FEATURED [GUIDE] How to install Windows 7 via USB FlashDrive

If your DVD-ROM is broken, you don't have one or you just want to have Windows 7 on your flash drive for the heck of it, than this guide is just for you!
Why should I make my flash drive bootable and copy Windows 7 on it, instead of just using it for what its meant to do?
Well there are many reasons, here are some examples - You can easily reinstall your OS even if your DVD-ROM ceases to work, you could still use the Windows you bought for 200$ even if you scratch the disc, because you have it copied on the flash drive. OR you could save yourself some time if you can't find your Windows CD, because its buried somewhere behind the pile of motherboards and CPUs.

Lets start with the process itself.
Requirements:
A Flash Drive with at least 4GB free memory on it.
A Windows 7 CD or a .iso image of it if you have one.
A PC that is able to run Windows 7

Windows XP/Windows 7 guide:
Download MBRwiz and Extract it on your hard drive (Diskpart utility for Windows XP doesn’t detect USB drive as Disk so we'll need to use this one to make the USB drive bootable).
1. Connect your USB Flash Drive to your computer and format it (MyComputer> right click on the flash drive volume > Format > Start).
2. Now go to Start Menu->run->cmd (Open Command Prompt) and Type the following command:
.
3. Insert your Windows 7 CD / Mount Windows 7 .iso file on a virtual drive with a free software like Daemon Tools or Virtual CloneDrive (if you're using Windows 7) .
4.Open Command Prompt again: Start->run->cmd and write
5. Now open another command line and type the following commands

Copy all of the files located on your Windows 7 CD to your flash drive, reboot, go in BIOS and set your USB FlashDrive as your primary boot device and you're ready to go.
If you stumbled on any problems let me know, I'll be happy to help you.

EDIT:
How to prepare the drive on Windows 7 / Windows Vista
"For Windows Vista/7 PC's, the commands are easy to prepare the drive.

"
- Thanks to Know Nuttin for providing this information.

Simply type this in Windows 7/Vista DOS:
Now copy all contents of Windows 7 ISO to the USB Flash drive, then reboot and hold F8 (on most systems) to get a boot selection menu from which you can choose to boot from the newly created USB Flash Drive.

Optionally, delete autorun.inf (because autorun.inf files are now routinely intercepted by antivirus software.)


EDIT: I just wanted to add that if formatting a USB Flash Drive to FAT32 - things may not work. When creating another boot USB Flash Drive I could only get it to work when it was formatted to NTFS.

- Thanks to c627627 for this useful adittion.

Thanks for taking your time in making this guide, I for one have been wanting to do this for a while. Enjoy your birthday.

infam0ussteven said:

Thanks for taking your time in making this guide, I for one have been wanting to do this for a while. Enjoy your birthday.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your wishes, I really appreciate it!
I'm glad that I was able to help you, hope things work out for you, if you have any problems or questions feel free to ask.

I'd recommend not setting the bios to boot to usb all the time. Most pc's that are win7 capable can have a one time boot menu option.

For Windows Vista/7 PC's, the commands are easy to prepare the drive.

• In a command prompt window, type in "diskpart"
• type in "list disk", then locate the USB drive disk number
• Type in "select disk #", subtituting # for the USB drive number
• type in "clean"
• type in "create partition primary"
• type in "select partition 1"
• type in "format fs=ntfs quick"
• type in "active"
• type in "assign"
• type in "exit" to quit diskpart
• Copy the contents of the Windows 7 DVD to the USB flash drive.

there is a nice step by step program you can use that is made by windows... I use to do it in a similar fashion but this is clear cut and easy


http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool?err=t2#at2

This is a handy guide to have - I bought the Win7 upgrade for my netbook (that ran Vista) and had to google a bit to get the upgrade on it. Idiots sent me a CD >.<

David said:

This is a handy guide to have - I bought the Win7 upgrade for my netbook (that ran Vista) and had to google a bit to get the upgrade on it. Idiots sent me a CD >.<

Click to expand...

Yeah, I feel you on this one.
I myself had problems when upgrading my mom's EEE PC...

I'm trying to get this done but I'm getting invalid paramter after trying to make the disk active....
And with know nuttin's method i'm running into problems afterwards assigning the bootmgr/bootsect because I'm on vista 32 and trying to get win 7 pro 64.....any suggestions?

ajrettke said:

I'm trying to get this done but I'm getting invalid paramter after trying to make the disk active....
And with know nuttin's method i'm running into problems afterwards assigning the bootmgr/bootsect because I'm on vista 32 and trying to get win 7 pro 64.....any suggestions?

