utility to make windows 7 bootable usb key or bootable dvd from iso

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Regs

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Snowflake

#44101 24-Oct-2009 00:08

via nathanm on twitter...

microsoft is providing a simple tool which will make a bootable usb key from whch you can install windows. simplifies a process that involved a lot of diskpart commands and some copying/extraction.

http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool

"The Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool allows you to create a copy of your Windows 7 ISO file on a USB flash drive or a DVD. To create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive, download the ISO file and then run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool. Once this is done, you can install Windows 7 directly from the USB flash drive or DVD."

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Satch

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#266519 24-Oct-2009 08:48

I used the WinToFlash tool here http://wintoflash.com/home/en/#

All you do is put your Windows DVD in your DVD drive, plug your USB drive into a spare USB slot, then hit go on WinToFlash. It copies everything across and makes it bootable. Piece of cake!

freitasm

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#266524 24-Oct-2009 09:30

Yes, used Wintoflash before and it's very easy. Before that just had to manually create and activate a partition on USB and copy the DVD contents, not hard to do but multiple steps.

Either way, installing from USB is very very good - Windows 7 Ultimate installed on my HP Mini in about nine minutes.

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stroke64

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#266529 24-Oct-2009 10:13

Just wondering, can you install Windows 7 *on* a USB drive, a-la OSX and Linux.

Satch

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#266540 24-Oct-2009 12:02

freitasm: ...Before that just had to manually create and activate a partition on USB and copy the DVD contents, not hard to do but multiple steps.

I could never get it working manually like that, no matter how much I tried.

Oh, and if you do use a USB stick to install Windows, make sure you remove it while the installation does its first reboot, otherwise it will think you are starting the install again.

Finally, to install any SKU of windows, navigate to the /sources/ directory after you copy the DVD across to your USB drive and delete the ei.cfg file. The installer will then ask you which SKU you wish to install.