This article will discuss how to install Windows Vista or Windows 7 from a flash drive but any computer, laptop and netbook. In addition to a flash drive, you can use any memory card and external card reader.
In this article you will learn how you can install Windows Vista and Windows 7 on your computer using a flash drive or memory card. This manual is primarily written for those people who are new to working with computers.
Of course, where easier than Windows install using a regular DVD disc, but this is not always possible. And there may be several reasons for this, starting with the fact that your computer or laptop does not have a DVD drive and ending with the fact that this DVD drive is broken, or you may simply not have a disk with Windows.
And so, if you have one of the above problems, then you can install Windows using a flash drive or memory card, for this you will need to write Windows to an external drive, and then install it safely. In fact, this is what this article will discuss.
Before you start installing Windows Vista or Windows 7, you should copy all important data from the partition on which you plan to install it; these files can be copied to another partition, to a flash drive, or to any other computer. It should be remembered that desktop elements, programs and documents in the system are located in different sections. Why do we copy files? In order not to lose them. Because if we start clearing space for our Windows, we will need to format the partition where Windows will be located, and this will lead to the irreversible destruction of files.
In addition, before installing Windows you will need to copy all the necessary drivers (this mainly concerns the drivers of the network card, modem and Wi-Fi adapter). This procedure is necessary in order to avoid problems that may arise after installing Windows. And the problems may be of the following nature: the version of Windows that you install may simply be missing some drivers, and it’s okay if these are drivers from the video card, but if these are network drivers, then you will lose the opportunity to log on to the network and download the drivers you need, and this, as you yourself understand, is an unpleasant development of events.
The entire process of installing Windows Vista and Windows 7 can be divided into five main stages:
Let's look at each of the stages.
And so, now you will learn about three ways, which will help you burn the Windows distribution kit to a flash drive. It should be said that the first method is simpler than the second, but more difficult than the third.
To do this, we will need a Windows OS distribution, which is best used in the original MSDN assembly. Why MSDN assembly? Because there are a minimum number of problems with it, both during installation and in further use.
After that, we will need a set of utilities that you can find on the Internet. And, of course, the flash drive itself is larger than 4 GB. In this case, it is better to use a flash drive with a memory card. This way you can avoid problems that may arise if your netbook or laptop does not have the ability to boot from a memory card in the built-in card reader.
Before installing Windows, find out which version your laptop supports. Because it can support either 32-bit or 64-bit version.
Let's get started! First, you should copy the image of your Windows (Vista or 7) to the hard drive, and the format should be ISO. Then we launch the UltraISO program, which you must download and install on your computer. After this, the main program window will open in front of you.
If your UltraISO program requires payment and you do not have a tablet, then select “Trial period”.
After this you will need to open the image of your operating system. To do this, click on “File” and then “Open”.
Find the folder where the system ISO file is located.
Go to the boot menu and select “Burn image” in the list that appears hard drive».
Now insert the flash drive or memory card into the USB port on your computer or laptop.
After that, click on the “Format” button.
Remember that during the formatting process, all the data that was on your flash drive will be lost forever, so if these files are of particular value to you, copy them to some kind of media or computer.
After you click format you will need to select a type file system(NTFS) and then click the “Start” button.
Warning about data deletion.
After some time, formatting will be completed.
Warning. Click “Yes”.
Now you need to be patient and wait. Once recording is complete, you will have a flash drive or memory card with Windows worker 7.
Using this method, we will need a Windows distribution, a flash drive with a capacity of more than 4 gigabytes, or a memory card with the same capacity.
Remember that before you start formatting a flash drive or memory card, you should copy all the files that are important to you from it, otherwise they will all be irretrievably lost.
Let's start work. The first step is to insert a memory card or flash drive into the USB connector, after which you need to launch the “Command Prompt”, which can be found in the “Start” menu.
It looks like a window with a black background and white letters.
Enter the command “diskpart” into it and press the “Enter” button.
Then type the command “list disk”, press “Enter” and a list of all storage devices will appear in front of you. After this, you should find the disk number under which your flash drive is displayed (this can be done based on the capacity of the flash drive).
After you have found out what number your flash drive is located under, enter the command “select disk” (and the number, for example select disk 2), press “Enter”.
Now type “clean” into the command line and press “Enter”.
After this, you will need to select the first partition; to do this, use the command line again and enter “select partition 1” and press “Enter”.
Type the command “active” and press “Enter”.
