Installation Alternative to DVD-R/RW?

[Skulltrail]

I've been frantically searching my room for a blank DVD-R and for days have found nothing. Because of this, I have not installed Windows 7 RC1. Is it possible to just mount it on a virtual drive (I use Alcohol 120%) and go from there? Or does it require a bootable device? If so, can I not just place it on a flash drive big enough to fit the entire ISO and then make it bootable?

[Rudy]

you can use a usb flash drive

[Skulltrail]

you can use a usb flash drive

Ok so check-plus for the USB Flash Drive. What about a virtual CD/DVD drive? Would it work? I don't want to upgrade and then restart to find out my Vista OS is ruined and Windows 7 still requires the CD at bootup.

Also, how do you mount it to a USB Flash drive? Is there some sort of application that automatically does that AND makes it bootable?

[Karl L.]

No, you cannot install Windows from a virtual CD/DVD drive. The installation will start correctly but be unable to access the media once the computer reboots. For a guide on how to install Windows 7 from a flash drive look here. (It was the first link on Google btw.)

[Skulltrail]

Problem is I don't have a 4GB flash drive. *sigh* :turned:

[MrKuro]

external hardrive also works

[slinky333]

I installed Windows 7 RC perfectly fine from Vista with Daemon Tools to another partition. All the required files are copied to the partition in the first stage before rebooting so you don't need a disc afterward.

[drlacus]

You CAN install 7 with a virtual drive. You start the setup inside windows and it will copy everything to your hard drive before restart. - oh sorry, I need to read before answer -

[zhangm Supervisor]

Problem is I don't have a 4GB flash drive. *sigh* :turned:

I installed Win 7 to a blank partition by mounting the image in Vista with Virtual Clonedrive, and running setup, which copies the ISO's guts to whatever target partition you specify and boots the machine from there. After the copying is complete, the ISO isn't needed anymore, since all the necessary data to complete setup is already on the hard drive.

[UncleSpellbinder]

external hardrive also works

+1

[skc132]

Just mount it and install. I've done this with every build so far and its always been flawless. Except it takes a little longer then a dvd since it has to copy all the files before it installs

[Sikh]

You know flash drives are cheap as cake. You can get a 8 gig for $20-30 so idk how you cant just go out and pick up one. plus it will benefit you in the end ebcause yourll be using it more then one(unlike a dvd-r).

[Skulltrail]

Yeah I'm looking to buy an 8GB flash drive from Amazon but am waiting upon my parents to give me consent to use their credit card. Thanks everyone. For now I'll try the partition trick.

[PGHammer]

No, you cannot install Windows from a virtual CD/DVD drive. The installation will start correctly but be unable to access the media once the computer reboots. For a guide on how to install Windows 7 from a flash drive look here. (It was the first link on Google btw.)

Untrue!

Windows 7 (or Vista, for that matter) will install from a virtual drive (mounted ISO), as, unlike XP, all the needed files copy to the target partition during the initial phase.

I've done Vista and 7 upgrade installs from virtual drives on several PCs.