Re-Install Windows 7 with Locked boot order

Ok, so I had to test that theory. Stemming from my HP BIOS password reset project, I had a guy who's laptop wasn't supported, had a locked boot order (HDD Only) and was BIOS password protected (That he didnt have). His Win7 install was trashed, and wanted to re-install. But how? I suggested a method, and have tested it (twice, once and then following what I wrote here so I could take images), and documented the easy process, and it works, so I thought I'd share.

Here is what you'll need.

New/Used SATA HDD for installation
USB to 2.5" SATA Adapter
Windows Install Media (DVD)



Plug in SATA drive using USB adapter, you should see new hardware notification.

Partition the drive making one partition about 8GB, and then format the second partition.


Open a CMD prompt with administrative privileges.

Type Diskpart in the CMD to launch the partition utility

Code:

diskpart

Then type

Code:

list disk

Then select your new disk using select disk (mine is disk 2)

Code:

select disk 2

Now list the partitions

Code:

list partition

Select our install partition

Code:

select partition 1

make it active

Code:

active

Probably don't need this step, but this is how I did it, so I'm still including it
Format the partition

Code:

format fs=NTFS quick

Assign it a drive letter

Code:

assign

Here is my Output

Find program BOOTSECT.EXE , usually in installation media

Code:

E:\USB\Boot>bootsect.exe /nt60 J:

(J is the Drive letter for Install Partition we just made)

Here is my Output

Now copy over your install DVD contents to the install partition

Remove new SATA Drive, and install into laptop, Power on, and it should boot automatically to the installer partition, and let you re-install windows. Select our second Partition, and then just follow the prompts.


Hope this helps someone

 

Thank T! Yea, there are other possible options, but in this 'scenario', this was about the only option. Password Protected BIOS with no access. Locked Boot Order to Primary HDD. No second like model laptop. If you only have one like model, making an image would be difficult if not impossible. Another option I was looking at though, but haven't tried is if you don't have that second SATA HDD. Re-size (shrink) existing partition to free up enough space to create your 'Install Partition'. Copy the install files to that new partition, mark it as active etc and then reboot.

I have no ideas what problems this could create, I'm sure the potential to trash the existing install is there. I have only resized a Win7 partition one time from within Windows7 and it worked well enough. But then again, if you need to re-install anyways why not take the risk (assuming your data is backed up). The theory is sound to me. Maybe I'll test this later. Would be quite useful information for people with locked boot order and password protected laptops, that cant re-install.

 

Not even close to a buzzkill. Cant buzkill sharing information. The OP is still a solid solution. Plop is great, but does have limitations. I would need to test it with these newer laptops before I called it a solution. With the unit I was working on, it has a SATA based CD/DVD and from Plop documentation:

So that option is out. Maybe USB Boot would then work, but reading forums, seems maybe a bit of issue with USB booting from Plop. Don't know haven't tested it. Thanks for the info, I'll dig into it.

 

Only thing i can think right off the top of my head is:
Open a CMD prompt with administrative privileges.