The use of USB flash drives to install operating systems has become increasingly popular in recent years. Gone are the days where an installation CD or DVD was necessary, as USB drives can now be used to install various operating systems, including Windows 7 and 8.1. In this article, we will discuss the steps on how to create a USB flash drive installer for Windows, as well as how to install Windows 7 and 8.1 using a flash drive.
Creating a USB Flash Drive Installer
Before we proceed to the installation process, let us first dive into how to create a USB flash drive installer. Note that the process for creating a USB flash drive installer for Windows 7 and 8.1 is different. We will tackle each process separately.
How to Create a Windows 7 USB Flash Drive Installer
To create a Windows 7 USB flash drive installer, follow these steps:
- Insert your USB flash drive into your computer’s USB port.
- Open a Command Prompt window by pressing the Windows key + R, typing cmd and then hitting Enter.
- Type diskpart and hit Enter.
- Type list disk and hit Enter. This will display a list of all the connected disks on your computer.
- Identify which disk is your USB flash drive by its size and note its disk number.
- Type select disk X (where X is the disk number of your USB flash drive) and then hit Enter.
- Type clean and hit Enter to erase everything on your USB flash drive.
- Type create partition primary and hit Enter to create a new partition on your USB flash drive.
- Type select partition 1 and hit Enter to select the partition you just created.
- Type active and hit Enter to make the partition active.
- Type format fs=ntfs quick and hit Enter to format the partition using the NTFS file system.
- Type assign and hit Enter to assign a drive letter to your USB flash drive.
- Type exit and hit Enter to exit the DiskPart utility.
- Insert your Windows 7 DVD into your computer’s DVD drive or download the ISO file from Microsoft’s website.
- Open a Command Prompt window, navigate to the Windows 7 installation files and type cd boot and hit Enter.
- Type bootsect.exe /nt60 X: (where X is the drive letter of your USB flash drive) and hit Enter to make your USB flash drive bootable.
- Copy all the Windows 7 installation files from your DVD or ISO file to your USB flash drive.
- Your Windows 7 USB flash drive installer is now ready for use.
How to Create a Windows 8.1 USB Flash Drive Installer
To create a Windows 8.1 USB flash drive installer, follow these steps:
- Insert your USB flash drive into your computer’s USB port.
- Download the Windows 8.1 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website and run it.
- Accept the license terms and select Create installation media for another PC.
- Select USB flash drive and click Next.
- Select the USB flash drive you want to use and click Next.
- Wait for the Windows 8.1 installation files to be downloaded and copied to your USB flash drive.
- Your Windows 8.1 USB flash drive installer is now ready for use.
How to Install Windows 7 and 8.1 Using a Flash Drive
Now that we have created our USB flash drive installer, let us proceed to the installation process proper for both Windows 7 and 8.1. Note that the installation process for both operating systems is similar, with some minor differences.
How to Install Windows 7 Using a USB Flash Drive
To install Windows 7 using a USB flash drive, follow these steps:
- Insert your Windows 7 USB flash drive installer into your computer’s USB port.
- Boot your computer from the USB flash drive by either changing the boot sequence in your BIOS settings or by pressing the appropriate key to access the boot device menu during startup.
- Select your language, time and currency format and keyboard or input method and click Next.
- Click Install now.
- Enter your product key (if required) and click Next.
- Accept the license terms and click Next.
- Select Custom (advanced) installation.
- Select the partition where you want to install Windows 7 and click Next.
- Wait for the installation to complete, which may take several minutes.
- Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to complete the setup process.
- Your Windows 7 installation is now complete.
How to Install Windows 8.1 Using a USB Flash Drive
To install Windows 8.1 using a USB flash drive, follow these steps:
- Insert your Windows 8.1 USB flash drive installer into your computer’s USB port.
- Boot your computer from the USB flash drive by either changing the boot sequence in your BIOS settings or by pressing the appropriate key to access the boot device menu during startup.
- Select your language, time and currency format and keyboard or input method and click Next.
- Click Install now.
- Enter your product key (if required) and click Next.
- Accept the license terms and click Next.
- Select Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
- Select the partition where you want to install Windows 8.1 and click Next.
- Wait for the installation to complete, which may take several minutes.
- Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to complete the setup process.
- Your Windows 8.1 installation is now complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use a USB flash drive to install other operating systems aside from Windows 7 and 8.1?
A: Yes, you can use a USB flash drive to install other operating systems such as Linux, macOS and other versions of Windows.
Q: Can I use the same USB flash drive installer to install Windows on multiple computers?
A: Yes, you can use the same USB flash drive installer to install Windows on multiple computers. However, note that you will need a valid product key for each installation if you want to activate Windows.
Conclusion
USB flash drives have become an essential tool in the installation of operating systems. With the steps provided in this article, creating a USB flash drive installer for Windows 7 and 8.1 has become a breeze. Additionally, the instructions on how to install Windows on your computer using a USB flash drive are easy to follow. With a little patience and effort, you can have your operating system up and running in no time.
In case you encounter any difficulties, you can always refer to Microsoft’s website for further instructions. Moreover, there are also video tutorials on YouTube that provide a step-by-step guide on how to create a USB flash drive installer and install Windows from it. Below is an example video tutorial that you may find helpful:
