How to install Windows 7 from USB flash drive

[Night Hawk]

Good Grief! is the better expression. First you have to boot live from a 7 dvd or installation not run the 7 installer from within ubuntu.

The guides posted so far take you through the entire process step by step for seeing a custom install of 7 on a separate NTFS primary partition. For setting up a dual boot of ubuntu with 7 that's where a 3rd party program called EasyBCD will help when seeing the 7 install made the default OS.

As far as UltraISO you run that on a Windows machine where it will extract the setup files in order to create a disk image you then see written to a flash drive. As the screens showed earlier UltraISO will prompt you with the warning about overwriting any files remaining on the flash drive used as the installation key.

Once that is made up you boot from that live as you would the 7 dvd or any live distro to run the installer as well as selecting the primary where the 7 installation will go. The MS tool was provided for those who bought and downloaded direct from MS not for creating a live usb install key from a 7 dvd.

By using he format option seen in UltraISO that will be Fat by default while it will still write the disk image to a flash formatted to NTSF. Once 7 is up and running you can use the NeoGrub option found in the EasyBCD program to see the entry for ubuntu added in if you are planning a dual boot between the two OSs. Othewise the drive tool provided with the 7 installer can even delete if necessary the ubuntu root/swap partition(s) and create the new MS primary(NTFS) for 7 to go.

Review the guides already posted by Bare Foot Kid. If you follow those you won't get lost!

 

[cookie66]

Good Grief! is the better expression. First you have to boot live from a 7 dvd or installation not run the 7 installer from within ubuntu.

The guides posted so far take you through the entire process step by step for seeing a custom install of 7 on a separate NTFS primary partition. For setting up a dual boot of ubuntu with 7 that's where a 3rd party program called EasyBCD will help when seeing the 7 install made the default OS.

As far as UltraISO you run that on a Windows machine where it will extract the setup files in order to create a disk image you then see written to a flash drive. As the screens showed earlier UltraISO will prompt you with the warning about overwriting any files remaining on the flash drive used as the installation key.

Once that is made up you boot from that live as you would the 7 dvd or any live distro to run the installer as well as selecting the primary where the 7 installation will go. The MS tool was provided for those who bought and downloaded direct from MS not for creating a live usb install key from a 7 dvd.

By using he format option seen in UltraISO that will be Fat by default while it will still write the disk image to a flash formatted to NTSF. Once 7 is up and running you can use the NeoGrub option found in the EasyBCD program to see the entry for ubuntu added in if you are planning a dual boot between the two OSs. Othewise the drive tool provided with the 7 installer can even delete if necessary the ubuntu root/swap partition(s) and create the new MS primary(NTFS) for 7 to go.

Review the guides already posted by Bare Foot Kid. If you follow those you won't get lost!

One problem, I don't have the cd, I only have the ISO files. Sorry, should of said that earlier.

 

[Night Hawk]

ISO Files or ISO image? You can create an image from the files and then see that written to a flash drive or burned to disk. UltraISO or the native option now seen in 7(once on for you there) can burn the image to disk while any iSO or even other types of disk images can be written directly to a flash drive.

Note you will need at least a 2gb flash drive to work with. While the files won't take up 2gb anywhere the process of writing will use the capacity of the drive. Here I tested this ar first with the 7 RCs mostly for various custom installs and later checking things with the retail 7.

Looking back at the second image posted before that shows the ISO for GParted there but illustates how any ISO image is opened for viewing before the write to flash drive or burn to disk is seen.

With all files in plain sight in the upper portion as seen as there for the setup files you are ready to use the make image option and then see the image written afterwards or try a direct write to flash drive while viewed.

The write itself is seen in a flash since that only takes a minute at the longest. Well depending on drive as well as the system used anyways! Do you have a flash drive onhand or still have to get one?

 

[cookie66]

I think it is an image, is .iso so i don't know And yes, I do have a 4gb flash drive.

 

[Night Hawk]

You can easily find out if you have an image since that will be only one file ending with the iso file extension if already seen in disk image form. If the drive presently has any files on it you want to keep copy those off first into a folder for safe keeping and format the drive using the option for that in UltraISO. Even if reformatted with the right click option in Windows programs can be fussy and still want to see that done with their own option at times.