Click to expand...

32 bit operating systems can't run 64 bit files so you're going to need 32 bit version of Windows 7, or a friend with PC running 64 bit OS.

imposter said:

there is a nice step by step program you can use that is made by windows... I use to do it in a similar fashion but this is clear cut and easy


http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool?err=t2#at2

Click to expand...

This is what I used a couple of months ago. Really slick little program

I was able to find a 32bit version of bootsect and that worked like a charm!

Now I'm stuck because windows 7 pro doesn't have any drivers?!?

ajrettke said:

I'm trying to get this done but I'm getting invalid paramter after trying to make the disk active....
And with know nuttin's method i'm running into problems afterwards assigning the bootmgr/bootsect because I'm on vista 32 and trying to get win 7 pro 64.....any suggestions?

Click to expand...

My method doesn't require you do anything other than the steps I listed. You don't need to do any bootsect or what not.

maybe sticky? or become part of windows7 hints thread and stickied?

Another method:
1-Rip disc to iso with imgburn.
2-Open iso with ultraiso and click bootable, write disk image (usb-hdd+).
3-Select your drive letter and write it.
I used a 16gb readyboost flash and a 3.72gb iso of win7aio (home-server). I also formattted the drive to fat32 and labeled it the same as the disc iso's label, 'CD_ROM', though the label may be optional not sure. Both imgburn and ultraiso are portable (once you enter ultra's key of course). It was extremely slow in loading the files but it seemed to work fine though I did not actually install.

Yes the microsoft application 'Windows 7 USB Creator' makes this process so much simpler, was happy when I found it.

Yeah, I think the Windows Creator is the best route. I was super happy when I found it.

It's just way more simple.........

Unless you don't like simple

Tg ms is good for something. Other than the os itself I don't think I ever use a single program they have (process xplorer does NOT count). I've tried ebcd which can allow you to mount iso's at boot which reside at c's root (but almost none work it seems), universal usb installer (and another similar one), and it really boils down to the os/iso ap itself. You can almost hear all the codes and hardware trying to shake hands.
I was looking for a good persistent linux iso and experimenting with usb installations and since I have but one box have reimaged back to win7. It's ALWAYS a printer issue plus a software unfamiliarity issue that brings me back. Oh to own several pc's.

habbajabba said:

Tg ms is good for something. Other than the os itself I don't think I ever use a single program they have (process xplorer does NOT count). I've tried ebcd which can allow you to mount iso's at boot which reside at c's root (but almost none work it seems), universal usb installer (and another similar one), and it really boils down to the os/iso ap itself. You can almost hear all the codes and hardware trying to shake hands.
I was looking for a good persistent linux iso and experimenting with usb installations and since I have but one box have reimaged back to win7. It's ALWAYS a printer issue plus a software unfamiliarity issue that brings me back. Oh to own several pc's.

Click to expand...

Linux is not made for everyday use, it could be made, but it takes time on configuring it.
Of course you can use it, but why install 5 extensions so you can install Skype, when you can use Windows and do everything the simple way.
Why make things hard if you could do them the easy way and save yourself some time.
So yeah I'm on the same track as you are, I ran Linux and still would of been if my old PC didn't die on me, because I was holding up a local (only for my town, other networks we're banned from it) video sharing website which required some extensions that just weren't supported by Windows.
Everyday use = Windows
Hosting, open-source coding (Linux, or at least most versions of it are open-source, which means that you create applications for it or tweak the CLI/GUI itself.), firewall, small business servers and application servers - Linux

Small bump for the tut.

Mario1, thanks for an excellent post. Maybe leave the MBRWizard instructions for Windows XP (definitely useful), but include this on top for Windows 7/Vista DOS prompt [since Windows XP DOS cannot be used for this]:


Simply type this in Windows 7/Vista DOS:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk #
(of USB Flash drive)
• clean
• create partition primary
• select partition 1
• active
• format fs=ntfs quick
• assign
• exit
• exit

Now copy all contents of Windows 7 ISO to the USB Flash drive, then reboot and hold F8 (on most systems) to get a boot selection menu from which you can choose to boot from the newly created USB Flash Drive.

Optionally, delete autorun.inf (because autorun.inf files are now routinely intercepted by antivirus software.)


EDIT: I just wanted to add that if formatting a USB Flash Drive to FAT32 - things may not work. When creating another boot USB Flash Drive I could only get it to work when it was formatted to NTFS.