How to install Windows from a flash drive.

All PC owners without drives, or netbooks, always had a question: "How to install Windows XP from a USB flash drive?". After all, if the OS flies, then without the drive installation from the disk is not real, and then USB-drives come to the rescue.

In addition to a removable drive, we need a "Win Setup from USB" program. It can be easily found on the Internet. And it weighs only a few megabytes.

First you need to read the instructions for the work ahead. And after you have already clarified some details.

How to install Windows from a flash drive: step 1.

First we need to format the USB flash drive. It is desirable to format in the NTFS file system. As a result, writing, installing and copying files will be much faster than if you made it in FAT format.

Moreover, the new versions of the program do not allow you to fill the Windows distribution on a medium with a FAT system.

How to install Windows from a flash drive: step 2.

The image of Windows XP needs to be mounted in a virtual drive. This can be done using the "Ultra ISO" or "Daemon Tools" program. You can also use a real disk with this operating system.

You can use any assembly. For example, even such assemblies, where the distribution includes various drivers and programs. "Win Setup from USB" will only fill in the necessary files to install Windows and no more.

How to install Windows from a flash drive: step 3.

In the USB Disk Selection drop-down list, select the media on which the installation files will be copied. In addition, you need to choose the type of USB-drive. If you have a simple flash drive, then choose "Removable". The "Fixed" option is suitable for external USB hard drives, otherwise called "USB-HDD".

How to install Windows from a flash drive: step 4.

At the last stage, you just need to specify the path to the virtual or real drive, where there is a Windows distribution. Then we press the button "Forward!" And wait until the copying is finished.

At the end of the copy the program will give you some explanations so that you are not mistaken when installing.

Some details of working with the program.

BOOT.INI field adjustments: you can specify the name of the folder where Windows will be installed at its discretion. By default, this is the WINDOWS directory .

In addition, it indicates the number of the hard disk (if the computer has 2 or more disks) and a partition. By default, this is the local drive "C" on the first hard disk.

Note that the numbering of hard disks starts at 0, and local disks start at 1.

Vista Setup / PE / Recovery ISO: This item is needed when you install Windows 7 or Vista.

Instructions for installing the operating system.

In fact, installing Windows from a disk or from an external media is not particularly different. The only difference is that you need to specify in the BIOS so that it is loaded from an external drive, and not from the drive. Or, via the boot menu, by pressing the F2 or F12 key (depending on the BIOS version).

Next, when you boot from the flash drive, immediately see two items. First, select " First part of ..." . And then everything will go on in the same way as when installing the operating system from the disk.

Agreement with the terms of the license, by pressing the F8 key. Next, the hard disks will be scanned, and all the partitions of each of them (if there are several of them) are defined.

Then you will be asked to choose the drive where to hang the OS. This is rather strange, because in theory there is a point in the program where to install. It turns out, in fact, that setting BOOT.INI adjustments only affects the location of the Boot.ini file and no more.

Choose whether to format the local disk or not. We press the installation and wait.

After this stage is completed, the computer will reboot, and you will again have a menu with two already familiar items. This time choose "Second part ...". This will invoke the final part of the installation of the new operating system.

Drivers and other programs you can easily pour on a USB flash drive or a removable HDD and install it from there. Well, or, if the Internet allows, download from there.

So, I hope you understand how to install Windows from a USB flash drive. Of course, there is nothing complicated in this, and anyone can cope with the task.