How to install Windows 7 or Windows Vista from a usb stick or memory card

Discussion in 'Windows Guides' started by InsaneNutter, Apr 25, 2009.

  1. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    This guide will teach you how to create a bootable usb drive or memory card that can be used to install Windows Vista or Windows 7.

    This is the ideal way to install Windows on a netbook as the majority of netbooks have no optical drive.

    First you need to format your usb drive / memory card as NTFS, this can be done by right clicking on the drive in my computer and selecting format.

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    Next open a Command Prompt window from Start menu, it can be found under accessories. Right-click on Command Prompt and select the "Run as administrator" option.

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    Now type diskpart in the Command Prompt window and press Enter, this will load the DiskPart program.

    Now type the following command: list volume

    This will show a list of all the drives in your computer, make a note of the volume your usb drive is.

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    We now need to select the usb drives volume number,
    In this case we would type select volume 7 as the usb drive is listed as volume 7

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    The drive needs to be made active so type: active to mark the drive as active

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    Now exit diskpart by typing exit

    Now we need to create a boot sector on USB drive so your computer can boot from it, we will use the bootsect.exe utility which can be found on the Windows 7 / Windows Vista DVD under the boot folder or downloaded form here.

    Ensure it is copied to the desktop or wherever you are currently working from in command prompt (in dos cd foldername changes the folder and cd.. moves back a folder)

    Now enter bootsect /nt60 I:

    Here I is the letter of my usb drive, replace it with the correct letter for your system, (Find this out by looking at what drive letter your usb stick is in my computer)

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    Now all you need to do is copy the files across from your Windows 7 or Vista DVD.

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    Now all you need to do is startup the computer you wish to install Windows on and tell it to boot from the usb drive or memory card, this will be different depending on the computer.

    On my MSI Wind netbook I can press F11 and select which device you wish to boot from. Some older computers and laptops might not support booting from USB.

    There you go, Windows 7 installing from the SD card in the laptops card reader.
    [​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

  2. P.KID

    P.KID Addict

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    Really nice tut! :D im gonna try it out.

    P.s nice laptop
     
  3. Dark Scyth

    Dark Scyth Moderator

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    I had trouble here, it said that it was an invalid command or something?
    EDIT: lol well now I'm going to bed (3:21AM)
     
  4. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    Did you put the : after the drive letter?

    I forgot that when doing the screenshots for this guide and it took me a while to figure out what I was doing wrong.
     
  5. Dark Scyth

    Dark Scyth Moderator

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    Yeah, I did that and there was still the same error.

    EDIT: I think I figured out the problem, I'm testing it right now

    Yeah, its impossible...I can't do it, whenever I rightclick it and then run as admin it does C:\Windows\system32>
    So if I don't it does go to user but then I can't do it.

    So I guess I need to know how to make this one and only profile on this PC Admin.
     
  6. luckyvic

    luckyvic Addict

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    Thank you for sharing this information. Learning alot the simple way.
     
  7. Dark Scyth

    Dark Scyth Moderator

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    My friend has a 4GB memory stick that he doesn't use anymore, would that be able to work too? He used it with his PSP, but he has an 8GB now.
     
  8. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    Type “cd..” without the quotes until you get back to your C:\ drive

    Then type “cd users” “cd your-user-name” then “cd desktop”

    The command prompt working windows should now be your desktop
     
  9. Dark Scyth

    Dark Scyth Moderator

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    I'll give it a try...and hope it works. THANKS!!! That was excellent help! lol 4:14AM and i'm getting Windows 7 completely installed before I go to bed...so I'll be going to bed in an hour or so and then waking up a hour later.
     
  10. BigRod989

    BigRod989 Addict

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    Great guild worked like a charm :D
     
  11. MasterChief

    MasterChief Addict

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    If you go in to the sources folder and delete ei.cfg you will then be prompted which edition to install, very useful to be able to install every edition from one USB drive.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. seanpr92

    seanpr92 Godlike

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    lol i can do all of that in about 3 steps download win 7 iso extract iso with 7 zip copy the iso folders set bios to boot from usb wollah done also theres a app that automates most of this called wintoflash

    WinToFlash - Install Windows from usb - Home page
     
  13. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    Thats true now, however this guide was created long before any automated tools existed... and you might just learn something in the process ;)
     
  14. Safinn

    Safinn Addict

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    Very good guide. Made my stick a while ago, sorted.
     
  15. Ugur Kazdal

    Ugur Kazdal New Member

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    bookmarked ! :)
     
  16. jessenic

    jessenic Minecraft Guy

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    Official tool from Microsoft
    That is alot easier
     
  17. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    This tutorial was created way before any easy tools existed for it ;) nice to know there is something official for it now.
     
  18. 409lakeside

    409lakeside New Member

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    when I type "active" it says "There is no partition selected. Please select a partition and try again." any ideas?
     
  19. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    Have you done "select volume 7" where 7 is the number of your usb drive is?
     
  20. 409lakeside

    409lakeside New Member

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    got it

    i had to use "list partition", "select partition 1", then "active"
     

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