Create a bootable Windows USB drive.
- Plug-in your Flash Drive. First plug-in your USB stick to your USB port and copy all the content to a safe location in your hard drive .
2
Run Command Prompt as an administrator. To open a command prompt, go to the Start menu and search for CMD. Right-click on it and select Run as Administrator to use it with admin rights.
3
Using the Diskpart utility find the drive number of your flash drive. To do so, type in the following command in the command prompt: DISKPART
- Running DISKPART will display the version of DISKPART you are running and the name of your PC.
- Type “list disk” to see a display of all your connected disk drives. Make a note of the number assigned to your Flash drive.
4
Format the drive. Execute the following list of commands one-by-one. Make sure you replace Disk 1 with the proper Disk number from DISKPART.
select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS QUICK
assign
exit
5
Make the flash drive bootable. Use the bootsect utility that is shipped with Windows 7/Vista. To do so:
- Insert the Windows 7/Vista DVD and note down the drive letter of the DVD drive. For this guide, the DVD drive is D: and the USB drive is G:.
- Navigate to the directory where bootsect is found.
D:
cd d:\boot
- Use the bootsect to make the USB Drive bootable. This updated the drive with BOOTMGR compatible code and prepares it to boot Windows 7/Vista.
BOOTSECT.EXE/NT60 G:
- Close the Command Prompt windows.
6
Copy all files from the Windows 7/Vista DVD to the formatted USB stick. The safest and the fastest way would be to use the Windows Explorer. Open the disk, select everything, and drag it into your flash drive. This could take a few minutes to copy.
Prepare to Install
1
Change the boot order. To boot from the USB drive, you will have to set the BIOS to boot from USB first instead of the hard drive. To open the BIOS, reset your computer and hit the displayed key to enter Setup. The key varies by manufacturer, but is usually F2, F10, F12, or Del.
- Open the Boot menu in your BIOS. Change the 1st Boot Device to your USB drive. Be sure that it is inserted, or you may not be given an option to choose it. Depending on your manufacturer, it may say Removable Device or list your flash drive’s model.
2
Save changes and reboot. If you set the boot order correctly, your Windows 7 or Vista installation will load after the manufacturer’s logo disappears.
3
Install Windows. The installation process will load and the Windows setup will begin. Check out our guide on installing Windows 7 for an in-depth walkthrough.
EditSources and Citations
