How To: Install Windows 7 From A Hi-Speed USB Flash Drive
If you don’t have DVD-ROM drive and you are running Windows XP or Vista on your desktop or laptop computer, this does not mean you cannot install Microsoft’s new generation operating system, Windows 7.Since Windows 7 ISO size is around 2.24 GB so its obvious that you will need to burn windows 7 ISO on DVD and another issue is you can’t start Windows 7 installation by mounting ISO file on XP as Windows XP upgrade to windows 7 is not allowed. In such situations installing windows 7 from USB flash drive is feasible solution.Also installing Windows 7 from USB flash drive is pretty faster compared with DVD/ CD installation due to very high data transfer date .This is especially handy if you’re trying to install Windows 7 on a device without a DVD drive or if you don’t have any blank DVD to burn the ISO on.
For this tweak you need a Hi-speed USB 2.0 flash drive with 4GB or more capacity and a ISO file for Windows 7 installation .
Follow these instructions to Install Windows 7 From USB flash Drive:
- Format your Hi-speed USB 2.0 flash drive in NTSF format from Windows or go to Windows Vista or XP Start Menu->run->cmd (Open Command Prompt) and Type following command convert h: /fs:ntfs (Where “H” is your USB drive letter) .
- You have to create a Virtual drive in your hard disk . For this you can use program like slysoft virtual cone DVD .Virtual Drive works and behaves just like a physical CD/DVD drive, however it exists only virtually .That is , mount your Windows 7 ISO image to the virtually created drive .
- From start menu, right click on command prompt and select to run as administrator(In the case of Windows Vista).
- The above step opens Windows 7 command prompt . You have to enter a series of commands exactly as shown below .
- Type ” diskpart ” ( without quotes)as hit enter (This will open Windows disk partition utility )
- Type “list volume” to display the available drives .
- Select your USB flash drive from the list – Type and enter “select volume 5″ ( 5 stands for your USB drive name)
- Enter “active “ and then “exit “
- Now enter the name of your virtual drive” H:” ( assuming it as H)
- Again enter “cdboot “
- Here comes that last command – Enter “ bootsect/nt60 5: ” ( Your USB flash drive name is assumed as 5)
- Copy all content from your Virtual drive H to Hi-speed USB flash drive . Now you have created a bootable Windows 7 USB drive .
- Now reboot your Windows Vista or XP computer and press F9 or Del key to get your BIOS screen and select USB drive as your primary boot drive.
- If every thing goes fine, Your Windows 7 Installation should start from your Hi-speed USB flash drive.
If it doesn’t boot, check the following:
- The USB Flash Drive is formatted properly.
- The USB Drive has all the contents of the Windows 7 Beta ISO (including hidden files)
- The USB Drive partition is set to “active”
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Written by Tony on January 20th, 2009 with
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