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Clean installation of Windows 7 from a USB flash drive. Installing an operating system from a flash drive: Step-by-step instructions

This version of the operating system is considered outdated, but it is still popular when it is necessary to reinstall the OS on old or weak netbooks or desktop computers. Few people use disks anymore, so you can install from a flash drive, which requires some preparation of removable media to write Windows from it.

How to install Windows from a flash drive step by step

To a user who has not previously encountered this process, it may seem that installing Windows XP from a flash drive is more difficult than from a disk, but the procedure itself is not so difficult. There are many programs that make it easy to create a USB installation drive. It is especially useful to know how to install Windows on a flash drive for owners of netbooks that simply do not have a floppy drive (CD drive). During the Windows XP installation process you need to:

  • prepare an OS distribution (image);
  • download utilities for preparing a USB drive, recording Windows;
  • configure the BIOS to launch removable media for installation.

Most of these steps will be performed by the necessary programs without your help; you just need to launch them and specify the location of the necessary files. The preparation process is the same for all brands of laptops: Asus, Lenovo, Acer, etc. If you don't have a flash drive, you can use a memory card. This method is also relevant for all subsequent versions of operating systems from Microsoft (Win 7, Vista). Below is a more detailed guide on how to install Windows XP from a flash drive.

Preparing the distribution

The first and mandatory thing you need to install Windows XP from a flash drive is the Windows installer. There are different builds of this version of the OS, but to prevent various errors it is better to use a clean version, without additional programs, it is called Windows XP SP3 MSDN. The installer can be in archive or disk image format; in the first case, all files must be unzipped; in the second, nothing additional needs to be done.

Older computers used an interface to connect an IDE format hard drive, while modern models have all been converted to SATA. To install Windows XP correctly, you must additionally download drivers for the new connection format. Otherwise, the installer simply will not find your hard drive. You can download files without problems on the Internet. To integrate them into the distribution, do the following:

  1. Unpack the operating system image.
  2. Download and install the nLite utility.
  3. Run it, specify the path to the unpacked Windows XP image. If all is well, the program will detect the distribution.
  4. Click “Next” several times until the “Select Tasks” window appears. Click on the "Drivers" button.
  5. Select “Drivers folder”, specify their storage location.
  6. In the long list that appears, find the names that match your computer (make and model). After that, click "Yes".
  7. After the integration process, simply click “Next” and “Finish”.

Creating a bootable USB flash drive

After adding the necessary drivers, it was time to burn the image to removable media. To prepare for installing Windows XP from a flash drive, you need to download the WinToFLash utility, which will do all the necessary actions with minimal user intervention. First you need to prepare removable media: copy all important files from it to your computer, perform a full format. Next, you need to launch the WinToFlash program and perform the following steps:

  1. After launching the utility, a window appears in which you should check the box and click “Next”.
  2. On the new tab you need to specify the path to the operating system distribution, in the second field - the path to the drive.
  3. A window with the rules of the license agreement will pop up, confirm your acceptance.
  4. After this, a window will appear with a warning that all data on the drive will be completely erased, click the “Ok” button.
  5. OS files will be copied within 15 minutes. When the process is complete, click on the “Exit” button.

Installing Windows from a USB flash drive via “My Computer”

If your previous OS is working, then there is an option to start installing Windows from a flash drive without using the settings in the BIOS. After creating bootable media, you just need to go in, find the file with the extension “exe” in the root folder that opens and double-click it to run. A window will appear asking you to update, restore or reinstall the system, select the desired option and click “Next”. The program will perform all further actions itself.

This installation of Windows XP from a flash drive is very easy to set up, but it has its drawbacks, for example, there is no way to format drive C and remove the old OS, which can lead to conflicts in the future. In addition, during boot, the computer will always ask which version of the operating system needs to be loaded (there will be two of them). For a correct reinstallation, it is better to use the method with setting priority boot in the BIOS.

