How To Install Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 Using USB Drive

Suppose you have a notebook pc and want to upgrade it to windows 7, 8, or 8.1. You may be wondering how to do it without external DVD drive. Isn’t it? Or sometimes, we face the problem with DVD writer as it is not working. In such a condition, what can be a perfect way to install windows without DVD drive. If you are suffering from the same problem then you have come to the right place. We will help you to get out of the problem.

Installing windows with USB drive is quite same job as installing it from DVD drive. To install from USB drive, we need to make the USB drive bootable. Here we will suggest you two ways to install windows.

Note 1:  During booting, on BIOS screen, boot from USB drive and not from Hard disk. You have to manually do that by pressing prompted function keys.

Note: All you need to have a minimum of 4 GB USB drive. I recommend to disable your anti-virus program because it will not allow to copy “autorun.inf” to USB drive.

Installing with Novicorp WinToFlash utility:-

1. If you have an ISO image of windows or any other zip compressed or any other type, just extract it to a folder.

2. Plug in USB drive into your system.
3. Format the USB drive as FAT32 file system.

4. Open the software by double clicking on WinToFlash.exe. However currently it is in beta version. So you don’t need to install it.

5.  Follow on-screen instructions.
6. Click on Windows Setup Transfer Wizard. (If shown)

7. Now choose the windows path where your Windows folder is stored and USB drive.

8. Accept the terms and conditions.


9. This format warning screen may appear, do accept it.


10. During transfer again a warning screen may appear regarding locking drive, select OK.

11. Wait until transfer process completes.

 All done.

Installing windows without any software or utility. (Recommended):-

This method doesn’t  require any software. I always transfer windows by this method into my USB drive. Hope it work.

Follow steps 1-3 if required. and then :-

4. Go to the folder where your windows copy is saved. (Means where you extracted it)

5. Go inside the folders where all the windows installation files and folders are. As shown in the image.

6. Copy all files and folders and paste them directly to your USB drive.

Wait until it is finished. And you are now ready to install.

Attention: Please copy files and folders from within the windows folder and not one level up. Because during booting and installing, system picks the files and folders directly from the USB drive not from inside the folders. I wish you got. Feel free to clear doubts.

Note: - Check out our alternative way to install Windows Here