You may get away with simply browsing to and clicking on the iso file which then opens it for viewing and selecting the "menu bar>Bootable>Write Disk Image" option followed by starting the write which acts as the run option on the popup screen. That's when the confirmation prompt will then appear and ask if you want to overwrite the files found.

You can opt to reformat to NTFS if not Fat 32 since the program will still write to either file systems. Once you have a good working install of 7 seen you will want a repair cd onhand. The option to burn a repair tools cd for live repairs that may come up is found in the Control Panel>Backup & Restore.

While the flash drive can still be used a live cd usually works best when not running 7 on a netbook which comes without any. The option in the CP will automatically burn the correct 32 or 64bit flavor for that. Even with the 100mb Boot, BCD store, repair tools partition created if seen a live repair tools cd is good to have onhand.

 

[cookie66]

I think I'm just going to get a cd and burn the ISO image to it. Well, I already tried it with a DVD RW and DVD R, and it didn't work. So do I need a CD RW? Or CD R?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

:roflmao:
​

 

[eldinv]

I think this needs to be marked as unsolved-able.

 

[cookie66]

fine be like that

 

[eldinv]

LOL. Its just we need you to follow the links to help you fix your issues. LOL

 

[gregrocker]

Cookie:

Win7 is 2.34 gb so it needs to be on a DVD.

You can burn it to a DVD using ImgBurn at 4 x speed: ImgBurn - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

If you have a 4gb flash stick, you can write the iSO to it using the MS tool: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html?filter[2]=General%20Tips

I would definitely wipe the HD first using the tutorial Barefoot linked earlier to Optimize HDD for reinstall. GRUB code can corrupt a Win7 install, even block it.

 

[cookie66]

Cookie:

Win7 is 2.34 gb so it needs to be on a DVD.

You can burn it to a DVD using ImgBurn at 4 x speed: ImgBurn - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

If you have a 4gb flash stick, you can write the iSO to it using the MS tool: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html?filter[2]=General%20Tips

I would definitely wipe the HD first using the tutorial Barefoot linked earlier to Optimize HDD for reinstall. GRUB code can corrupt a Win7 install, even block it.

I can't wipe the HD with the links Barefoot gave me, I'm ONLY running Ubuntu, no Windows! And when I try to install from the USB flash drive, it says NTLDR is missing

Press any key to restart.

 

[OldMX]

From Ubuntu run the partition editor, parted magic maybe, then select the usb flash drive and make sure its flagged as boot or active and try again.

 

[cookie66]

From Ubuntu run the partition editor, parted magic maybe, then select the usb flash drive and make sure its flagged as boot or active and try again.

Ok, I just did that, and it is flagged as boot, and tried again. Nope, still got the error.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

If you would actually have a look at this tutorial you would see that it will do what you need.


SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

 

[gregrocker]

Make sure you are booting the stick correctly: Boot from CD - How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD - Boot to CD

It may be listed under Hard Drives in BIOS setup boot order menu or one-time BIOS Boot Menu.

Can you try booting it on another computer to see if the stick may be set up wrong? If so, try another method:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

Do you have a DVD drive so you can try booting a DVD onto which you've burned ISO at 4x speed using ImgBurn.

 

[cookie66]

If you would actually have a look at this tutorial you would see that it will do what you need.


SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

OK, Method One, I set my boot order to boot from usb, insert my usb, and restart my computer. But then, it says the error, and boots ubuntu. Method two, well I don't have a recovery cd, nor know what it is. So what am I missing? :huh:

 

[gregrocker]

Is your USB stick listed under USB listings in BIOS setup boot order menu? Try Hard Drives.

If it won't boot then try another method to write to stick, or use your Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD.

if you don't have the Win7 Install DVD, You can download the Win7 Repair CD then burn to CD using ImgBurn at 4x speed:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

Then use Optimize tutorial to Clean All the HD with Diskpart, to get rid of GRUB corruption.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

OK use this to boot to Method Two of the "Optimize" tutorial.


How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc

 

[eldinv]

The probably must be in creating a USB bootable stick inside of Ubuntu. If you have an ISO then burn to DVD, or better yet, buy Windows 7 legitimately and install using the DVD.

Then boot from DVD and follow the tutorials. Follow the tutorials, for the 6 or 7th time!