Installing Windows from a USB flash drive via BIOS

To run the installation from removable media as a boot disk, you need to set it as the first priority using the BIOS settings. For this:

  1. Restart your computer and immediately press the “del” button - this will open the desired partition.
  2. Find “Boot” in the top menu and use the arrows to navigate to it.
  3. Next, you need a section called Boot Priority (it may have different names on different computers, but these two words are always present).
  4. On the first line, press “Enter” and select the flash drive.
  5. Save your changes and exit BOIS.

After this, the computer will reboot again and right before the OS is supposed to start, you will be prompted with the steps to update and reinstall Windows. When you click on the desired item, a blue background will appear and files will begin copying. Here are a few steps to follow:

  1. Select the partition (disk) on which the operating system will be installed.
  2. Format the disk or install a new version over the old one.
  3. If desired, you can completely clean the entire hard drive using formatting.

All further setup occurs automatically, the computer will reboot several times - this is normal, you do not need to remove the flash drive from the connector. You'll be asked to enter your product license key, but you can simply skip this step and do it later. You will be required to indicate your time zone, give an account name, and, if necessary, create a password. At the end of the installation, the operating system will open. After this, do not forget to remove the flash drive and return the PC hard drive to BIOS boot priority.

Video: installing XP from a flash drive

If you have a second PC nearby, you can watch a video on how to install Windows from a flash drive on a laptop. They discuss in detail the process of creating a bootable drive, possible problems and errors that arise during preparation or during installation of the OS.

How to create a bootable USB flash drive

Installation errors

Step-by-step instruction

Detailed description of several installation methods Windows 7 or Vista from a flash drive or memory card to any laptop, netbook or computer. The methods described below also apply to Windows 8, 8.1 And 10

Introduction to installing Windows from a flash drive

This guide will cover installation Windows 7 And Vista from a flash drive or memory card. The manual is intended primarily for novice users. It can also be used to install Windows 8, 8.1 And 10 .

This site has already described how to install Windows Vista() And Windows 7(). Everything would be fine, but what to do if you don’t have a DVD drive? But this is a fairly common situation. It is usually encountered by owners of netbooks, portable laptops, as well as those who simply do not have a DVD drive or simply do not have a disk.

Luckily, there is a simple solution to this problem: you need to write the installation files onto a USB flash drive or memory card, and then boot from it and install the system. We will consider how all this can be done within the framework of this material.

Preparing for installation

Before installation Windows 7 or Vista you need to copy all important data from the partition on which you are going to install the system to another partition, to a flash drive or to another computer. Do not forget that by default, documents, desktop contents and programs are located on the system partition. This is due to the fact that for the so-called “clean” installation of Windows, you need to format the partition on which you will install Windows.

Important Note: If you are installing Windows 7 instead of the pre-installed Windows 8, 8.1 or 10, then it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the very important features of this process: Removing the pre-installed Windows 8.

In addition, it is recommended to download and save a set of drivers for your device in advance. This recommendation is due to the fact that the Windows distribution may not initially contain drivers for your network card, Wi-Fi adapter, or your modem. As a result, on a freshly installed system you will not be able to access the Internet and download the required driver. Not the most pleasant development of events. To avoid getting into this vicious circle, it is recommended to download everything in advance. What drivers are needed and where to download them are described in more detail at the end of the article.

Installing Windows 7 or Vista can be roughly divided into the following basic operations:

  1. Preparing a flash drive or memory card with Windows 7 or Vista;
  2. Enabling booting from a flash drive or memory card in the BIOS;
  3. Direct installation of Windows;
  4. Finding and installing drivers;
  5. Installation of utilities and programs.

Let's start preparing the flash drive.

Preparing a flash drive or memory card with Windows 7 or Vista distribution

This guide will describe three ways to burn a distribution package with Windows Vista or Windows 7 to a USB flash drive. In terms of complexity, the first method is simpler than the second, and the third is a little simpler than the first.

