This technique is very cool for two reasons:

1. A flash drive is much more responsive than an optical drive since it doesn’t rely on physical moving parts, so the installation procedure will be faster.
2. It provides an easy way to install Microsoft Windows 7 on a system that doesn’t have a DVD drive, such as a netbook.

Before you begin

First, you need to have a USB drive big enough to store the files. I’d recommend at least 4 GB.
You will have to reformat your entire flash drive for this, so make sure all your files are backed up before you begin.
Also, check to make sure your computer can boot from a flash drive. Most newer computers can do this, but it’s always a good idea to check.

Using the DiskPart utility to configure your USB drive

The DiskPart utility allows you to manage disks, partitions, or volumes from within scripts or directly from a command prompt. You’ll use this simple method to configure your USB drive.

Step One

– connect your USB flash drive to a computer.

Step Two

– locate the command prompt shortcut on the Start menu, then right click on it and select the “Run as administrator” command. If you’re running Vista, that annoying little UAC window will pop up. Get rid of it and proceed. You can now launch the DiskPart utility by typing “Diskpart” on the command line. Now, the real fun begins.

Step Three

– locate the flash drive on DiskPart. Type in “List disk” into the command prompt. You can verify which disk # is the flash drive by looking at the size. If you’re still unsure, you can type “List volume”. This will tell you the drive letter as well as the label.

Step Four

– use the “Select Disk” command to shift focus over to the flash drive. For example, if your USB drive is Disk 4, you’ll type in “Select Disk 4″. It should then tell you “Disk 4 is now the selected disk.”

Step Five

– to complete the preparation, you’ll need to format your flash drive. Type “Clean” into the command prompt. This should be quick and painless.

Step Six

– type in “Create partition primary” into the command prompt. Once the partition is created, you should see a success message. The focus should then shift to the new partition. Use the “Active” command to mark the petition as Active. This will allow the BIOS to recognize that yes, you can boot to this new disk. The USB drive is now ready! Type in “Exit” to leave DiskPart and close the command prompt.

Step Seven

– copy the Windows 7 files. This part is easy. Just open Windows Explorer, double click on the Windows 7 DVD, click Ctrl-A to select all the files, then drag them all onto the USB drive icon. Copying the files takes a while, so sit back and relax. You’re almost there.

Step Eight

– to install Windows 7, you’ll need to restart your computer and boot to the USB drive. As your computer is restarting, look for a message during the POST about a particular key, usually Del or F2, that you need to press to enter Setup. Press this key as soon as you see the message. Once you enter the setup, you’ll need to locate and change the boot order. If this sounds too confusing, just ask your IT guy for assistance.

Once you save the changes and restart your computer, installation should be easy. The installation procedure will actually run much quicker than usual off the USB drive.