Tip for installing windows 7 from USB

L

lukesow

New Member
I know many of you will k ow this already but I recently did a new build on a desktop pc and the only part I got stuck on was when I was installing windows 7 from USB (after telling the pc to boot from USB) the installation got so far and then an error message came up something like "please install CD/DVD drivers first"

Anyway a long story short, I figured the problem was I was using a USB 3 port. Just thought I'd share in case others had this problem. There wasn't any help. That I could find online.

Hope this helps someone.
 
I wouldn't have thought it would matter whether it is USB2 or USB3.

The windows installation is not really an installation as such. On the windows cd/Flash drive under sources is a install.wim disk image. All the installation does is apply this image to the hard disk and then reboots into the mini setup to complete installation / configuration. Once the image is applied to the disk and rebooted the flash drive is no longer required as the files are already on the hard disk by now.

At what point during the installation is it stopping and asking for the cd? Is it after the first reboot or before?
 
cjmarsh81 said:
I wouldn't have thought it would matter whether it is USB2 or USB3.

The windows installation is not really an installation as such. On the windows cd/Flash drive under sources is a install.wim disk image. All the installation does is apply this image to the hard disk and then reboots into the mini setup to complete installation / configuration. Once the image is applied to the disk and rebooted the flash drive is no longer required as the files are already on the hard disk by now.

At what point during the installation is it stopping and asking for the cd? Is it after the first reboot or before?
Click to expand...

This is not a problem for me mate, i'm just offering advice. The reason for doing so is because I was as baffled as you as to why I got this error. If I can remember correctly, after I changed the boot options in the BIOS, I inserted the USB and rebooted the computer. The installation started and I got to the stage where it is 'copying files'. I think it was here that the error appears.

Anyway, after a couple of reboots and searching the internet, unplugging the CD/DVD drive etc... I moved the USB to a USB 2 port and it solved the problem.

Weird but this MAY help someone and yet it may not but its worth sharing anyway in case it can be beneficial.
 
Windows 7 has no native support for USB3.0 - You've got two options:

Build your own windows 7 image with usb3.0 drivers (best to whack the whole lot for all controllers/devices in there)

Use a USB2.0 port
 
Yeah it's good to know.

I do a bit of deployment work with winpe and customised hta's. Surprised I haven't come across this sooner.
 
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