The first way to install Windows from a flash drive

To install Windows using the first method, we will need:

  1. Distribution for the Windows operating system. It is recommended to use original MSDN assemblies as they have the least unexpected problems. Recently, Windows 7 distributions can be downloaded from the Microsoft website after entering the serial number;
  2. A set of utilities that you can download from the links: / ;
  3. Flash drive or memory card with a capacity of 4 GB or more. It is advisable to use a flash drive or external USB card reader with a memory card. This recommendation is due to the fact that a laptop, tablet or PC does not always allow you to boot from a memory card in the built-in card reader.

Important Note: If you don’t know which version of Windows to install on your laptop (32-bit or 64-bit), then I recommend that you read this material:. I also recommend checking out this article:. It will help you choose the version of the operating system, and also give answers to many questions.

First, copy the image of Windows 7 or Vista in the format iso to the hard drive. Then install and run the utility Ultra ISO, which is present in the archive via the links above. A window like this should open:


Since we are using a demo version of this utility, click on Trial period. Now you need to open iso image with the operating system. To do this, click on the menu File -> Open...:


We indicate where the image with the operating system is located:


and select the item Burn a hard disk image:


Now insert the flash drive or memory card into your laptop or computer.

Important Note: The contents of the Flash drive or memory card will be deleted while the system image is being written to it. Therefore, it is necessary to copy all important data either to your hard drive or to another computer.

Click on the button Format:


Select the file system type and click Begin:



Now click on the button Write down:




That's all. Now you have a memory card or flash drive with the system.

Let's now consider the second method. It will be more difficult.

Second way

As in the first method, we will need a distribution kit with the operating system (on disk or in the form iso image) and a flash drive/memory card with a capacity of 4 GB or more.

Important Note: Before starting preparation, you need to copy all the necessary information from a flash drive or memory card. It will be formatted and all information on it will be deleted.

First you need to insert a flash drive or memory card into your laptop and run Command line(this can be done either through the menu Start, and through Execute(press Win + R) and enter the command cmd). It looks something like this:


Enter the command diskpart and press Enter:


To display a list of all storage devices, enter the command list disk and press Enter:


The flash drive in the screenshot above appears as Disc 2. You may have it under a different number (1, for example). Enter the command select disk 2 and press Enter(2 is the disk number. If you have a flash drive number 1 (Disk 1), then you should enter the command select disk 1. It is very important!):


Enter the command clean, which cleans the selected disk, and press Enter:


Enter the command create partition primary:


Now we need to select the first section. To do this, enter the command select partition 1:

:

Enter the command active:


Format the section. To do this, enter format fs=NTFS and press Enter:


Assign a letter to the flash drive using the command assign letter=Z:


After this, the flash drive should appear in the system. Enter the command Exit and press Enter:


Now we copy all the files from the distribution disk to the flash drive. If you have an ISO image with a distribution, I recommend using the utility 7-Zip, which you can also find in the archive using the links above (/). Install this utility and select iso Windows image:


Click on the button Extract and indicate your flash drive:



That's all. We figured out the second method.

The third easiest way to install Windows 7 or Vista

The third method is described in detail in this manual: . Everything is simple and clear even for a complete beginner.

So. We're done preparing the flash drive. If at this stage you have problems, then you can seek help in these forum topics: and. I urge you to read the topic before asking. Most likely, your problem has already been raised and resolved. This way you will save your time.

As a result, the flash drive should contain approximately the following files and folders:


Let's move on to the second point.

Enabling booting from a flash drive or memory card in the BIOS.

Turn off your laptop, netbook or computer, put a flash drive or memory card in it and turn it on. This is very important because some laptops and other equipment do not recognize flash drives in the BIOS that were inserted after being turned on. It should also be noted that not all laptops and netbooks are capable of booting from a memory card that is inserted into the built-in card reader. In this case, you need to look for either an external USB card reader or a USB flash drive.

