GUIDE: Install Windows Vista, 7 and 8 from a flash drive!

This is great.

I have a question though. I just put Win 7 on my 8gb drive, but I would like to do the same thing with Vista, on the same drive. Is that possible?
 
esata be same as doing it from USB or hard disk as long as the esata device supports boot

been useing win7 on my laptop with limited specs (1.7ghz celeron P4 core, 512mb DDR ram) the system seems to work quite well (no aero due to 915 IGP), most likey work even better once i get an extra 512mb in it, that system you got there vista and win7 should perfom around the same,
should match win7 and vista to an lower spec pc 1gb ram and 2gb systems with lots of stuff on it

as you was going to be reloading win7 or even vista, No key is needed you got 30 days to put one in as you was about to format agane with the USB drive load, putting an key in was bit pointless, just press next and it contunue (password is also not needed as well as you was going to reload)

the gun at the end is to loud really on this clip
 
My install using a dvd took approximately 16 minutes, started at 5:30 and was in windows playing around at 5:46, i was shocked. Thanks for the guide, i definitely want to try the thumb drive route to see how much of a difference it might make.
 
Has anyone figured out how to do this procedure without bootsect.exe ? I am running XP 32bit and cannot execute that one command to create the bootable flash drive, and it seems like there are others here who are having the same issue. :(
 
geminox said:
Has anyone figured out how to do this procedure without bootsect.exe ? I am running XP 32bit and cannot execute that one command to create the bootable flash drive, and it seems like there are others here who are having the same issue. :(
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if you follow the guide that I used you don't need the bootsect.exe steps.
 
Link to guide please? :p

Edit: I found the guide that you used by looking at your post history, I believe the guy who made that guide used the diskpart program installed with Vista. My XP diskpart does not list my flash drive even though it is marked as an active partition, is formatted in NTFS, has the entire Windows 7 install, as well as the substitute bootsect.exe 32-bit that I managed to get from the Windows 7 32-bit ISO, I have had no successful results. The only possible way I can think of is to go to my friends' place and follow the guide precisely since he has Vista 64-bit.
 
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Sabrewulf165 said:
bootvista7.gif

.
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This was the only way i could get it to work, when i was doing the bootsect steps it would fail no matter what.

I tried it on a Dell D820 Laptop and a C2D 2.13 ghz work station with identical results, i dont know what i was missing from the bootsect but im just glad i have it working now.
 
Using the OP's method, it took me 30 minuets to post this.

Q6600 (stock)
4x1024
WD 160gig Raptor
Gigabyte GA-G33M-DS2R
Corsair Survivor 8GB
 
I have the 4GB corsair GT flash drive. I followed all the steps carefully but somehow I'm getting the insufficient disk space on my flash drive while copying the files? I tried to format couple of times but still facing the same issue. Any idea what am I doing wrong?

i tried both ways NTFS and FAT32.
 
^^^^

Sort out the problem. i was trying to make the x64 vista. which is 4.11GB setup file. Tried on vista 32bit and it worked perfectly :D...

i guess i need bigger flash drive.
 
wahur1 said:
^^^^

Sort out the problem. i was trying to make the x64 vista. which is 4.11GB setup file. Tried on vista 32bit and it worked perfectly :D...

i guess i need bigger flash drive.
Click to expand...

Vista and Windows 7 x64 both work fine on 4GB flash drives.
 
wahur1 said:
For me its not working ? the dvd file size is 4.11GB. Any idea why its not working for me?
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The official ISO for the x64 version is only 3.04GB, not sure where you got 4.11GB unless you don't have an official copy.
 
I can also confirm that the guide works perfectly on a 4gb flash drive following the steps exactly. I literally copy and pasted the command line commands from the OP, changed the drive letters according to my setup, and it worked flawlessly.

Well, flawlessly except the dead drive at first but that's not the guide's fault. :D

Thanks for the guide, that was a very nice thing to know how to do. This also marks the first time I've installed windows without using any spinning disks whatsoever...flash media for install onto an SSD. Nice, technology is finally moving forward noticeably with storage lately.
 
criccio said:
The official ISO for the x64 version is only 3.04GB, not sure where you got 4.11GB unless you don't have an official copy.
Click to expand...
yeah I just looked and my TechNet ISOs are

Vista x86 3.1GB
Vista x64 3.7GB
Windows 7 x86 2.4GB
Windows 7 x64 3.1GB
 
I have no idea why my drive is stating 4.11GB. Yes i have the official DVD. :rolleyes:
 
yah, gonna give this a shot after I wipe my compaq AMD 2.0ghz system....

thanks!
 
criccio said:
Not exactly an investment at $9... lol
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I know, I know :p
I just finished another year of paying my own out of state college tuition, so I have been incredibly broke. Thankfully I just started work for the summer a couple days ago, so now I can afford those crazy $10 purchases haha
 
Personally, I've never owned a straight run-of-the mill thumbdrive, dunno why really... I've given a few as gifts, but that's about it.

I guess I used my old HD-based 5GB MP3 player as a thumbdrive for a while. Then I had a couple of Creative MuVo flash-based MP3 players that are like a thumbdrive and an MP3 player combined into one (you slide it apart and the battery pack comes off the flash-memory part w/the USB port)... After that I'd just been using those thumbdrive-sized SD card readers, and now I just carry a micro-SD/M2 card reader on my keychain (it's about the size of a fingernail, I keep one card on it and one on the cell).
 
mbradshaw said:
hey what about esata drives?
Is it possible to install windows 7 from a esata drive>?
Click to expand...

Yes, and it works very well. I did it this way last night, for the second time, using my old 74GB Raptor instead of a flash drive, because I only have a 1GB, and installed to my Raid 0 short stroked 640 Blacks. I didn't time the install but it was definitely my fastest Windows install. :D
 
ivandurago said:
I know, I know :p
I just finished another year of paying my own out of state college tuition, so I have been incredibly broke. Thankfully I just started work for the summer a couple days ago, so now I can afford those crazy $10 purchases haha
Click to expand...
I think the key is whether or not the laptop can boot from a USB drive. It's only been a standard-ish feature for a few years so you'll have to look through the BIOS or web specs to see if that model supports it.

Then you have drivers to worry about, but you can probably make due.

If you can't boot from USB you may be stuck without a new optical drive, but I could be wrong.
 
I followed these instructions to the T but can't get my new system to boot from USB. Any ideas? Motherboard is a P6T Deluxe V2
 
Windows 7 Install on the equipment listed in my sig.

Well, I was able to get my USB Drive using the diskpart. However something odd, when it goes to reboot for the first time, and I pull out my flash drive so it doesn't keep booting straight to that, it can't find my boot drive.

Install from DVD works fine if I use the same method.
 
Headbust said:
i dont understand the last command

xcopy d:\*.* /s/e/f e:\

and how do i input my info and where into that?
Click to expand...

The guide is very straight-forward, many people have already done it without issue. I don't understand your question. Your info?

Lets say your Vista/7 DVD or mounted ISO is drive D: and your USB drive is drive E:

The command you enter in the command line is:

xcopy D: E: /e /h


 
Thanks OP for the info. I just installed Win 7 RC from USB. Save me time to burn into DVD.
 
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