Re-install windows 7 without dvd drive?

Question

my dvd drive has packed up - I dont use it anyway - but I want to do a fresh install of windows 7 - I have the DVD and product key

Can I install without a dvd drive ? would mounting an ISO on a virtual DVD drive work, like daemon tools - where could I get the image ?

Answer 1

hi woody

you can install windows 7 from a usb key... and theres a excellent and easy to understand guide at http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7vista-from-usb-drive-detailed-100-working-guide/

however you need a mediocre knowledge of windows and command prompts to carry out this installation... but it should be within most peoples capabilitys

on the other hand you can get a dvd-rom/cd-rw drive for just £7-99 from http://www.ebuyer.com/product/129233 ... the "Samsung SH-D163C 16x DVD-ROM CD-R SATA Optical Drive " is a o.e.m (original equipment manufactuer ) version so it comes with nothing else... just the drive... that said i purchased one of these a few months ago for a build and i got "nero 8" bundled with it.... i think its luck of the draw...

this is a sata drive so you need a spare sata port... however you can get a "ide" version from http://www.ebuyer.com/product/220991 ... the "Sony Optiarc DDU1678A 18x DVD-ROM IDE Optical Drive" is slightly better than the samsung model( hence the price ) but this uses a ide(pata) connection....

to check what you have compare these images to the back of your broken drive

sata ( http://serialstoragewire.net/images/articles/it24fig1.jpg )

ide/pata ( http://www.mysuperpc.com/build_your_own_computer/dvd_rw_ribbon_cable_connection_cr.jpg )

as you can see it wont cost any more than £11 to replace your dvd-rom .. infact you can get a full dvdrw/cdrw drive from http://www.ebuyer.com/product/237048 ... for just £12-99 ... and thats a retail box... so you will get the drive,spare bezels(fascia,s),cables and a copy of nero 9... not bad for £12-99 !

this covers all area,s and even supports dvd-ram which is what recordable dvd players use... so this is seriously worth considering... i recommend this especially when you consider what your getting with it !

i hope this helps,any problems let me know

good luck woody !

Answer 2

Its not that hard pal.



You'll have to use a computer(with Windows 7 on it) with a DVD drive and a 4GB USB flash drive(format it in Windows 7).

Copy all the content of the DVD to the flash drive and eject it. Reinsert it and you'll see that its a Windows 7 installation medium.

Next, just start your computer with the USB flash in it. Select boot menu and your USB flash as the boot device, it'll boot from it and you can proceed with your installation like a normal installation.



But this one will be faster as USB flash drives are faster than DVDs

Answer 3

You couldn't mount the ISO because as soon as the computer reboots, Daemon Tools is gone! You'd have to use an external DVD drive.

Answer 4

Hey there,

If you need to download Daemon Tools you can get it for free here http://bitly.com/1mF1FEj



Daemon Tools is surely the best CD drive emulator that you can find.

It works like a charm.

Bye Bye

Answer 5

There is a way to reinstall from a USB drive if your motherboard supports it- just choose boot from USB device rather than from disk when you reinstall.



However, you need to prep the drive first by doing some special stuff. you will need a disk drive to do it as well as the Windows 7 installation disk. (Maybe borrow a friends computer?)

Here is a link.

http://www.thinkcomputers.org/install-windows-7-from-a-usb-flash-drive/





And I HAVE done this before, so I do happen to know that it will work.



hope this helped! ;-)

Answer 6

From your DVD! Otherwise the key would not work with another image. Borrow an ext DVD drive.

Answer 7

there is a way to install it from a usb but you have to get the data of the dvd in the first place, kinda hard with no way to read it.

Answer 8

If you need to download Daemon Tools you can get it for free here http://bitly.com/1wDlJLx



Daemon Tools is surely the best CD drive emulator that you can find.

Answer 9

since you have only DVD with you,how can you use that with out a DVD drive man???