Installing Win7 using a USB Stick

Posted By: Dennis Chung | Jan 16th @ 2:33 AM | 465,987 Views | 76 Comments

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Everyone's excited about Windows 7, so am i. However, i do notice a new generation of computing equipment, commonly known as Netbooks.

They are much lower in specs. Normally featuring an Intel Atom with 1 or 2GB of ram. Now Win7 is much more capable of running on Netbooks.

This video shows you how you can install Win7 on netbooks, which do not normally come with a DVD Drive. The video shows you how to prepare a USB drive with the installation bits and install off it.

Tags: Top 10, Windows 7

Rating:

rutledge

Originally posted (page 5):

Hi Dennis, thank you for the great intro! I installed Win7 on my Wind and it's running like a champ!!

The only thing is, now my thumb-drive is listed as a "Local Disk" when it is really "Removable Storage." Is there a way to use Diskpart to set it back as Removable Storage? Can you tell me how?

Thanks again!
Rutledge

Do you have any update on this? It seems to have fallen through the cracks. I would really like my thumb-drive to be removable storage again, I wasn't aware that I would have this kind of permanent change. Thanks for all your work,

Rutledge

PDF417

In reply to DChung

#Jan 13th @ 10:40 PM

If you're trying to do this on a machine that is already running Windows 7 it won't work either. DiskPart launches but stops working and never displays the prompt to go to the second step.

Bootsect doesn't work either on Windows 7 machine so you need a Vista or XP Machine for any of these to work.

maurog
maurog

In reply to DChung

#Jan 13th @ 10:40 PM

Ciao Dennis!

I've given a look to the discussion and it seems there aren't the answer I'm looking for...

I've a machine like MSI Wind (rebranded) and I would like to test Win7 on it without canceling WinXp installed.

How I can run it on a secure digital as I do with Ubuntu??? No problem to connect an external DVD reader to install from it...

Please Dennis find out a solution for a your ex-ex-collegue (I worked in MS Italy 8 Yr fm 87 to 95 Smiley

)

Thanks a lot in advance for your great help!

maurog
toctoctoc53@hotmail.com

Barkas

How much space take this Windows on the harddisk?

gregrocker

Well using this method gets my Kingston Data Traveler 8gb stick recognized by boot menu, but when I select it at f10, it gives a black screen with message: Verifying DMI Pool Data Invalid Partition Table. What is the workaround for this?

Also, can I place my Win7 files into a folder on the thumb drive, and place other files into other folders, as well?

Thanks. I wasn't even getting to the boot menu recognition with other tutorials having me run the bootsect command.

gregrocker

Why could this not work similarly for other bootable programs like GWScan HD repair disk, Memtest86, perhaps XP, etc? If this will boot on its own just by taking the files from their folder and placing them on the root, why won't others? And how do I make such a thing work for other bootables on the same flash? Just askin.

MrVegas

In reply to DChung

#Jan 13th @ 10:40 PM

The USB setup like a charm. I was able to boot on my Dell with it. The thing is, it's running XP and I thought I read there is no upgrade path from there am I right?

Theano

My Dell Mini 9 with 512 mb RAM and 8 mb SSD is running Win 7 beautifully, with Aero. It is much faster and better in every way than the XP it came with.

I had the same issue with some of my USB thumb drives not responding to the prep commands, two of them were brand new 4 gb drives, but that was the hardest part.

By the way I used vlite (freeware) to get my Win7 installation down to 1.3 gb. I took out a little bit of functionality that I miss (such as Homegroups) but mostly a lot of extras, like all the languages that are completely unnecessary.

Still the space is a little cramped, so I have gotten a new 16gb SSD and 2 gb RAM just because it was so cheap. I'm waiting for RC to repeat the whole process. I may still vlite the installation even though it shouldn't be necessary anymore, because I really don't want some of those extras like the language packs.

Great that MS is making this information available on TechNet. Win7 rocks so hard, I can never go back to any other OS.

Theano

Zaphire

There is an easier way to create a bootable USB Key to install Windows 7 or Vista.

Simply use UltraISO.
You load the install DVD or an iso of the install DVD you may have downloaded into UltraISO.
Then simply use the 'Bootable' menu option to 'Write Disk image...' and having set which drive your USB Key is, press 'Write'.
You can also check the box to 'Verify' your write.

You are effectively doing what you do when you burn an ISO to a DVD but in this case it's a one step operation to 'burn' a bootable USB key without having to format it and use Diskpart etc. You can overwrite a used key or do this on any new key.

My next challenge is to find a way to say put two operating systems (or more) onto one key.
Then on booting from the key with a menu to be able to select which operating system to install.
This would be great to say have the x32 and x64 bit versions of the one operating system, to be able to install either from the one key!