We go into the laptop BIOS. To do this, when the laptop starts booting, you need to press a certain key. As a rule, when loading, the bottom of the screen indicates which button to press to enter the BIOS. Most often this F2, Del, Esc and others. How to enter the BIOS should be described in the instructions for the laptop and at the bottom of the screen when loading the BIOS.

After entering the BIOS, you need to find where the boot order is configured. Typically these settings are located on the tab BOOT. To change the boot order, buttons are usually used F5 And F6, sometimes something like a menu is used. Click on the item and select the device. As a rule, the settings page indicates which buttons can be used to change the download list. How to change the boot order should also be indicated in the instructions for the laptop.

Install your flash drive or memory card on first place in the download list. Flash drives usually act as USB-HDD. The loading order should look something like this:


After saving the settings, a reboot should follow. Now you can proceed to installing the system.

Direct installation of Windows 7 or Vista

Installation Windows 7 And Windows Vista from a flash drive or memory card completely similar installation from disk. The procedure itself is described in detail in the manuals: and. Pay special attention to operations with selecting a partition for installation and disk operations.

Finding and installing drivers

So. Windows you have installed. Now you need to start installing drivers.

Since this guide is intended primarily for beginners, we need to say a few words about what a driver is and what it is needed for. I think it’s no secret to anyone that a laptop, computer or other similar device consists of a great many components such as a motherboard, network card, video card, sound card. In order for the operating system to fully work with them, some kind of connecting link is needed. This link is the driver. IN Windows, like many other operating systems, many devices already have drivers. Yes, they work somewhat, but they will not allow you to fully utilize the capabilities of the various devices in your laptop or computer. To fix this, you need to install drivers on the same video card, sound card and other devices.

For your convenience, guide pages have also been created with links to sets of drivers and applications for a wide variety of laptop models:

  • Lenovo:
  • Asus:
  • Acer, Packard Bell and eMachines: Drivers for Acer, eMachines and Packard Bell laptops

In general, you should start searching for a driver for your laptop or computer here: . There is a whole article on drivers for webcams: . The article is short and quite useful.

Also, the following forum topics can greatly help you in finding a driver for your laptop or computer:

  1. . The first message contains a small guide on finding and installing the required driver;
  2. . Pay special attention to the first message of the topic;

When searching for a solution to a problem on the forum, pay special attention to the first messages of various topics. They usually contain typical solutions to the most common problems, and also have extensive collections of drivers and instructions on what to do with them.

They can help you in the process of solving problems. Answers to the most frequently asked questions are collected there.

Installing programs and utilities

So. We somehow sorted out the drivers. Now all that remains are programs and utilities. The situation here is complicated by the fact that each manufacturer has its own set of proprietary utilities. Some system drivers are often installed with those utilities. Therefore, it is often impossible to ignore their installation. Some of them are really needed for the normal operation of the laptop, namely for the operation of additional keys, for the operation of the display, for the webcam, for wireless adapters, and so on.

How these utilities are roughly installed and what to do with them in general using laptops as an example Asus shown in the manual: . To devices Acer, eMachines And Packard Bell installation of utilities comes down to installation Launch Manager, on laptops HP - HP Quick Launch Buttons and so on. You can discuss proprietary utilities in this forum thread: .

If you have problems with drivers and some programs that are designed to Windows XP, V Windows Vista or Windows 7, then I recommend reading this article: .

That's all.

Please ask all questions related to installing Windows 7 in this forum topic: , questions about installing Windows Vista in this topic: . I remind you once again that before asking, read the topic. Your question has most likely already been asked and answered.

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    • This material is dedicated to installing Windows operating systems from a USB flash drive. Many skeptics still claim that this is impossible, and if it is possible, it is very difficult, but the very existence of this material proves the opposite. Installing Windows XP, Vista, 7.8 from a flash drive is much more convenient than from a disk, since a flash drive does not require a disk drive, is better stored and is much more portable than a floppy disk.

