How to install Windows 7 from a flash drive | Blogs | Techie.com.ph
5:36 PM | Friday | 30 July 2010

Remember my MSI Wind U210 ? It didn't come with an OS pre-installed, so I used Windows 7 RC (a beta version) until it expired a couple of weeks ago. That's when I installed a legit copy of Windows 7 Home Basic.

But since netbooks have no optical drives, I had to jump through a few hoops to copy my Windows 7 installer into a flash drive, then install the OS from there.

You'll need the following:

• an empty flash drive with at least 4GB of capacity
• a Windows 7 installation DVD, and
  
• a computer with an optical drive, running Windows 7 or Vista
  

Also, make sure you know how to enter your PC's BIOS (it usually involves pressing F1 or Del, but keep your eyes peeled for the first few seconds after powering up yoru netbook) and that you know how to change the "boot priority" setting in it. Check your manual for details.

Now for the step-by-step guide (Make sure your netbook is off, and that the second computer is on and has loaded Windows 7/Vista). It looks complicated, but follow everything and you'll be surprised at how easy it is:

1. Plug the flash drive into a USB port of the computer with an optical drive. Wait until the computer recognizes it.

2. Go to the Start Menu, then select All Programs > Accessories. Right-click on Command Prompt then click on Run as administrator.

3. Type DISKPART, then press Enter. (Note, from here onwards, press Enter after typing a command)

4. Type LIST DISK. A list of all drives on the computer will appear. Look at the sizes to determine which one is your flash drive. Here I'll assume it's "DISK 1".

5. Type SELECT DISK 1

6. Type CLEAN

7. Type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

8. Type SELECT PARTITION 1

9. Type ACTIVE

10. Type FORMAT FS=NTFS You might have to wait a while.

11. Type ASSIGN

12. Type EXIT

13. Next, place the Windows 7 DVD into your optical drive. Open My Computer and note what the drive letter for your optical drive and flash drive are respectively. Here, I'll assume they're "D" and "E" respectively.

14. Type D:

15. Type CD BOOT

16. Type BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 E:

17. Copy everything from the Windows 7 DVD to your flash drive. Safely remove the flash drive, then unplug it from the computer with the optical drive. Plug it into your netbook's USB drive.

18. Turn on your netbook and enter its BIOS. Set it to boot from your USB drive first. Your netbook will restart, and it will now load Windows 7 setup from your flash drive.

F.A.Q.s

I can also use the flash drive installer on computers with optical drives, right?
Yep! Don't forget to set the computer to boot first from its USB ports.

I don't have another PC with Windows 7/Vista or an optical drive. What can I do?
You can always ask a friend if you can use their computer. Remember, it should run on Windows 7 or Vista, and have an optical drive. The whole process above shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. If you've got a friend in IT, offer free lunch if they do this for you. Feel free to share this guide with them.

Can I use a USB external hard drive instead of a flash drive?
Sure, but take note: once you turn the drive into a Windows 7 installer, I don't recommend you use it for anything else.

I know a better way of putting Windows 7 into a flash drive...
Then by all means, share it in the comments section below!