windows 7 can't be installed using USB flash drive

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Cbshahji

[H]ard|Gawd
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I'm trying to upgrade windows 7 in eee netbook from starter to home premium, now i've tried everything it just doesn't work.

i made USB disk using guide from here and it works just fine on all desktop/notebook i tried (i only tested and it'll bring up to upgrade/custom install and i don't go ahed with it as all of them already have 7 or has xp cause they can't handle 7.) but when i try to use it in eee pc it doesn't show up option "press any key to install from ...."

can someone help me with it.

Thanks
CB
 
boot order in the bios set to usb first? maybe under HDD's it has the actual HDD before the usb HDD
 
it was checked and also i tried to run boot menu and select the USB HDD/flash drive
 
Try this short short method:

1) Get ImgBurn and install it (if you don't already have it installed or if you don't have a tool installed that can make an ISO of the Windows 7 installation DVD - if you don't have the ISO, that is)
2) Use ImgBurn or whatever tool you prefer to make an ISO of the Windows 7 installation DVD (again, that's if you don't already have the ISO on the hard drive)
3) Install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool - the command line method in the big thread here at this forum is useful but in some situations you end up with USB sticks that never seem to get it done; this tool shouldn't have any problems at all
4) Use that tool to create the USB stick using files from the ISO - obviously you need a 4GB or larger USB stick.

The USB tool will format the stick so make sure there's nothing on it you'd like to keep. When it's done, it'll become a Windows 7 USB installation stick. I've used that tool dozens of times on dozens of machines and with dozens of different brands and sizes of USB sticks, it's yet to fail me.

If this doesn't work, I would suspect there's something fishy with the Eee going on with the USB port(s). Perhaps use Unetbootin to create an Ubuntu LiveUSB stick or something else that's bootable and verify that Eee will boot from those types of devices without issues.
 
I have an older ASUS motherboard (socket 478 era) that will refuse to boot USB sticks that are formatted in NTFS, but will boot them if they're formatted as FAT or FAT32 volumes. Try formatting the stick with FAT32, make it bootable, and post back with your results.


Weird quirk, but since your EEE pc is an ASUS product as well it wouldn't hurt to try.
 
GushpinBob said:
I have an older ASUS motherboard (socket 478 era) that will refuse to boot USB sticks that are formatted in NTFS, but will boot them if they're formatted as FAT or FAT32 volumes. Try formatting the stick with FAT32, make it bootable, and post back with your results.


Weird quirk, but since your EEE pc is an ASUS product as well it wouldn't hurt to try.
Click to expand...

Holly mother of jesus, it worked like a charm, took me freaking 4 hours to get it done but it worked, slows the USB stick significantly though, but it works so thanks.

EDIT: been installing from USB for over hour now, still not quarter of a way done.
 
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Sure enough, now that we know to search for "eee win7 usb install fat", there are multiple articles discussing that not only do you need to format the thumbdrive with FAT, it needs to be versions of FAT earlier than FAT32. This walkthrough includes instructions on how to format the thumbdrive using LBA (FAT16X). Good call, GushpinBob!
 
evilsofa said:
it needs to be versions of FAT earlier than FAT32. This walkthrough includes instructions on how to format the thumbdrive using LBA (FAT16X). Good call, GushpinBob!
Click to expand...

hum i just googled it for FAT win 7 usb drive and it was fat 32 which work just fine, may be because updated model but it slow it down took me another 3 hour just to get windows install by itself.
 
Wow! I was just throwing out some suggestions from my past experiences with USB booting and old ASUS mobos (P4P8X to be exact) but I'm glad that solved the problem for ya :). Funny that their eee line still refuses NTFS formatted boot sticks, can't say the same for their other current products as I have never tested them.
 
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