How do you make a USB drive bootable so I can load W7 on a netbook?

i tried putting all the files on to the usb drive however, the system doesnt boot from the usb drive! how do i make it so its bootable. thanks in advance

or this which to me seems less complicated: Creating Bootable Vista / Windows 7 USB Flash Drive at Kevin’s Blog

tdk08 said:

or this which to me seems less complicated: Creating Bootable Vista / Windows 7 USB Flash Drive at Kevin’s Blog

^^ Ugg, that's clunky too
So instead do this: (even less complicated)

You will need HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8 (be warned many google links for the HP tool are DEAD)
You can find it Here!
and Bootme.zip

1. Run "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool"
2. Select your Thumb Drive as Device
3. Select FAT as File system
4. Volume name "Windows 7"
5. Select Quick Format
6. Select Create a DOS startup disk
7. unzip the bootme.zip and point "Using DOS system files located at" to the unzipped folder with files inside
8. Start Format
Ta-Da
Sorted!
PS You wont see any files on the usbstick as they are in the boot sector

(you can also optionally do a second "format" using NTFS- don't worry "all data on drive will be lost" does NOT include the boot sector files.

There you go-My first How to... for WSF.
Cheers ALL

That's how I do it and I think it's the easiest and fastest way :

USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

Step 1. Format the USB Flash Disk




Run CMD (elevated) and type:

1. diskpart
2. list disk (*now find your USB disk number, you'll find it by its size)
3. select disk 1 (*if your USB is disk 1)
4. clean
5. create partition primary
6. select partition 1 (*this is 1, no matter what number is your USB disk)
7. active
8. format fs=fat32 (or ntfs, works with both)
9. assign
10. exit

Note: Don't type the things in parentheses above!!

Step 2. Copy Windows 7 or Vista's DVD content to the Flash Disk






Still on CMD, assuming your dvd is drive d: and your usb is drive e:

• xcopy d:\*.* /s/e/f e:\

You're done. Works perfectly.You'll make the fastest install ever.

Limneos, I do agree that the CMD method is the most efficient (quickest keystrokes)
But, you still have to remember or reference to those commands! (and the CMD DOS may be a little overwhelming for some)

The method I listed means just DL'ing and saving those two files once (say to folder USB Boot);
Then anytime you want to make a USB bootable, you just run the HP utillity. and you're done - no remembering steps or which drive is your USB
Very Easy!

Eis Igian

Aggreed, I guess I forget not everyone has some expertise..

But it's just a few lines,plus no need for software. And the commands you have to type have some followable logic..like...

select disk, select partition , make active.

done.

not hard to remember.

Anyway, I posted this because I used many methods and most of them didn't work for me...some worked for XP only, some for Vista only...some not at all.

And in the method I describe, you will notice there is not an extra step to "make the usb bootable", once you've marked it as active, copying the DVD does the trick, cause it contains the boot record files itself

Good one Limneos!

Thanks echrada....

Actually, no matter which method u use, I would suggest having a couple of usb sticks for your several Windows installations, they're very cheap lately. The installation time is much...much faster. I started using USB just for a few netbooks I had to setup. Now I don't use DVDs anymore for installations!