Install Windows 7 With USB Flash Drive (When There Is No CD/DVD Drive)

Here is the scenario: You have a computer with no CD/DVD drive, and you have a legal Windows 7 installation disk or Windows 7 Product Key.

Here is the problem: How do you install Windows 7 on the computer without having to buy a download or a CD/DVD drive?

Here is a simple solution: Install Windows 7 using a USB flash drive.

Here is what you will need: An empty USB flash drive with at least 4 GB space. (If you have files in your 4 GB flash drive, empty the contents first; you can put them back on the flash drive when the installation is done.)

Here are the steps (summarized):

Choose & download your Windows 7 ISO: For example, if you have the product key for a Windows 7 Home Premium Edition, choose & download the Windows 7 Home Premium ISO to an easily found location on your hard drive (e.g.: ‘Save to Desktop’). [SEE STEP 1 FOR MORE INFO]
Download & run Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool from Microsoft, with the blank 4 GB USB flash drive plugged into your computer. [SEE STEP 2 FOR MORE INFO]
Install Windows 7 from the 4 GB flash drive. [SEE STEP 3 FOR MORE INFO]

Here are the steps (with links and more info):

[STEP 1] Choose & Download Your Windows 7 ISO (Courtesy: MyDigitalLife.info):

Windows 7 Ultimate ISO (from Amazon.com): (Sorry, the Ultimate edition links are broken. If you know any, please submit. Thanks.)

32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate x86 ISO

64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate x64 ISO

Windows 7 Home Premium ISO (from Digital River):

Windows 7 Professional ISO (from Digital River):

[STEP 2] Download & Run Microsoft’s Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (Courtesy: IntoWindows.com) :

Download Microsoft’s Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (from CNET.com)
Insert the blank 4 GB USB flash drive into your computer
Run the Download Tool and follow the on-screen instructions

[STEP 3] Install Windows 7 Using Your USB Flash Drive

Once the Download Tool is done creating a bootable USB device, you can install Windows 7 on your computer from the USB device in one of two ways: EITHER double-click the ‘setup.exe’ file in the USB flash drive OR restart your computer with the flash drive plugged in and set the ‘Setup/Boot Menu’ on the initial black screen to boot from a USB device
Follow the on-screen instructions on the ‘Install Windows’ platform
Once Windows 7 is installed, consider Ninite.com for useful softwares/apps

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 9:48 pm and is filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

My Favs