Install Windows 8 From a USB Flash Drive

Windows 8, it seems like we have been hearing a lot about it over the past couple of months.  Recently Microsoft has released the consumer preview, which is free to download so you can try out the new operating system before it ships.  If you have ever installed any Windows operating system from a CD or DVD you know it can be very time consuming.  Why not speed up the process by installing the operating system using a USB flash drive.  In this article we will show you how to take the Window 8 ISO and put it on a flash drive for fast and easy installation.

Before we start let’s get the things we need.  Here is what you will need to get Windows 8 installed from a flash drive.

1. The Windows 8 .ISO Image (32-bit download | 64-bit download)
2. Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool (download)
3. Your favorite ISO mounting tool (we suggest Daemon Tools)
4. A USB flash drive (4GB or larger)

So there are 2 different ways to Install Windows 8 from a USB flash drive.  We are going to start with the easiest.  This method uses the Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool.  So first go ahead and download the tool and install it.  Now open it up and it will prompt you to choose your ISO file.  So go ahead and select your downloaded Windows 8 ISO file and hit next.

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Note: If you happen to get the error “The selected file is not a valid ISO file. Please Select a valid ISO file and try again” then please refer to this link and this one to get your ISO working with the tool.  If those tips do not work please refer to page 2 of this article.

Now you will get a prompt to choose your media type, select “USB device”.

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The next prompt will ask you to insert your USB device so go ahead and insert your USB flash drive and hit the refresh button and it should show up.  Make sure it is the selected drive and hit “Begin copying”.

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The drive will begin copying files and creating your bootable USB drive.

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This make take some time depending on the speed of your USB flash drive.  When it has completed it will tell you and then you can take our your USB flash drive and plug it into the system you will be installing Windows 8 on.

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When you boot up the system you will be installing Windows 8 on you will need to go into the BIOS or Boot Menu to select your flash drive as the default boot device.  This is normally done by pressing the “Del” key on your keyboard to enter the BIOS and either “F2” or “F12” to enter the boot menu.  Now select your flash drive and the Windows 8 install should start.

Install Windows 8 From a USB Flash Drive Install Windows 8 From a USB Flash Drive

If you are having issues installing Windows 8 using this method leave a comment below or continue on to the next page for another method to install Windows 8 on a flash drive.

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