O.S. installed from flash drive

[J-Acito]

I'm getting ready to build a new starter gaming system. I'm seriously considering foregoing the optical drive route. If I do, how do I get Windows 8.1 onto a flash drive to install it?

 

[imagoon]

I use the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool. It can read the raw ISO and put it on a 4 - 8 gig USB stick for you.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

Works for everything Windows 7 and newer so far. Just used it this week to upgrade the office test tablet to 8.1.

 

[corkyg]

Also, it is a good idea to have an external optical in case you ever need to rip a music CD or movie DVD, or read files archived on a CD/DVD.

 

[Skaendo]

If he's gaming he isn't going to need a optical drive?

 

[imagoon]

If he's gaming he isn't going to need a optical drive?

Not most of the time anymore.

 

[Skaendo]

Not most of the time anymore.

I guess that I prefer to have a hard copy of whatever software I have.

 

[HOSED]

Once you get an iso file http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/ is a great tool. I have had success with various verions of Windows (but have not tried 8) as well as Linux Distros and various tools.

 

[imagoon]

I guess that I prefer to have a hard copy of whatever software I have.

Optical media is slowly going the way of the dodo. Most games don't bother with it anymore. Some of the 'new' ones have even gone as far as using the CD to launch a downloader.

 

[Skaendo]

Optical media is slowly going the way of the dodo. Most games don't bother with it anymore. Some of the 'new' ones have even gone as far as using the CD to launch a downloader.

I try to find a way around this like just for example; Adobe Reader. You go to their website, download a downloader (which makes no sense to me in the first place), then the downloader downloads Reader. What I do is go to their FTP and just download the full installer. Screw the middle man.

I get it that it can save money for game developers to just make a download by not having to press a CD/DVD. But what if I want to install it on a computer that doesn't have internet access? I know that that is a strech in these times, but I have computers that I don't connect to the internet at all, so it's completely feasible.

 

[imagoon]

I try to find a way around this like just for example; Adobe Reader. You go to their website, download a downloader (which makes no sense to me in the first place), then the downloader downloads Reader. What I do is go to their FTP and just download the full installer. Screw the middle man.

I get it that it can save money for game developers to just make a download by not having to press a CD/DVD. But what if I want to install it on a computer that doesn't have internet access? I know that that is a strech in these times, but I have computers that I don't connect to the internet at all, so it's completely feasible.

I don't think they generally care about the non attached computers most of the time now.

 

[SMOGZINN]

I use the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool. It can read the raw ISO and put it on a 4 - 8 gig USB stick for you.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

Works for everything Windows 7 and newer so far. Just used it this week to upgrade the office test tablet to 8.1.

I tried this yesterday, just as I have a number of times in the past, and the Window 7 USB tool gave me an error telling me that Windows 8 is not supported. They might have changed it recently.

Anyway you can download Windows 8 from here and then choose 'Install to a USB drive' and it will create a bootable USB install stick.

I try to find a way around this like just for example; Adobe Reader. You go to their website, download a downloader (which makes no sense to me in the first place), then the downloader downloads Reader. What I do is go to their FTP and just download the full installer. Screw the middle man.

I get it that it can save money for game developers to just make a download by not having to press a CD/DVD. But what if I want to install it on a computer that doesn't have internet access? I know that that is a strech in these times, but I have computers that I don't connect to the internet at all, so it's completely feasible.

Even if you do this most games these days require online authentication to run, at least the first time ran. If they bring those servers down, your install disks are useless.

 

[imagoon]

I tried this yesterday, just as I have a number of times in the past, and the Window 7 USB tool gave me an error telling me that Windows 8 is not supported. They might have changed it recently.

Yeah that is strange, I just used it to burn the 8.1 iso this week. Updated the USB tool on Monday also because I hadn't used it on this laptop before. Maybe the .iso is done differently than a actual DVD?

 

[schmuckley]

eh..$12 fer usb vs $20 for dvd burner + less hassles..
Your choice.

 

[WilliamM2]

I've used the Win7 USB tool for Win 8. Win 8.1, and Win 8.1 update 1. No issues with any of them. 8 is definitely supported.

 

[imagoon]

eh..$12 fer usb vs $20 for dvd burner + less hassles..
Your choice.

I think I would value "less hassles" at about $0.05 myself. The sub 8 minute install time from USB stick? Awesome when installing 30 machines at a site without a deployment server.

Even tossed in a "post install" process to install a few hundred meg of updates also.

 

[PliotronX]

Also, it is a good idea to have an external optical in case you ever need to rip a music CD or movie DVD, or read files archived on a CD/DVD.

