Installing windows without optical drive how to#
Installing windows without optical drive full version#
Installing windows without optical drive install#
Installing windows without optical drive iso#
Installing windows without optical drive download#

Installing windows without optical drive install#

When you install it you will want to pay close attention.

Installing windows without optical drive iso#

It is a free program used to either burn or rip DVD image files and it works with ISO files.

You will rip the disc to an ISO file using a program like ImgBurn. If you buy a copy on disc, then you will need to do this step on another computer.

Installing windows without optical drive full version#

Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade from MS is $119 while an OEM disk of the full version can be found online for under $100. It might be the easiest, but it is not the cheapest. An ISO file is a copy of the disk in one single file.

Installing windows without optical drive download#

If you go with this route, then the easiest thing is to actually use your Notebook to download Windows itself in ISO format from Microsoft. If you want to follow that method, then follow the steps laid out here.ДЄ much easier method of preparing the USB flash drive is to use the Microsoft Windows USB/DVD Download Tool. You would have to go into the Command Prompt and use a utility called DISPART and BOOSECT. Then you copy your install disc contents. The long way requires preparing the USB flash drive and making it bootable. There is the long way to do this or the short way. So take off whatever might be on it that you want to save. You will also want to start with it empty. Make sure that it has at least 4 GB on it.

We will assume you are using a flash drive. In order to install Windows on your computer you will be using a USB drive, like a Flash drive or external hard disk drive. Then after you install it later you can reactivate it. Programs like iTunes or Adobe Photoshop have activation. You could also just ask in the comments below and maybe we or our readers can help.ДЄ final step is to make sure you deactivate certain software. If you donвЂ™t know where something is stored in order to back it up, then do a Google search, go to your softwareвЂ™s web site or look in the Help.

Installing windows without optical drive how to#

How to use the Windows Backup in Windows Vista (works similar in Windows 7) To find it click Start and type Backup (in Vista or 7). It has the capability of backing up to a drive or a network location. You could do this manually, use a backup program, or WindowsвЂ™ own backup utility. One thing you could do is just copy your entire User folder (in Windows Vista or 7 it is on your main drive under C:Users Windows XP it is under C:Documents and Settings). But some might have to be exported from within the program. Some of these things are as easy as copy and paste in Explorer. Get all of this content onto an external disc via USB or your network connection. DonвЂ™t use the same USB drive you plan to install Windows with. Either connect to a network or plug in a USB drive and copy everything want to keep. The first thing you will want to do is make sure you get everything you want off the computer.

ImgBurn for ripping your installation disc if you choose that route.

Another computer with an optical drive may be needed borrow a friends or go to a public computer lab.

A flash drive with at least 4 GB more if you want to put stuff other than Windows install files on it.

A copy of the Windows installation disc and not just your recovery discs (for our purpose we will use Windows 7 which you can get for around $100 as an OEM version or cheaper from a campus bookstore if you are a student).

So how do you install a new OS without an external or internal drive? It could be that you are not too cheap, but are too broke. Maybe youвЂ™re like me too cheap to drop $50-$150 on an external drive. The simplest way to install a new OS is to buy an external optical drive, plug it in, and after inserting the Windows installation disc into the drive, boot the computer from that drive.

This tutorial will show you how to install Windows without a CD drive. Or maybe you are like me and bought a computer that has Windows 7 Starter Edition and want to upgrade to Home Premium or some other version. Could be that you have one of those Linux Netbooks and want to go with Windows. Maybe your Netbook came with Windows XP and you want 7 on it or vice versa. There are a number of use case scenarios where you would need to install Windows onto a computer without an optical drive.

This can save you the cost of buying an external optical drive for your Netbook. But it is not impossible and with the right tools, it is doable. If you have a notebook computer without an optical drive and want to install Windows onto it, you have a challenge.