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Category Archives: Computer Fixes
Installing Windows 7 from a USB device.
I found a great blog post instructing users how to create a bootable USB device for installing Windows 7. This method uses only built-in tools that anyone running Windows and has a Windows 7 installation cd has access to. The original post can be found at: http://kmwoley.com/blog/?p=345.
Required:
- USB Flash Drive (4GB+)
- Microsoft OS Disk (Vista / Windows 7)
- A computer running Vista / Windows 7
Step 1: Format the Drive
The steps here are to use the command line to format the disk properly using the diskpart utility. [Be warned: this will erase everything on your drive. Be careful.]
- Plug in your USB Flash Drive
- Open a command prompt as administrator (Right click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”
- Find the drive number of your USB Drive by typing the following into the Command Prompt window:
diskpart
list disk
The number of your USB drive will listed. You’ll need this for the next step. I’ll assume that the USB flash drive is disk 1. - Format the drive by typing the next instructions into the same window. Replace the number “1” with the number of your disk below.
select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS
assign
exit
When that is done you’ll have a formatted USB flash drive ready to be made bootable.
Step 2: Make the Drive Bootable
Next we’ll use the bootsect utility that comes on the Vista or Windows 7 disk to make the flash drive bootable. In the same command window that you were using in Step 1:
- Insert your Windows Vista / 7 DVD into your drive.
- Change directory to the DVD’s boot directory where bootsect lives:
d:
cd d:\boot - Use bootsect to set the USB as a bootable NTFS drive prepared for a Vista/7 image. I’m assuming that your USB flash drive has been labeled disk G:\ by the computer:
bootsect /nt60 g: - You can now close the command prompt window, we’re done here.
Step 3: Copy the installation DVD to the USB drive
The easiest way is to use Windows explorer to copy all of the files on your DVD on to the formatted flash drive. After you’ve copied all of the files the disk you are ready to go.
Step 4: Set your BIOS to boot from USB
This is where you’re on your own since every computer is different. Most BIOS’s allow you to hit a key at boot and select a boot option.
Posted in Computer Fixes
Tagged Bootable USB, bootsect, diskpart, Install from Flash Drive, Windows 7
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A+ Study Material
I am offering my CompTIA A+ cram guide for others to have. While studying I found that certain hardware and operating system concepts were my weak areas. Therefore, I made a study guide to help me in my weak areas. Below is the guide that I came up with. If you are serious about passing the A+ you have to use multiple sources of study material. This is my little contribution to help you. Good luck on exam day.
Warning: I am in no way an instructer. Furthermore, If you do not put a lot of effort into your studies you will not pass and it will be noones fault but your own. I am in no why responsible for anyone but me and my family .
Posted in Computer Fixes, Rick
Tagged A+, A+ Practice Test, CompTIA A+, Study Materials
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Deleting Active Desktop Components
WARNING: Editing the Windows registry can render your computer useless. By using the below advise there is an understanding that you know what you are doing. Therefore, I cannot be held liable for your mistakes. Proceed at your own risk!
There may be a situation when you need to delete an active desktop component via the registry. In this example we will be walking through deleting an active desktop component for the Default Users profile in Windows XP. This profile is what is used to build profiles for new users when they log-on.
First we need to open regedit.exe and load the Default User hive.
- Click Start -> Run
- Type regedit
- Highlight HKEY_USERS
- Click File -> Load Hive
- Browse to C:\Documents and Settings\Default User . If you are unable to see “Default User” then you need to enable the showing of hidden files and folders. To do that open “My Computer” -> Click Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Click the radio button next to “Show Hidden Files and Folders”.
- Double click the ntuser file at the bottom. This is the registry hive for setting specific to the default user profile. Consequently, these will be the registry setting for new users who login.
- Once you have loaded the hive, you will be prompted for a Key Name. This can be whatever you want it to be. I like to choose “Default User Profile” for the sake of simplicity.
- Now click on the plus(+) sign next to HKEY_USERS and the plus sign next to the name you typed in the box in step 6.
- The key you need to delete to eliminate the Active Desktop component from displaying will be under:
- HKEY_USERS\name entered in step6\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\Components
- Once there you will see numbered folders on the left. These corespond with the lists of Desktop Components in the setting screen. Delete the numbered folder on the left and you will be deleting the Active Desktop Component.
- Reboot and login as a new user and the component will not display.
Obviously this is a good fix in a networked environment. This will eliminate you from having to make changes and coping the current profile to the Default User profile (we all know we shouldn’t be doing that).
Posted in Computer Fixes, Rick
Tagged Active Desktop, default user profile, deleting active desktop component, registry
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