Then we begin formatting the partition, to do this you will need to type the command “format fs=NTFS” and, as you already understood, press the “Enter” button.
After entering this command, a flash drive will appear in the system. And after it appears, enter the command “Exit” - press “Enter”.
After completing all the work with the command line, all that remains is to copy the Windows distribution to a flash drive. To do this, it is best to use the 7-zip utility.
We launch the utility and select the ISO image we need. When the image is selected, you will need to click the extract button and specify the path to the flash drive. Once the file is unpacked, Windows will be ready to install.
As mentioned above, this is the easiest way. In order to use it, we need the WinToFlash utility, which you can figure out on your own.
After all the above steps, you should have a flash drive with the following contents:
Now let's talk about how to enable file loading (in our case Window) via a flash drive or memory card in the BIOS.
Turn off your computer, netbook or laptop, insert a USB flash drive into it and turn it on again. While it is loading, press F2, Del or ESC (depending on your system), after which you will enter Bios. If none of the buttons helped you enter the BIOS, then pay attention to the lower left corner of the boot screen and press the button that you see there.
Once you have entered the BIOS, select the BOOT tab and using the F5 and F6 keys you can change the boot order. Again, if the specified buttons did not help change the list of downloads, then the buttons needed for this should be displayed on the screen.
And so, you need to set your flash drive or memory card to the first place in the download list, most often portable USB devices memory is designated as USB-HDD. After this, you should save the selected settings using the “Save and Exit Setup” item.
There is nothing complicated here, because installation via a flash drive or memory card is very simple. The main thing during installation is to pay close attention to the operations associated with choosing an installation partition and creating disks.
Reboot the computer (laptop). In the first window that appears, you need to select the system language. Click on the “Next” button.
In the next window, click “Install”.
The next step is to choose Windows version 7. You should choose the one for which you have the key. It is usually indicated on the bottom of the laptop and must be entered at the end of the installation. Click “Next”.
We accept license agreement and click “Next”.
Now we need to select the partition in which we will install Windows 7. I recommend selecting the system partition. Also, when installing Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate, there will be one more additional section volume 100 MB. This partition is created by Windows 7 itself and is intended to implement the encryption function of the system partition, but not for Windows installations.
Click on “Disk Settings”.
The next step is Windows activation. The code can be entered immediately, or you can wait for 30 days. If you bought a laptop with already installed system, then the activation code must be written on the bottom of the device.
You can set the time and date.
If the Internet is connected to the laptop and the network card drivers are installed, the system will automatically prompt you to specify the network type.
All! Now you know how to install Windows 7 from a flash drive. All that remains is to install drivers and programs.
Typically, you will need to install a minimum of drivers; almost all laptop hardware will work. On the Internet you can find new versions of drivers that will significantly speed up the operation of your laptop. The kit should also include a driver disk and you don't need to search for anything on the Internet at all.
Utilities are additional programs, which expand the operation of the laptop. Usually they come on the same disk as the drivers and there is no need to look for them anywhere else. There is no need to neglect their installation; they greatly simplify the work.
You choose the programs to install on your laptop yourself. There will be no special recommendations here, since they great amount and they achieve different goals.
I hope this article will be useful to you and installing Windows 7 from a flash drive is no longer a problem for you.
Not every user has a DVD drive; moreover, recently rare PCs have been equipped with them. But you still need to install the system and for this it is most convenient to use bootable USB flash drive. Let's figure out how to install Windows 7 from a flash drive - after all, you won't buy a DVD for this purpose.
Before proceeding with the installation, carefully study this article: various difficulties may arise during the process, which can be solved using one of the methods described below.
The installation process itself can be divided into the following stages:
Let's look at each stage in more detail.
Before you burn the image to a flash drive and install the system from it, you need to download it. Today there are a huge number of ready-made operating system builds, which are equipped with many applications and functions.
Very often in such distributions the default theme or sound scheme is changed. But not all users like such innovations. You only need to download original images created by Microsoft. A huge headquarters of the world's leading programmers does their job better than some artisanal modifier.
A little lower you will find a button where you can download a torrent file to download the Russian version of Windows 7 with 32 or 64-bit architecture. The file was taken from the official Microsoft website and is completely original. Proceed with the download, and when the download is complete, move on to the next step.
After the file is downloaded, open it using a torrent client. If you don't know how to work with such programs, follow our step by step instructions.
First of all, we need to copy to a safe place all the information that is important to us, located on drive C. Each user stores data in their own way, so each user has their own choice of folders for backup. Most often these are folders: “Downloads”, “Desktop”, etc.
You can save files to another logical drive (the one on which the system will not be installed) or to an external drive. You can also use cloud storage if there is not too much data. For example, the Mail.ru cloud provides 100 GB of free space.
With an eye to the future, remember: while using your PC, you need to store your data on a disk other than the one on which the system is installed. Divide the physical disk into partitions and store your files on any of them except the system one. For installing Windows 7, a comfortable volume of 70–100 GB will be (depending on the type and amount of software used).
Another important point that should be taken into account before the installation begins is the drivers for our network card. If, after installing Windows 7, it turns out that there is no driver for the network card, additional difficulties will arise that will have to be solved using a second computer by transferring files from it via a flash drive.
If you just bought a computer, there is not and cannot be any valuable information on it, feel free to move on to the next section, without copying the data.
In order to create bootable media and begin the operating system installation procedure, we will need:
Attention! Before you start creating installation media, remember that all data on it will be irretrievably destroyed.
A well-known disk imaging program can create bootable media. Let's look at the algorithm for recording Windows 7 to a USB device.
The Ultra ISO installation is complete, you can run it and go straight to creating a flash drive for installing Windows 7.
Attention! This will destroy all your data beyond recovery. If the USB storage device has necessary files, save them before doing this.
The recording is complete, our media can be used.
Let's look at a few more options for creating bootable media with Windows 7.
This is another program that can create a bootable USB flash drive with “Seven”. First, let's download it.
The application, unlike Ultra ISO, does not require installation, so you can run the downloaded file and immediately proceed to the process of burning the OS to a USB device. To do this we do the following:
As a result, it will begin Windows entry 7 onto a flash drive, upon completion of which you will have a full installation media.
Attention! Before you begin the process of writing the system to a flash drive, be sure to save all the data on it - otherwise they will be irretrievably lost.
As we see, this method turned out to be much simpler than the previous one, but we will not dwell on this and will consider several more options for recording Windows 7 to a USB drive.
Another application focused solely on writing operating system files to an external drive. Let's take a look at the utility and look at the process of working with it.
Windows 7 is being written to an external drive. Once the process is completed, the flash drive can be used to install the system.
We will not stop at WinSetupFromUSB and will tell you how to burn the OS to media via Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool from Microsoft.
This official application from Microsoft, so it should, in theory, do the best job of writing Windows 7 to a flash drive. Let's get started with the program.
Upon completion, we will receive a bootable USB flash drive, with which you can easily install the OS on your computer.
The program requires the Microsoft . NET Framework 2.0. If you do not have it, then download the program from the official Microsoft website.
The UNetBootin utility is completely free. you can download it without registering or sending SMS. The program does not need to be installed - it works immediately after downloading. An application was created not only for recording to a Windows flash drive, but also for other operating systems, such as Linux or Mac OS.
Let's move on to the instructions for using the application.
The distribution package is being written to a USB device. Once it is completed, the flash drive can be used to install the OS.
You can create bootable media with “Seven” without using any programs using the system itself. For this we will use the command line.
The entire process is described in the form of detailed step-by-step instructions, each stage of which is accompanied by a screenshot for clarity.
The installation media is ready and you can use it.
Let us describe the process of working with another program for recording Windows 7 and other operating systems on a USB drive. To get started, download the utility from the link from the official website.
After this, the process of creating bootable media with Windows 7 will begin, after which the device will be ready for use.
This application is one of the most simple tools for recording operating systems on external media. To work with the utility, you do not need to install it, nor do you need administrator rights. It will work like with Windows files, and with her images. The interface here is simple, and the speed of the program is pleasing.
To burn Windows 7 to a USB flash drive via WinToBootic, do the following:
Windows 7 will begin recording to the USB flash drive. When it is finished, the device can be used to install the system.
To successfully install Windows 7 from a flash drive, it is not enough for us to simply write the operating system onto the media; we also need to force the PC to boot not from the hard drive, but from a USB drive. This can be done in two ways: either using BIOS modifications, or through a special boot menu.
Regarding the Boot Menu, we can say that it is launched using different keys, depending on the model of the computer or laptop. You can see which button is responsible for this on your device in the instructions for it. We provide a list of combinations for the main brands of computers and laptops:
Launching Boot Menu on PC:
Launching Boot Menu on a laptop:
Below is a list of keys that launch the BIOS on different computers and laptops:
For clarity, we will show the process of installing a flash drive as the first boot device using the example of our PC with motherboard Asus:
The process is similar on different computers, although the names of the tabs and items may differ. To understand how to enter the BIOS of your PC, read the instructions for it.
