Installing Windows 7 From a USB Stick From Windows XP (Bootable USB)

Installing Windows 7 onto a USB drive in Windows XP is harder than Windows Vista. This is because the "diskpart" tool that is used to prepare the USB drive is different to Vista and 7. So after looking threw a few tutorials and trial and error I installed Windows 7 onto my EEE 1000H. Here is my method:

Required:

  • Usb Drive 4gb or more Buy
  • Daemon tools (or other ISO emulator)
  • The Windows 7 Disk or .ISO Buy

USB Install Method

  • Insert the USB Drive
  • Format the USB Drive with NTFS (Check this guide if NTFS is not an option)
Format NTFS
  • Open a Command Windows (start->accessories->command prompt)
  • type in diskpart (download diskpart here)
  • type in listdisk and find the ID of your USB disk
Format NTFS
  • Next type in select disk 1 where 1 is the Disk ID
Format NTFS
  • Next type in select partition 1
  • Finally type active (You will get a confirmation)
Format NTFS
  • Mount the Windows 7 ISO with Daemon Tools (make note of drive letter it assigns)
  • Copy all files from the Windows 7 DVD to the USB Drive
Windows 7 Disk Files
  • Run the following command (Where D:\ is the Windows 7 DVD and E: is your USB Stick)

D:\boot\bootsect /nt60 E: /mbr

bootsect nt60
  • Set your Netbook or PC to boot from USB and your away!

Let me know if this helped you! Leave a comment.

8 Comments (Newest on top)

  1. Cameron says:

    I followed the instructions and everything went well until I tried to boot from the US drive. For some reason it doesn’t see it and starts windows automatically.

    Cameron

  2. Dimitri says:

    I followed your steps, and formatted the USB, slected the disk, but when I tried to make it active I get an error message saying “There is no partition selected. Please select a partition and try again.”

  3. jumabe says:

    same problem when I tried to active the usb disk

  4. monkiibiz says:

    There’s a step missing. Once you’ve selected the disk you have to run the following command:

    select partition 1

    then you will be able to mark it active

  5. Alma says:

    I followed steps untill: bootsec /nt60 e:/ mbr
    Get error: Could not map drive partitions to the assosiated volume device objects.
    Please help.

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