser Notebook Guru

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    Wow Mnementh, kinda snapped me back into reality there. Sad thing is, it is a mk1!!

    If you don't mind though, could you go ahead and explain what you would have to do in order to boot off of another partition. My Mom has been wanting Window's 7 on it every since IT at her work upgraded to Window's 7. Would I not have to use the same theory to install to an Aspire one? Considering it has no DVD-RW? Wait, I just answered my own question, usb boot. Well thanks anyways

    Danny
     
    jtstealthuser, May 15, 2010
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  4. mnementh

    mnementh Crusty Ol' TinkerDwagon

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    Danny -

    Here's the M$ page on Win7 system requirements... you need to be especially careful about the Video chipset, as some chipsets claim to support DirectX9 but WILL NOT run Vista/Win7 Aero interface. You need to find out what the video chipset in your Aspire is, then research on the net to see if it WILL support Win7 properly.

    Good luck,

    mnem
     
    mnementh, May 15, 2010
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