Dear MSFN Members...

Can anyone point me in the right direction for finding the most effective and suitable method of preparing a 16Gb USB Stick to boot from and install Windows 7 onto a brand new workstation PC?

Am using a Dell E6400 Latitude laptop running XP Pro SP2 to prepare the USB Stick. Windows 7 has been downloaded from MSDNA as an iso image and is stored on the laptop ready to be copied on to the USB stick for starting and running the installation.

I have attempted to use several methods for carrying this task out for preparing the USB Stick using MBRWizard and DISKPART (the latter did not work due to MBR incompatilities). I have also had issues with mounting the 64 Bit version of the iso image and also copying the necessary bootmgr files from the mounted image.

If anyone has had to carry out a similiar install using an XP platform for preparing their USB Stick and eventually copying the mounted iso image files onto their USB stick I would be very happy to hear from you,

Rgds,

kontark8344

Welcome to MSFN.

Take a look at the sticky topics in this forum http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/157-install-windows-from-usb/

You'll find everything you need there

Cheers

1) Extract ISO somewhere using 7zip

2) Extract and use WinSetupFromUSB 1.0 beta6:

3) Format the USB stick using the tools provided, try FAT32 or NTFS

4) Select the folder where you extracted Windows 7 in the appropriate field

5) Press GO

6) Test and report back

1) Extract ISO somewhere using 7zip

2) Extract and use WinSetupFromUSB 1.0 beta6:

3) Format the USB stick using the tools provided, try FAT32 or NTFS

4) Select the folder where you extracted Windows 7 in the appropriate field

5) Press GO

6) Test and report back

Hi ilko_t,

Have just tried step 1 - 5: appears to format OK with NTFS...however upon copying the iso image files it complains "cannot copy netfx: The parameter is incorrect"...

I did direct the '5 COPY FILES' path to the iso image which I have mounted using MagicDisc...should I extract them instead? Will try this and report back...

Cheers.

Cheers

Edited December 6, 201015 yr by kontark8344

Hi ilko_t,

Have just tried step 1 - 5: appears to format OK with NTFS...however upon copying the iso image files it complains "cannot copy netfx: The parameter is incorrect"...

I did direct the '5 COPY FILES' path to the iso image which I have mounted using MagicDisc...should I extract them instead? Will try this and report back...

Cheers.

Cheers

ilko_t,

OK tried extracted the iso image file using 7Zip...it only extracted a BOOT folder with a 'Bootable_NoEmulation.img file and a text doc describing UDF info - persisted with WinSetup, it copied OK. On target machine noticed that the HD boot sequence showed the USB Stick as an option - hadn't noticed this before. I had chosen an alternative boot sequence option (removable drives?) and specified the USB Stick as No.1...anyhow rebooted the target and it complained 'No BOOTMGR' this would be right as from the 7zip extract the BOOT folder only had the IMG file unlike the mounted iso from MagicDisc - I have seen this BOOTMGR in the mounted image...questions is am I extracting the iso correctly using 7zip or is there a way around copying the files from the MagicDisc mounted iso image?

Cheers,

kontark8344

I have just tried deleting the 'netfx' folder from the mounted image to try avoid the copy over issue using the mounted iso route...however the files are read-only! Bit stuck for any more ideas at present...look forward to any further advice,

Rgds,

Kontark

Which 7-zip version are you using?

9.20 on Windows 7 x64 opens and extracts Win7 ISOs just fine.

Not sure about MagicDisc mounted ISO, winsetupfromusb.log file in program directory may come handy after attempt to use such source.

You can also use the Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool but you need a iso file and you may need to install dotnet2 & imapi2 hotfix on XP http://store.microsoft.com/help/iso-tool

BTW XP diskpart will not do the trick, you need Vista/7 to make a bootable usb

Edited December 6, 201015 yr by ricktendo64