    As you know, you can install Windows using a disk in two ways: through a running system by running the installer from the disk in My Computer and through the BIOS. From a USB flash drive you can install any Windows in the same way.

    Installing Windows from a USB flash drive via My Computer

    So, let's start with the simplest thing, installing Windows via a USB flash drive from the My Computer window. In order to install the operating system in this way, we need a working OS, a computer on which we will install Windows (In order to record the system installation on a flash drive), a USB flash drive and Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 itself, which we will install, or rather her image.

    Now we need to prepare the flash drive by recording the OS on it. You need to not just copy the system files to a flash drive, but write them in a special way using the UltraISO program. So let's get started:

    1. Install the UltraISO program and open it.

    2. Select the Boot tab >> Burn hard disk image

    3. In the window that appears, select the flash drive where we will write the installation, the image file and check that the recording method is USB-HDD+. When everything has been checked, click Record and wait until the recording finishes.

    After successfully recording the OS onto the USB flash drive, let's begin the actual installation of the system. Go to the flash drive and run the setup.exe file, which should be in the Windows files, in the root of the flash drive. After launch, a window should appear in which we select the Windows installation. The normal Windows installation will begin, which is described in detail, and there is no point in describing it again. After rebooting, the computer will continue the installation until it is completed.

    The disadvantage of installing through My Computer is that you cannot format the disk on which a running operating system is currently installed. If this does not suit you, proceed to the point below.

    Installing Windows from a USB flash drive via BIOS

    This is a more labor-intensive installation compared to the first one, via My Computer. First, prepare a flash drive by copying the Windows operating system there, as described in the previous type of installation.

    Having prepared the flash drive, we need to prepare the computer to boot into the BIOS to install Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8. Restart the computer. While the first graphic images appear on the screen, usually the logo of the motherboard manufacturer, press the DEL button on the keyboard until the settings screen appears. This is the BIOS. Now find the Boot tab, and if your BIOS background is blue, look for Advanced BIOS Features in the left column and use the arrows to hover your pointer and press ENTER on your keyboard. The following window should now appear with the computer boot options.

    If you have a gray BIOS, you may immediately see the boot order that we need, or a choice may appear where you find Boot Device Priority and hover over the pointer and press ENTER. If you did everything correctly, the boot order of devices on your computer should be displayed. Set it so that USB is first, CD/DVD Disk is second, Hard Disk is third.

    The value names may be slightly changed from what is written, but you should understand. When the boot order is as described, press F10 on your keyboard, then ENTER. We just set the boot order so that the flash drive boots first, then the floppy drive, and then the hard drive. This is a completely harmless option, which after installing Windows does not need to be returned to its previous state.

    If you have a blue BIOS, put it in First Boot Device - USB-HDD, Second Boot Device - CDROM, Third Boot Device - Hard Disk or HDD-0, then press F10 and then ENTER.

    After everything is done correctly, the computer should reboot. We wait for a message to appear on the screen, something like “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD...”, then press any button to start installing Windows, which is described in detail.

    If you want to install something other than Windows using a flash drive, the essence of the steps will be exactly the same. However, if you want to install one of the Linux distributions, you can use programs that will make recording the OS installation on a flash drive even easier. Such programs include Linux Live USB Creator and uNetBoot. These programs are also an excellent replacement for UltraISO, which was discussed above.

    If you need to install Windows 7 from a flash drive via BIOS, then our article will be a great help for you.

    Installing a new operating system on a computer is a fairly common problem that can arise due to the slightest malfunction of the system or the actions of an inept PC user.

    This issue also became relevant in connection with the statement by official representatives of Windows about the suspension of technical support for the XP operating system.

    Today, almost all users have completely switched to the so-called seven.

    Our step-by-step instructions will help you quickly and easily bring your computer back to life.

    Preparing the computer to reinstall Windows

    Before you start working on new software, you need to properly prepare your PC.

