Windows 7 What Installation Method do you use?

Radenight

New Member
Hello all,

I thought it would be interesting to see what installation method people are using these days.. With USB being so widely supported and a much quicker way to install Windows 7, using a DVD to install is starting to become less popular.. ;)

So.. What installation method do you use and why?


I use a USB Pen Drive to install Windows (XP,Vista and 7) and in my opinion it's the best way to install. It's not only faster than using a DVD (Windows 7 on my main PC took only 13 minutes from start to useable desktop using my USB Drive... Compared to 19 mins using a DVD. :) A noticeable difference for sure.. ) but it's also alot more secure.. You don't have to worry about scratching the surface of a disc or accidentally breaking the disc.. ;) Can't wait for USB 3.0 to be released.. That should shave a few more minutes off the total install time yet again.. :)
 
USB thumb drive when I can. 15 minutes to usable desktop compared to ~26 minutes for DVD.
Significant difference to be sure. My DVD player may be slower than yours Radenight.

Same reasons as yours Radenight plus more portable.
I can also use the drive for storage if needed, I just create a storage folder.

I use the same method for Linux distros. There is a Windows/Linux app called "unetbootin" that automates the task of creating a Live USB drive that can be used like a Live CD including installing from the Live USB drive.
It comes installed on Ubuntu and a few other distros or you can download the Windows version.
It uses a raw .iso to create the Live USB drive and is a snap to use.
The app is under very active development with frequent updates (adding Distro's and new versions as they become available).

UNetbootin - Homepage and Downloads

If only someone would create a similar app to automate the process for Win 7 and maybe even to create a USB XP installer that would be cool.

Incidentally you do need a BIOS capable of booting an USB device. I tried the USB installer on my sister's older HP laptop
and the BIOS couldn't even see the USB device. DVD install it was.

BTW, no dice with the install on the HP laptop. Install went well but I couldn't find drivers for her older ATi video card
that would work with Win 7, leaving her stuck with VGA.

I didn't bother looking for drivers for any of the other hardware.
HP's web site only lists drivers for XP, win 2000, ME and Win 98.
There is a disclaimer that the hardware isn't supported for Vista.

Oh well it was worth the effort as Win 7 seemed to work quite well despite the unsupported
hardware.
It would be nice if MS made compatible drivers available for the ATi 9800/9600 mobility radeon cards
as well as compatible drivers for any other hardware that might need them on this machine.

Win 7 showed great promise with this old HP.
 
There already is a way to create an XP install via USB Drive.. ;) There are a couple more steps involved than with Vista or 7 but it works just as good.. :) I can't for the life of me remember the name of the app I used to create the XP one.. I'll look when I get home and post it on here...

The app I use to create my Windows 7 one only takes about 5-6 minutes to complete.. Not too bad.. Again I can't remember the name of it though.. I don't use them for anything else so they don't stick in my memory.. ;)
 
I use DVD. They both load at around 10-12 mins to my SSD, they only difference is that it takes longer for me to copy the files to a pen drive than it takes for me to burn a DVD. I think my pen drive has worn out.
 
That was me using Other.

I will specify .

I usually install via a virtual drive - and there is always the method using imagex to extract the install. wim onto the prepared partition.
 
Still DVD for me at the moment.

Why? Because up until a week or so ago I only had a 2GB USB stick :)

I might look at USB for my next (re)install ;)
 
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