how do i make a bootable os in a flsh?

Required:
* USB Flash Drive (4GB+)
* Microsoft OS Disk (Vista / Windows 7)
* A computer running Vista / Windows 7

Step 1: Format the Drive
The steps here are to use the command line to format the disk properly using the diskpart utility. [Be warned: this will erase everything on your drive. Be careful.]

1. Plug in your USB Flash Drive

2. Open a command prompt as administrator (Right click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”

3. Find the drive number of your USB Drive by typing the following into the Command Prompt window:

diskpart

list disk

The number of your USB drive will listed. You’ll need this for the next step. I’ll assume that the USB flash drive is disk 1.

4. Format the drive by typing the next instructions into the same window. Replace the number “1” with the number of your disk below.

select disk 1

clean

create partition primary

select partition 1

active

format fs=NTFS

assign

exit

When that is done you’ll have a formatted USB flash drive ready to be made bootable.

Step 2: Make the Drive Bootable
Next we’ll use the bootsect utility that comes on the Vista or Windows 7 disk to make the flash drive bootable. In the same command window that you were using in Step 1:

1. Insert your Windows Vista / 7 DVD into your drive.

2. Change directory to the DVD’s boot directory where bootsect lives:

d:

cd d:\boot

3. Use bootsect to set the USB as a bootable NTFS drive prepared for a Vista/7 image. I’m assuming that your USB flash drive has been labeled disk G:\ by the computer:

bootsect /nt60 g:

4. You can now close the command prompt window, we’re done here.
Step 3: Copy the installation DVD to the USB drive
The easiest way is to use Windows explorer to copy all of the files on your DVD on to the formatted flash drive. After you’ve copied all of the files the disk you are ready to go.

Step 4: Set your BIOS to boot from USB
This is where you’re on your own since every computer is different. Most BIOS’s allow you to hit a key at boot and select a boot option.
I used these instructions to get my new Dell Mini 9 laptop loaded with Windows 7 (the PDC bits). HTH.

DISCLAIMER
I did not write these instructions. I'd gladly give credit where credit's due, but I no longer know where I copied this from - as I remember from a person's blog page.

Following these instructions I was finally able to get my computer to recognize a flash drive at bootup, but be VERY careful. It would be quite easy to wipe out your main drive by accident when formatting the flash drive.
 
Like the last comment. Thats why i always name the drive like master or primary. the other drive is something like secondary or backup. ive made this mistake before.
 
Vista won't fit on a 4GB flash drive, and this only works for Windows 7, from my experience.

This can only be done from Vista or Windows 7, as Diskpart in XP doesn't
recognize USB drives.

* Start Menu, type CMD, Right Click, Run As Administrator
* Type diskpart
* Type LIST DISK to see a list of available disks
* Type SELECT DISK 3 ( in my case it happens to be disk 3)
* Type CLEAN which will wipe the disk
* Type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
* Type SELECT PARTITION 1
* Type ACTIVE to make this partition the active partition.
* Type FORMAT FS=FAT32 (wait for it to get to 100% complete)
* Type ASSIGN so a drive letter gets assigned in explorer.

The USB drive is now bootable.

Load your DVD and copy the entire contents to the root of the USB drive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top