Installing W7 on a USB

[Deleted]

So I have a 16 gig USB 2.0 flashdrive and I was wondering if it's possible to use it to install Windows 7 so I don't have to buy a optical drive.

[Deleted]

Microsoft has supplied their own tool for handling this:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/...usbdvd_dwnTool

[Deleted]

Wouldn't it just be possible to drag and drop to the USB?

[Sephiracle]

Wouldn't it just be possible to drag and drop to the USB?

I don't believe the bootmgr file that is on the iso is the same as the one that would be created using the application, but you could always give it a shot.

[hom]

I'm not really sure, but this tool seems to be a USB drive to install Windows on a hard drive, and the OT kinda wanted to install Win7 on the USB, much like you can run portable apps on USB drives...

[vesseblah]

So I have a 16 gig USB 2.0 flashdrive and I was wondering if it's possible to use it to install Windows 7 so I don't have to buy a optical drive.

Here are semi-official instructions on how to make bootable Win7 install USB stick -> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/m.../dd535816.aspx

[xyrr]

There's a great tool available called Universal USB Installer. You can find it here: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/univers...easy-as-1-2-3/
It can be used to install all sorts of Linux but on the bottom of the very long list you'll also find Windows 7.

Another way is to do it manually, but be careful: (if you select the wrong disk, it's going to format your data drive instead )

- Start by starting up the command window by pressing Windows+R, typing "cmd" without quotes and then pressing enter. Then follow the steps below:

1. diskpart
list disk
2. select disk nr
3. clean
4. create partition primary
5. select partition 1
6. active
7. format fs=fat32 (or NTFS if you prefer .. didn't make a difference for me)
8. assign
9. exit

- Last but not least, you can now copy all the Windows 7 installation files onto the pendrive, restart your pc and boot from the USB stick like you would from an optical drive.

[ispano]

You can't just drag and drop, because the Flash drive is likely not bootable. However that's a relatively simple process, and people have explained this already.

[Deleted]

If there's someone that hasn't got it right, I want to install Win7 on the PC's harddrive not on the USB and have it in there everytime I use the computer, just for clarification.

[Deleted]

If there's someone that hasn't got it right, I want to install Win7 on the PC's harddrive not on the USB and have it in there everytime I use the computer, just for clarification.

Vesseblah/Xyrr's solution will handle that if you prefer to do it manually.

The program I linked will do it automatically if you prefer to do it that way.

Both do the same thing; create the installer on a USB stick, so it'll behave like a DVD installer.

Just take your preferred approach and go with it.

May I also suggest adding in driver installers and if necessary, service pack installers after the USB is created? I always install/load the Intel RST drivers during the installation, saves me eventual compatibility hassles and not having to do so later.

[Deleted]

You can't just drag and drop, because the Flash drive is likely not bootable. However that's a relatively simple process, and people have explained this already.

This (Drive not being flagged as bootable), but also:

The Windows MBR is larger than X MB (I don't know anymore how big they were allowed to be), so in order to be able to load it up, the tool creates a smaller MBR to boot into the other one. This can be done in CMD aswell if you like, that way you just need to extract the ISO on the USB and write the new MBR on top.