Microsoft’s TechNet magazine has posted instructions on installing Windows 7 from a USB key – which will be very handy for anyone installing Windows 7 on a netbook, in particular.
Installing Windows 7 from a USB key will also be faster than installing it from DVD.
Here, according to TechNet, is what you need to do:
- You should already have DiskPart installed on your Windows machine – you’ll use this to prepare the USB drive. If this free disk partitioning app isn’t already already installed, you can download DiskPart from Microsoft.
- Launch DiskPart by typing diskpart into the Start search box.
- Now run the list disk command to check the status of your drive.
- Next, run select disk 1 where the “1” is actually the corresponding number of your USB drive.
- Now run clean.
- Once that’s done, run create partition primary.
- Now you can make the partition active by entering active.
- Next, set up the file system as Fat32 by running format fs=fat32 quick.
- Enter the assign command to give the USB drive a drive letter – this will make it easier to access from Windows Explorer.
- Drag and drop the contents of your Windows 7 installation DVD onto the USB drive to copy the files across.
- Stick the USB key drive into the machine you want to install Windows 7 onto and boot the system from the drive. The Windows 7 installation will now begin.
Source: techradar.com