How to install Windows 7 on laptop with faulty DVD drive.

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As the thread title suggests the DVD drive has gone kaput. Need to install Win 7 on the Lappy with a clean install. The lappy supports USB boot. How to create a bootable USB stick. The lappy came with Win 7 installed.

What to do...
 
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As the thread title suggests the DVD drive has gone kaput. Need to install Win 7 on the Lappy with a clean install. The lappy supports USB boot. How to create a bootable USB stick. The lappy came with Win 7 installed.

What to do...
Click to expand...

Use the "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool" to make a bootable pendrive. Go to mobo, set first boot to pen drive, install OS from pen drive. You'll have an evaluation copy. Use the official dvd key of windows 7 which you must be having already to activate the copy.

I did those steps to make W7 work on my Dad's vaio. Some steps may change, but the process should be similar.
 
Get a copy of the ISO of W7 - does not have to be of same version - can be any version. If the CD is there, use that instead. However, the correct build ie x86 or x64 should be there. Install the Windows 7 USB tool form the Microsoft store on any PC with the DVD ROM inserted or the ISO. Depending on your using the CD drive or the ISO, select that option. Make a USB bootable drive. Delete the ei.cfg file if the version is wrong. It will ask you to select which option you want to install with.
 
I recently installed Windows 7 on an old Dell laptop using USB drive. I was told of the Microsoft tool, but it did not work for me, for some reason... kept throwing an error. If it does not work for you too, then you can try

WinToFlash: http://wintoflash.com/home/en/

It worked great for me. All you need is an .ISO image of Windows 7. If you have the Windows 7 installation disk, you can create an .ISO image using any optical burner. You said you do not have an optical drive, so you can go to a friend to make the ISO image.

The process will be self-explanatory, when you run WinToFlash. You can ask in case of problems.

Oh, and make sure you have atleast 4 GB flash drive.

Good luck.
 
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