Windows on a Stick

Windows On A Stick

Create your own bootable USB pen drive in just four easy steps.

By SANDEEP BALACHANDRAN

Netbooks have made their mark in the PC segment and are here to stay. What makes them worth the buy is the unquestionable portability that they offer over their laptop counterparts. They are small, light and are definitely easy to lug around. They might not have the processing power to execute intensive tasks but will easily handle office applications. Moreover some of them are even capable of playing high definition video which makes them decent all rounders. That said, these little entertainment boxes have one major drawback in them: the exclusion of an optical drive. No doubt that files can be transferred via pen drives but what if the need arises to reinstall the Operating System in case of a system crash or if the requirement is to install the new Windows 7? What then? Would you spend money on a new external DVD-RW or would you prefer upgrading or re-installing via a pen drive? Well, for most of us the obvious choice would be the pen drive.

There are a number of ways in which to create your own bootable pen drive but we are going to show you the easiest way. To begin with you will need a PC with a CD/DVD ROM drive, the Windows CD/DVD, and a 2GB pen drive if you are creating a Windows XP bootable USB or a 4GB pen drive if the requirement is for Windows Vista/7. To start with, download and extract the program “WinToFlash”. Once extracted execute the file called “WinToFlash” and follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Click the 'Windows Setup transfer wizard' and select 'Next'.

Step 2: Here you will need to define two paths where the 'Windows File Path' points to the location of the Windows installation disk and the 'USB Drive' specifies the location of pen drive that will be used for creating the bootable installation routine. Click on 'Select' and choose an appropriate path for both.

Step 3: Accept the 'Windows License Agreement' and click on continue.

Step 4: Don’t panic! The 'Warning' is just to remind you that the pen drive will be formatted before proceeding. Click 'OK' to proceed or 'Cancel' in case you inserted the wrong pen drive or want to check it.

That’s all that needs to be done to be able to create a bootable Windows installation pen drive. To be able to boot from the pendrive you will need to access the BIOS and change the boot priority to 'Removable disk'. If the settings are right you will be able to boot and proceed with the installation of Windows. 

-Thanks to

www.chip.com