+1 I carry one of these in the toolbox and it has saved my ass a few times. I can create bootable USB ISO's with Unetbootin, but flash drives are so slow with writing smaller files that it ends up taking 45-120 minutes whereas a DVD burns in 5 or larger dual layers in 20. What I do with thumbdrives is carry ISO's on them and burn when needed. Saves time because you would have to know well ahead of time what ISO you want on a flash drive.

 

[crashtech]

I like Rufus for burning isos to USB sticks, and Imgburn to create the isos. There are dozens of ways to do this, but that is what works for me.

http://rufus.akeo.ie

http://www.imgburn.com

 

[zir_blazer]

I don't touch optical drives from the time that 1 GB Pendrives became affordable. Jumping from the horrible seek times and spinning noise of a CD/DVD to a USB Pendrive is like going from a HD to a SSD, not even talking about the general lower quality that CDs had post 2000s that basically killed the meaning of long term backup. There are some things that are a bit harder to do, but there are tons of small, purpose-specific applications for the job. Once you get the one that does what you want (Write an OS install ISO to a booteable Pendrive), you have no reason to go back. Heck, even Windows XP could be installed from a Pendrive, through it took some time to get the method perfectly.
Also, assuming you have several computers in your house, its VERY probable that you can use another computer optical drive sharing it through the network, so I wouldn't even bother with an external one.

 

[Skaendo]

I use mine a lot for long term back-up. I have prob over 800 CD but mostly DVD backup discs. But I do keep them in a semi controlled environment, cool dark closet, and a lot of them I've had for 10+ years. It would make sense for me to switch to Blu-Ray at this point.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I like Rufus for burning isos to USB sticks, and Imgburn to create the isos. There are dozens of ways to do this, but that is what works for me.

http://rufus.akeo.ie

http://www.imgburn.com

If you use ImgBurn to burn a downloaded ISO image of, say, Windows 7 from Digital River, and then you rip the DVD back to an ISO, it does not come out the same as the original ISO, and the MS ISO tool will not recognize the ISO. You have been warned.

Edit: Yes, verify was on while burning, it wasn't due to a bad burn.

 

[imagoon]

If you use ImgBurn to burn a downloaded ISO image of, say, Windows 7 from Digital River, and then you rip the DVD back to an ISO, it does not come out the same as the original ISO, and the MS ISO tool will not recognize the ISO. You have been warned.

Edit: Yes, verify was on while burning, it wasn't due to a bad burn.

IMGBurn can "burn" to a .ISO. I have used it to inject files to an .ISO before burning. It is also a convenient way to create the bootable ISO for the stick even though you can add the files to the stick later.

 

[crashtech]

If you use ImgBurn to burn a downloaded ISO image of, say, Windows 7 from Digital River, and then you rip the DVD back to an ISO, it does not come out the same as the original ISO, and the MS ISO tool will not recognize the ISO. You have been warned.

Edit: Yes, verify was on while burning, it wasn't due to a bad burn.

I don't think I have run into that. Have you tested the iso>disc>iso>disc with other software successfully?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't think I have run into that. Have you tested the iso>disc>iso>disc with other software successfully?

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mis_laborat...ws-7-usb-download-tool-with-any-iso-file.aspx

Rafael wrote a tiny downloadable utility program that will “fix” any .iso file where the last logical block does not have the AVDP so that the Windows 7 USB Download tool will work. Basically, you download the .zipped utility program and extract it. Then copy the .exe file to the same directory as your iso file, then run the utility in command mode pointing to the .iso file. In a second or so, your .iso file will be “fixed” so that the last logical block is the same size as the rest and the Windows 7 Download Tool will work. I tested it with the Windows 8 Developer Preview .iso I had downloaded and it worked like a charm.

That's the problem. Original ISO from DR has AVDP blocks, but burning it to DVD with ImgBurn and then re-ripping the DVD with same, strips off those block(s), and the MS ISO will no longer work with them.

 

[crashtech]

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mis_laborat...ws-7-usb-download-tool-with-any-iso-file.aspx



That's the problem. Original ISO from DR has AVDP blocks, but burning it to DVD with ImgBurn and then re-ripping the DVD with same, strips off those block(s), and the MS ISO will no longer work with them.

I've never used the Windows 7 USB download tool. I wonder if the problem with the isos specifically affects it, or every other iso to USB burner out there.

 

[Underclocked]

The first time I installed 8.1, I simply used 7-Zip to extract the iso to a usb stick. Worked fine.