Installing Windows 7 through a USB Flash drive?

[crazlunatic]

Has anyone done this yet or knows how to do this?

[SHADOW-XIII]

you mean from USB or to USB drive ?

I checked and you cannot install to normal hard drive connected to PC through USB, must be internal SATA/IDE

[crazlunatic]

sorry I meant installing windows 7 through a usb drive. i'm sure it's possible since it could be done with Vista

[Gersson]

I understand your question to mean, 'How do I install Windows 7 from a USB stick?'

Try this guide (works for me): http://kurtsh.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!...!1665.entry

Also, if you have enough space on your HDD, create a new partition ~30GB and run the installer within windows. Pick custom install then point the installer to the new partition. You won't even need to use a USB.

[CPressland]

Hey guys, what's up?

I plan to install Windows 7 build 7000 on my uncles eeeBOX, I've already checked around for the drivers and such, that's all good, but I need a way of installing it from a USB Flash Drive seeing as like all "eee" stuff, it lacks a optical drive.

Anyone got any ideas?

[George P Global Moderator]

I dunno if you can? I know you can do it from a hdd though? I guess if you can get it to maybe boot from USB it'll work?

[Share.Corp]

hi, if you can use dual OS then it's easy to install Win7 without optical drive, you can use Alcohol to creative virtual drive (DVD drive) and mount the iso download from Microsoft and start install it in Windows. Or just upgrade the old windows.

[Timan Veteran]

http://kurtsh.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!...!1665.entry

That should help you out, works with Windows7 perfectly. Thats how I set it up on my netbook. Also works on usb hard drives aswell as thumb sticks.

[CPressland]

  Timan said:

http://kurtsh.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!...!1665.entry

That should help you out, works with Windows7 perfectly. Thats how I set it up on my netbook. Also works on usb hard drives aswell as thumb sticks.

Proper good job mate, will try this tomorrow :)

[The Kid]

There's a tutorial about installing Windows 7 using a bootable USB flash drive here:

http://www.electronicpulp.net/2009/01/14/h...sb-flash-drive/

Hope that helps, and good luck!

[The Kid]

You can also try this guide here: http://www.electronicpulp.net/2009/01/14/h...sb-flash-drive/ worked like a charm for me on my two notebooks!

[crazzyyfool]

I've installed W7 from USB flash drive on my MBP so it can be done.

[Darrian]

If you already have some version of Windows installed it's very simple to do. Just copy the contents of the ISO to the flash drive, plug it in, and run setup. When setup loads tell it to do a custom (clean) install. It'll move your old install to a Windows.old folder, which you can then delete if you desire.

[bagpus]

i just copied over the contents of the DVD to the USB and booted the usb, installed fine.

[Det. Sonny-Crockett]

Dennis Chung has posted to TechNet a neat video how to install Windows 7 really quickly from an USB stick. Definitely worth checking out - goodbye dvdr media! Watch it

HERE

Open Command Prompt with USB Thumb drive in USB Slot

Type the following into command promp pressing enter after each

The steps for preparing the USB Disk.

1. Diskpart

2. List Disk

3. Select Disk 1 (Replace 1 with number reflecting your USB Drive)

4. clean

5. create partition primary

6. active

7. format fs=fat32 quick

8. assign

Now, a drive letter reflecting the drive should appear. Copy the setup files from the windows DVD to the USB Stick.

If you get errors along the way, simply remove the drive and repeat the process.

Set your BIOS to boot from USB, insert the thumb drive into the laptop and boot from USB, install windows from USB

[Ironman273]

That's actually how to install any Windows from a USB stick. I've used that method for a while now, including Windows 7.

[Dane]

You can do this in Vista too the only problem, you have to make this while using vista.

Do you have to do this in Win 7 in order to make it work?

[Pikey]

No .. it's fine from within Vista .. and maybe XP too (never tried that!)

I've been doing this for a while too ..

[Dane]

  Pikey said:

No .. it's fine from within Vista .. and maybe XP too (never tried that!)

I've been doing this for a while too ..

Doesn't work from inside XP that was the problem when I tried doing for Vista, I had to actually be using vista lol

[bagpus]

I just formatted my usb pen and copied the dvd files over, installed fine.

[George P Global Moderator]

What's the speed gain over using the DVD to install? I haven't seen anyone get under 20mins with the DVD. Does the USB stick cut that down much?

[Pikey]

  Dane said:

Doesn't work from inside XP that was the problem when I tried doing for Vista, I had to actually be using vista lol

Ah .. I always re-start the PC and boot from the USB stick .. it works that way!

I didn't realise you meant from inside windows!

I always do a fresh install rather than an upgrade .. habit I suppose.

[(Spork)]

tried this 4 times could not get it to boot from usb

[MikeChipshop Member]

It didn't work on my desktop, purely because the motherboard doesn't support boot from USB device. Worked on my laptop though

[Dane]

  Pikey said:

Ah .. I always re-start the PC and boot from the USB stick .. it works that way!

I didn't realise you meant from inside windows!

I always do a fresh install rather than an upgrade .. habit I suppose.

Yeah if you try to make the Flash Drive Bootable while using XP it won't make it, I forget the reason why. There is a Microsoft Blog that explains how it can be done, but it's just like what is posted above.

I might do this soon, go from XP to Windows 7 beta, try it out, make the Flash Drive Bootable for Vista and install vista when I am done with the Beta.