Windows 7 - Windows 7 installation from USB stick now USB stick not working?!

macthepak · 01-18-2012

I am just starting out learning Windows 7. I am reading an ebook by Mclean and Thomas titled “Configuring Windows 7”

In chapter 1 regarding installing Windows 7 using a USB source, the procedure to prepare the USB device is as follows:

1. Connect the USB storage device to a computer running Windows 7 or Windows Vista.
Ensure that the storage device has no data stored on it that you want to keep (or that
you have moved such data to another storage device) because this procedure removes
all existing data.
2. Open an elevated command prompt and type diskpart.
3. At the DISKPART> prompt, type list disk. Identify which disk connected to the
computer
represents the USB storage device.
4. At the DISKPART> prompt, type select disk X where X is the number of the disk that
you have identified as the USB storage device.
5. At the DISKPART> prompt, type clean. When the disk is clean, type create partition
primary.
6. At the DISKPART> prompt, type format fs=fat32 quick. When the format is completed
type active and then exit.
7. After you have completed these steps, copy all the files located on the Windows 7
installation DVD to the USB storage device.
8. Configure the BIOS computer on which you want to install Windows 7 to boot from
the USB storage device. Attach the USB storage device and then reboot the computer
to start installation.

QUESTION 1
Why do you need to go through the above rigmarole when you can just go to My Computer, right click the USB drive, format followed by quick format?

Is there something I am missing?

By the way step 7 above, what is the command prompt order to copy the entire contents of a DVD to the USB storage device?

QUESTION 2

I was playing around with some of the diskpart commands and it seems I have accidently inactivated by USB flash drive. When I go to my computer it displays the USB flash drive under Devices and Removable storage as device (H:) but when I try to open it, it gives the error “please insert a disk into (H:) Removable Disk” and when I go to properties it says “Free space 0 bytes and Used space 0 bytes”.

When I try to format it in Windows I get the error “Windows was unable to complete the format”.

How do I get my USB flash drive back, working?

Many thanks in advance.

theog · 01-19-2012

Try method two in this tutorial:
USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

gregrocker · 01-19-2012

Easiest method is Universal USB Installer with Windows 7 in dropdown menu.

Windows 7 - Windows 7 installation from USB stick now USB stick not working?!

Windows 7 installation from USB stick now USB stick not working?! problems?