After the BIOS has been configured, you can proceed directly to installing Windows 7 from a flash drive. Let's get started.
As a result, we installed Windows 7 from a flash drive, the creation of which was described above.
We looked at a lot of different programs and tools from Windows itself in order to answer the question: how to install Windows 7 from a flash drive. However, these are not all options. There are a lot of such programs on the Internet. They differ in their convenience and functionality. Some utilities are better suited for ordinary users, while others are better suited for professionals.
Which method you choose and how to burn Windows 7 to a flash drive should be determined based on purely personal preferences. Use the option that you like, and if you have any questions, ask us in the comments. We undertake to give a comprehensive answer as soon as possible.
Working with a computer, especially when the Internet is connected, is always walking on the edge of an abyss: any operating system is forced to withstand powerful attacks from hackers every day, all kinds of viruses, the purpose of which is sometimes not only to pump your Internet traffic, but also to completely destroy the system. You can correct the situation, clean out destructive viruses and restore your computer's operation by completely reinstalling the system. Of course, this is a very responsible task, requiring knowledge of all the nuances of the work, but it is not so difficult. We will tell you further about how to reinstall Windows 7 from a flash drive.
So, how to properly reinstall Windows 7 from a flash drive? Let's start by saving all the data we need on any storage medium. This can be a disk, flash drive or separate HDD- choose depending on the amount of information stored.
You need to save the information because after reinstallation, all data will be completely and irretrievably lost, and the only way to restore it is by downloading it again from a third-party memory source.
But a beginner often has a question: where to look for the data necessary to save, what exactly to save... As a rule, the most important files are stored in:
When we are convinced that the information necessary for further work is saved to a third-party memory source, we can begin to select future system, after which we will begin the reinstallation.
First of all, let's look at the issue of operating system generation branches:
In addition, Windows versions are divided into:
Based on personal preferences and the capabilities of their computer, everyone chooses their own type of system. And now we will dwell in detail on this nuance: how to reinstall Windows via a USB flash drive.
Before moving on to the main issue, let’s make a small digression and touch on a topic such as a program for setting up sound on a computer, which is designed to solve problems when acoustics disappear after reinstalling the OS or improving sound quality. Read about methods for connecting and setting up a printer on a computer.
At the moment, DVD drives are gradually becoming a thing of the past: not all laptops, and especially simplified miniature netbooks, are equipped with drives. And this forces us to look for alternative methods of downloading information. This method can be a regular flash drive. To the question of how to properly reinstall Windows 7 on a laptop, we will answer simply - the first thing you need to do is burn the image of the reinstallation disk onto a flash drive. ISO image of Windows 7 is written using special programs(Nero, etc.) and this usually does not cause any serious difficulties, all the work takes a few minutes and is done in a few mouse clicks.
Once the disk image is recorded, you can begin the reinstallation process.
Work is carried out through the BIOS. Many novice PC users immediately feel a state of panic and horror at the mere mention of this obscure abbreviation. But don’t be scared: you’ll now find out how to reinstall Windows on a laptop from a flash drive, and believe me, there’s nothing catastrophically terrible about it - it’s a common thing that, having done it once, you’ll easily do later and... who knows, maybe... It’s good to make money on this, because good, knowledgeable programmers are always in price, and there are so many dummies... and installation via Bios is one of the mandatory and most common procedures for a programmer’s work, which makes it possible to save even hopelessly clogged with system-deadly viruses caught on the Internet.
So, reboot the computer and enter the Bios. Now we set the boot from our flash drive and wait for the installation process to complete. At this moment we don’t press anything, we just wait!
After the download occurs, exit the Bios and save the data. Now the computer is ready to install Windows 7.
In order for the installation to proceed correctly, set the date and time and click “Next”.
In the window that opens, confirm the installation of Windows 7.
We choose the version that is most suitable for you.
ATTENTION: The next step will require an introduction license key. We enter the key and confirm the license agreement, after which we move on to the next stage of the boot process.
Check the box under the “Full installation” window, select the partition where Windows will be installed and click “Format”. At this moment, the complete formatting of the logical drive will begin (this is why it is important to save the necessary information in advance).