    First you need to remember what important information is stored on your computer and save it to a portable storage device.

    Particular attention should be paid to the local drive C, as it is where the largest amount of information is saved.

    Almost all users store their media files (photos, videos) in the “My Documents” folder or directly on the desktop.

    These files are often located on the disk along with the already installed OS. You can also use the free space of another local drive to save information.

    It is very important before reinstalling Windows to check whether there are drivers for the network card on the PC.

    If you install a new system via USB, and then it turns out that the distribution does not contain drivers for the network card, then you will not be able to configure the drivers and Internet connection.

    For your own confidence, it is better to once again make sure that the drivers are available.

    Also, be sure to check if you have drivers for your sound card, audio card, video card, etc.

    Preparing a flash card for software installation

    To install an operating system from a flash drive, we recommend following these rules:

    • The minimum size of the flash drive must be 4 GB. This is the amount of space required to save all important components and files;
    • Mandatory preparation of a Windows 7 distribution kit for recording and saving its image (*iso format);
    • Selecting a program to create a disk image.

    We install and run the utility on the PC, and then select a pre-selected disk image from it.

    Step-by-step instructions for using the program will help you quickly understand all the intricacies.

    1. Launch

    2. Now the main working window opens in front of you

    3. Let's move on to recording the hard disk image

    4. Now you need to connect the flash memory and enable formatting. When the flash drive formatting process is completed, you can start recording.

    5. After recording is complete, the space on your flash drive will contain Windows, with which you will perform the reinstallation.

    Comment! To create a flash drive for installing the system via BIOS, you can use the toolsWindows.

    Setting up Bios to work with a bootable USB flash drive

    Just connecting the installation flash drive to the PC to install new software is not enough; preliminary configuration of the computer is required so that it starts booting from it when turned on.

    All settings are made in Bios. Any laptop or computer has a BIOS, which stores important settings, including the order in which devices should boot.

    It is this setting that we now need for further fruitful work.

    To launch Bios, you need to hold or press a certain key on the keyboard when you turn on the computer.

    You can find out which key we need from the information on the monitor. Typically these keys are Esc, Delete, F2.

    If you have entered Bios, one of the following screens will appear in front of you:

    Option #1:

    Option #2:

    If your login attempt fails, restart your computer again and try starting the BIOS again.

    To make things easier for you, we have placed a table with the main options for enabling Bios.

    Keyboard combinations for logging inBIOS depending on manufacturerBIOS

    Basic key combinations for launchingBIOS depending on laptop and computer manufacturers

    After you get into the Bios, you need to find the option that is responsible for loading devices. Usually it is in the menu and its name contains the word BOOT.

    Other options are not excluded; you may even have to look.

    Here are some examples:

    Option #1:

    Option #2:

    Option #3:

    Option #4:

    Option #5:

    As a rule, selecting the main device to boot is done by pressing the arrows on the keyboard, although sometimes there are other control methods.

    If you can’t figure it out yourself, then refer to the help that appears in the BIOS.

    In our case, the first boot device is a USB-HDD (there may be another name).

    After selecting it, you need to exit the Bios and save all settings using the Save and Exit Setup item.

    After this step, the computer should reboot and we will move on to the main stage for which we are here.

    Installing Windows 7 using a bootable USB flash drive

    If everything was correctly written to the flash drive space, and the correct settings were made in the BIOS, then you will see the following message on the monitor screen, which says that you should press any key to activate the boot.

    If there is no such inscription, then you will have to check your actions. To do this, go to Bios and make sure that the boot from flash drive setting is saved.

    If there are no errors in the Bios, then most likely you were unable to create a bootable USB flash drive and you need to repeat the whole process again.

    If there is an inscription, then congratulations, your installation of the new Windows version via BIOS has begun.

    Some installation images, in addition to the operating system itself, also contain various additional programs, then you will have to select the required item from the menu.

    It is also worth saying that some disks perform most of the settings described below by default.

