Installing Windows 7 From USB Drive 3 Steps Easy Process

[Gigahertz20]

I'm going to list below 3 easy options for you to put the ISO image of your Windows 7 copy onto a USB stick, then install Windows 7 to your computer from your USB stick instead of burning a DVD and wasting a disc. Installing from a USB drive shaves a few minutes or so off the install time.


IMPORTANT NOTES:

-Make sure your motherboard is capable of booting off a USB stick or this will not work
-Backup any files on your USB stick because it will be formatted
-Make sure your USB stick is big enough to fit the Windows 7 ISO image
-If you are having trouble booting off your USB stick, make sure it is the first item listed in your boot order located in your BIOS settings

-Also, this is important so remember this, after you boot from your USB key and it copies the Windows 7 files over and installs them, it will restart your computer to finish the setup, right after it finishes this screen shown here http://tinyurl.com/yeptj7m it will reboot. Make sure you unplug your USB key from your computer on the first restart so it doesn't boot off your USB key again and start the installation process over.




1st Option - Microsoft's Official Tool (Try This First)

Download Microsoft's official tool to install Windows 7 from your USB stick, the tool was removed from Microsoft's website for a short time because evidently the tool violated the GNU’s General Public License (GPL) for using open source code, but Cnet has the file hosted. *UPDATE* Microsoft now has the tool listed on their website again. Links below:

http://download.cnet.com/Windows-7-U...?tag=mncol;pop

*UPDATE* The tool can now be downloaded again from the MS Store:

http://images2.store.microsoft.com/p...B-DVD-tool.exe




2nd Option - Use Unetbootin

Follow the guide in the link below to use Unetbootin to Install Windows 7 from your USB drive, Unetbootin doesn't install anything to your computer unlike UltraISO, so I would use unetbootin if the 1st option above does not work for you.

http://www.addictivetips.com/windows...-simple-steps/




3rd Option - Use UltraISO


1) Download the free UltraISO trial by clicking on this
2) Start UltraISO as administrator
3) "Burn" the iso image to the USB stick by following these steps

With UltraISO:
- Open the image of Vista/Win7 with UltraISO
- Under BOOTABLE tab choose WRITE DISK IMAGE
- Choose your USB stick under "Disk Drive"
- Choose a method (It's recommended to use USB-HDD+)
- Press Write
- Make sure to change your BOOT order in BIOS to boot from your USB drive first

[Gigahertz20]

Wouaa nice!

Waiting someone to confirm that it works and I'll add it to the Repository
Until then, I leave the Microsoft's tutorial.

I'm confirming now, it's burning the Windows 7 RTM ISO image to my 4GB USB stick, I googled this and there are several other people that suggested UltraISO and said it worked fine so I'm pretty sure it should work.

I'll let you know in 15 mins or so if it worked for me


Edit: It worked fine, I forgot to update this post but I updated my OP

[Opa]

Sounds good

[Lenmaer]

Or simply buy an "U3" compatible USB Key and extract the ISO on it.
Nothing else is needed.

[Zaphire]

It works fine.
I've been doing it since well before the beta version came out.

In 3. above, insert your USB key and go to the 'Bootable' pull down menu in UltraISO.
Then select 'Write Disk Image. . .'

Make sure the window says the drive letter your key is in and then press the button 'Write'.

Just like burning an ISO to a DVD but in this case the result will be a bootable USB key.

Installing this way will only work on a machine that will boot from a USB key.
You may need to change the boot order in your BIOS and then change it back after.

And in some cases you will need to remove the key at the first re-boot of the install process otherwise the install may start from the beginning again.

This would be a great way to install to a netbook that has no DVD drive.

[atifsh]

woh steps.. burning iso to USB......what is this stupid gallary........ u guys actually know meaning of burning ?

sorrry i had to say this, no offence but u dont need to do anything......

format usb copy / extract files from iso to usb thats it. boot from usb.

use anything u like ultra iso, winrar, ............ u just need to copy the da m files from dvd to usb

[sunnybear]

ya. that's the new feature from UltraISO 9.2 version or later

so make sure you have the latest version.

not only this, i also use it to boot my computer into pure DOS to flash the BIOS

[Opa]

Thanks all for the confirmation.

@Gigahertz20 Could you put this link to download UltraISO trial in the first post? http://www.ezbsystems.com/dl1.php?file=uiso9_pe.exe

thanks!

@atifsh I'm not sure that all USB Keys are bootable from the beginning... am I wrong?

[wuhoatu]

It more easy in my case. I use my cheap USB Kingston 4GB v30 only (not U3 type).
1. Format it with HP USB Flash disc format
2. Extract all content of WIN7/Vista ISO to the USB (more exactly, I already exacted it to a folder on my HDD and copy it to the USB)
3. Boot by the USB and install OS normally.

[atifsh]

Thanks all for the confirmation.

@Gigahertz20 Could you put this link to download UltraISO trial in the first post? http://www.ezbsystems.com/dl1.php?file=uiso9_pe.exe

thanks!

@atifsh I'm not sure that all USB Keys are bootable from the beginning... am I wrong?

yes they are i boot my 128 mb usb with dos. go figure how old is that?

u dont need ultra iso u dont need hp software to make usb bootable. hp software is required if u want to make ur usb "dos" bootable.

its like copy files from dvd to usb, u actually dont require to delete stuff already from it. i said format so u wont get into any trouble like infected usb or filesystem errors on usb.