The next step is simply confirming the operations - feel free to click “Next”. A few seconds of loading will pass, and the system will prompt you to give the name of the PC and indicate a nickname. Here you can use all your imagination, the main thing is not to forget the names that you enter in the window that opens. We indicate the password and, oh finally! Enter the license key.
The system will automatically prompt you to reinstall the firewall - feel free to agree, but in the future, install an additional antivirus.
How to reinstall Windows 7 without a flash drive, you ask. Elementary Watson.
Go to the Start menu and find Control Panel, after which you need to go to “Recovery”. In this tab, we are interested in the very bottom line called “Advanced recovery methods”; we need to run it to bring up the next disk formatting window. Confirm formatting and select the type of system restore to factory settings. After the work is completed, you will receive a system that is free of all viruses and works properly.
Windows can be installed on Android, tablet, and other OS. This is even easier to do than on a PC.
We connect the keyboard to the device and in order to enter the BIOS, press the “F2” button. Now we no longer need the keyboard, and in its place we connect a flash drive. We confirm the installation of Windows and wait. Each time the system asks for confirmation to continue downloading, click “Next”. When the reinstallation can be completed, reboot your device and start from scratch.
We have considered all the nuances of the question of how to reinstall Windows on a computer from a flash drive and without a flash drive, as well as how to reinstall other operating systems. I hope this article was helpful to you. Good luck!
Quite often there is a need to install a new operating system. This is still relevant now, given the fact that in mid-April of this year Microsoft officially announced the end of technical support for Windows XP. It will still take no more than 3-4 years before all users completely switch to Windows 7. And if you want to know in advance how to install Windows 7 from a flash drive, then this article will give you the necessary information.
Installation takes place in several steps:
Let's take a closer look at each stage.
Before installation new Windows 7 You need to prepare your computer first. First of all, the user is recommended to save all important information contained on the computer. It is worth paying attention to local disk C, since this is where the largest amount of information is stored. Most users store some of their media files on the desktop or in the “My Documents” folder, which are located on the disk with the operating system installed. In order not to lose some of your important files, you need to copy them either to another local drive, or save them to USB or other digital media.
Another important point that you should always remember: before installation, you need to check for drivers for the network card. If you install Windows 7 via USB, and then it turns out that the distribution did not have drivers for the network card, you will have neither the Internet nor the drivers. Therefore, play it safe once again and check the availability of drivers. And immediately check the availability of other drivers - for the video card, for the audio card, drivers for the sound card, and so on.
To prepare a USB flash drive for installing Windows 7, you need to follow these recommendations:
After you have installed and launched the image creation program on your computer, you need to select a disk image that has been previously prepared for recording. We will look at the recording using an example of use UltraISO programs– it is quite simple and understandable for all users.
A memory card or USB flash drive is connected to the computer, formatted and Windows 7 is written to it, which can then be installed on the computer via the same flash drive.
Is the flash drive ready for installation? There are a few steps left before actual installation. There is one important nuance: you need to “force” the computer to recognize the flash drive and allow you to install Windows 7 from the flash drive. And the BIOS will help in this matter. It is available on all computers, and in addition to many different functions, it allows you to change the boot order from external media.
The first thing you need to do is go into the BIOS. During the initial boot of the computer, you need to press a certain key (this is either F2, or Esc, or Delete). You will know that you have launched the BIOS when one of the screens appears in front of you:
The next step is to find a section through which you can configure the boot order from external devices. This section is called Boot, and it displays all devices that are connected to the computer in boot order (hard drive, CD/DVD media, USB port). Using the arrows on the keyboard, you need to make sure that the USB port is in first place in terms of relevance, and then press the F10 button, which saves the changes and restarts the computer. Now the computer is completely ready to install Windows 7 using a USB flash drive.
After installing the flash drive into the port, a black screen and the message “Press any key” will appear. Press any button and the process will begin immediately automatic installation Windows 7.
You will see a welcome screen asking you to select your language, time format, time zone, and keyboard layout. Have you all chosen? Now click the “Next” button and immediately after that the “Install” button.
The installation program will prompt you to select a version of the operating system that will be suitable for you in terms of functionality. After making your selection, click “Next” again, agree to the license terms and select the partition on which you want to install Windows 7. Have you chosen the partition? Now click the “Next” button and wait for the installation process via USB to complete.
After installation, you need to select basic information about your computer. Enter the user name and computer name, set the desired security mode, date and time zone. In the presence of Internet Windows 7 will prompt you to select the type of connection to use - select it and click the “Next” button. This is the last step after which the installation will be completed.
