Boot From USB on a brand new Windows 8 Asus X75A Laptop

[DejaVu]

Done the usual tricks of entering the Boot Menu, but the USB/DVD Drive is not listed.
Entered BIOS to search for a way to enable it... Came up empty.

The only thing I can find that looks remotely close is the option to 'Add a boot option'.

This doesn't detect any other devices automatically, it asks for one to be manually entered!!??!
20130317_163245.jpg

How the hell do I dual boot this system with Windows 8 pre-installed and put Windows 7 on D:. Which already exists as an empty drive?

Stupid bloody machine!

[evilsatan]

Have you thought about just adding windows 7 as a VM mate? Very odd about the boot options but a VM is much more convenient as it doesn't require a reboot to select OS etc.

[DejaVu]

If it was for me, I would. But the woman it belongs to wants Windows 7 only. Seeing as Windows 8 is on as standard, I thought best to keep it on and let her choose each time it loads up using the OS as per -

Step18.jpg

--edit
13 BIOS updates since the release of this system last year... that's not a good sign! Will update to the latest and see if anything has been improved.

-edit2
Aptio piece of shit BIOS!
"Launch CSM" needs to be Enabled. What a shit new fan-dangled load of bullshit this is.
UEFI Crap installed into it all... Laptop Manufacturers/BIOS Creators - take note, if it ain't broke, DONT fix it.

[DejaVu]

Right, further to this issue.

It seems that being an OEM Preinstalled system the Windows 8 License Key for it is now Embedded in this UEFI Firmware business (which I've extracted using RWEverything), so I can activate with UEFI and GPT Partitions switched OFF in the BIOS. Thus making it possible to Dual Boot.

Now, I want to reinstall Windows 8 using the Key I found, but I'm going to need to know exactly which version of Windows 8 is installed in this system (mainly to get rid of all the Recovery partitions and Asus shitware installed as standard).

I'm going for Windows 7 first, partition the 500GB drive down the middle, then I'll partition and install Windows 8 using the exact version... any advice?

--edit
Something like this perhaps?
- 9200.16384.WIN8_RTM.120725-1247_X64FRE_ENTERPRISE_EVAL_EN-US-HRM_CENA_X64FREE_EN-US_DV5.ISO
(Nope - 90 day evaluation only with Watermark - not sure if the key will get found or being accepted).

Even the Recovery Media for restoring this laptop is not available.
It cannot be backed up incase of a Hard Drive Failure to DVD's. Got the option of using a 16GB USB Drive, but I do not have one I would rely on at the moment.

[Over Carl]

Easiest way would be to loan a usb dvd drive and usb hard drive.

1. Use Acronis or Ghost boot/rescue cd to image the original setup to the usb hd. This step is optional but you will thank me you've done this if step 2/3/4 cocks up big time.
2 Use Acronis Disk Director (or disk management in windows if it lets you) to shrink the existing partition.
3. Boot from win7 dvd and install.
4. May have to use bcdedit to get the boot order/priority sorted.
5. Image the whole damn lot and delete the previous image. This step is optional but next time it goes wrong you will be able to restore quick time.

[DejaVu]

Step 3 breaks due to a GPT Partition Style error on setup.
Windows 7 cannot successfully be installed to a GPT Partition/UEFI Firmware enabled system reliably. Thats the reason I was trying to get it on first, Windows 8 second (using the OEM Key I extracted).

[Over Carl]

Sorry forgot to add at end of step two to create NTFS partition to install win 7 to, although you should be able to install to GPT partitions as well. Have you tried putting the SATA driver on a usb stick and manually loading it during windows setup?

[DejaVu]

Nope. Resized, deleted and formatted to NTFS and Windows 7 install still says "Setup cannot install to the selected partition".

It's to do with the MBR not existing on the Boot disk (being GPT I should think).
Need to wipe the disk as far as I can tell, install Windows 7 first followed by Windows 8 (that will hopefully complete on an MBR partition) with the OEM CD Key.

[Over Carl]

Then why not image the current setup, wipe it and setup 7 using half the drive, then restore win 8 after 7's been installed then finally bcdedit it to choose between the two,

[DejaVu]

Bit the bullet and wiped out the Recovery partitions. Managed to get hold of Windows 8 Core from a Pal's MSDN account and installed Windows 7, then Windows 8.
Everythings working spot on with the sexy new Windows 8 Metro Tiles Boot Loader now. Only small issue is Windows 8 loads, then asks if you wanted to go to Windows 7... If you did, it reboots and loads it. If not, it instantly switches to Windows 8. I'll probably make the default OS Windows 7 now.

No biggy though as the Boot of Windows 8 only takes a few seconds.

Just for the record, with UEFI Firmware thingy turned off, Windows 8 Setup still detects the BIOS entry for activation and completes without CD Key Entry.

Cheers for your help as always lads!

[Mod23]

Bit the bullet and wiped out the Recovery partitions. Managed to get hold of Windows 8 Core from a Pal's MSDN account and installed Windows 7, then Windows 8.
Everythings working spot on with the sexy new Windows 8 Metro Tiles Boot Loader now. Only small issue is Windows 8 loads, then asks if you wanted to go to Windows 7... If you did, it reboots and loads it. If not, it instantly switches to Windows 8. I'll probably make the default OS Windows 7 now.

No biggy though as the Boot of Windows 8 only takes a few seconds.

Just for the record, with UEFI Firmware thingy turned off, Windows 8 Setup still detects the BIOS entry for activation and completes without CD Key Entry.

Cheers for your help as always lads!

Glad you got it sorted, I got the same issue with a acer x3 mini desktop pc , owner wanted ssd fitting , restore was on the 1tb that had to come out . Currently running 7 on it till I can find a download / iso of windows 8 core (this has the win8 code in bios also ) (totally agree its pants , what if motherboard goes wrong ?) Guess he wants genuine 8 as it came with machine , do you think I could get a copy from you somehow , newsgroups are hit n miss n no idea what one to grab . The system has i5 so assuming its core 64bit if that ,taters.

[Mod23]

Glad you got it sorted, I got the same issue with a acer x3 mini desktop pc , owner wanted ssd fitting , restore was on the 1tb that had to come out . Currently running 7 on it till I can find a download / iso of windows 8 core (this has the win8 code in bios also ) (totally agree its pants , what if motherboard goes wrong ?) Guess he wants genuine 8 as it came with machine , do you think I could get a copy from you somehow , newsgroups are hit n miss n no idea what one to grab . The system has i5 so assuming its core 64bit if that ,taters.

Sorted now no worrys . Found it