    There is no need to worry about this, since all settings can be changed after the software installation process is completed.

    A welcome screen appears in front of you, on which you select the necessary data. After the setup has been completed, click on the “Next” button, and then “Install”.

    In a new window, the terms of the license agreement appear in front of us, which you, of course, read very carefully, and then agree by checking the special box and clicking the “Next” button.

    Computer crashes are not uncommon. Either the antivirus will miss and viruses will settle in the system, then the program will install incorrectly and start sending spam in the form of error messages, or after the next Windows update it will retire. One way or another, one of the solutions to the problems is still to reinstall Windows. It seems simple: we swam, we know, we used the installation disk more than once. But this tricky trick doesn’t always work now. Netbooks don't have DVD drives. So the question comes to mind, how to reinstall Windows from a flash drive on a PC? It's actually very simple.

    Step No. 1: Prepare the computer

    Let's start with a banal action - copying data from local drive C. For some, it may be news that after reinstalling Windows, all information on the hard drive will be deleted. But you and I know this well and therefore do not forget to take care in advance of backing up important documents and files from the working drive C.

    Step #2: Create a bootable flash drive

    It's no secret that you can turn an ordinary flash drive into an installation drive in a variety of ways. One way or another, all original data on it will be deleted, regardless of the method used. At the same time, to write a bootable Windows image to a USB drive, the following methods are most often used:

    • configuration via command line;
    • processing in the Rufus utility;
    • writing an iso image to a flash drive via DAEMON Tools;
    • recording in the UltraISO program;
    • preparation using the program Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool;

    Each of these methods, of course, has its own advantages. However, the easiest way is probably to use utilities such as Rufus and DAEMON Tools. If you want to try other methods, read on.

    Option #1: DAEMON Tools Ultra

    You can download the program directly from the official website. Actually, it is paid, but the developers provide users with the opportunity to test it absolutely free for 20 days. Agree, during this time, not just one, but a whole ton of flash drives can be prepared.

    How to work with DAEMON Tools Ultra? Simple enough. Open the program, go to the “Tools” menu and select the “Burn boot image...” item in it:

    After that, insert a flash drive with a memory capacity of 8 Gb or more into the computer and one by one perform the following actions in the program:

    1. select a USB drive;
    2. specify the access path to the Windows boot image;
    3. set the MBR parameter for recording;
    4. put a tick next to the “Format” item;
    5. select the file system. For those who do not know the difference between FAT32 and NTFS and which one to give preference to, let us explain. The first type of file system is suitable for computers with a standard BIOS. In UEFI, devices with NTFS are often unreadable. But FAT32 can be used in both versions of the BIOS;
    6. if necessary, register the volume label (rename the flash drive);
    7. Check the availability of free space on the USB drive and press the “Start” button.

    The process looks something like this:

    In principle, this is all that is needed, so after clicking “Start” the Windows image will begin to be written to the flash drive automatically:

    All that remains is to wait for completion and then click the “Finish” button:

    Simple as pie, right?

    Option #2: Rufus

    It is equally convenient to create a USB drive with an ISO image of Windows using the Rufus 1.4.12 program. You can also download it absolutely free from the official website of the developer. The instructions for it look like this:


    Step No. 3: Setting up the computer to start

    Once the installation USB media with the Windows image is ready, you can safely begin editing the computer boot process. Note that you can set it to run from a flash drive in different ways:

    1. using hot keys;
    2. via BIOS.

    In the first case, when booting the PC, just press a special button, and then select startup from a USB drive from the options offered. As a hint:

    In the second case, in order to enter the BIOS, when the computer boots, you will need to press F1 / Del / F2 / F3 / Tab + F2 / Esc on the keyboard. Key combinations may vary depending on the PC manufacturer, as well as options for actions after opening the program itself. True, the reason for the discrepancies will be different - a different interface in BIOS versions (Award, AMI, Phoenix-Award, UEFI).