By know, most of you probably know how to create a bootable USB using Command Prompt and install Windows 7 or Windows 8 from USB flash drive. There are tens of free programs available as well to assist you create bootable Windows USB drive so that you can install Windows, even if your PC doesn’t have a CD/DVD drive.
Users who often create a bootable USB and install Windows from the same might know that the programs that are available to create bootable flash drives don’t give the expected result. So, it’s always a good idea to use the Command Prompt for the job. There are many guides available on the Internet, including our how to install Windows 7 from USB flash drive to help you create bootable USB.
The Command Prompt method includes executing a list of commands to format and prepare the USB drive. As all users aren’t comfortable with Command Prompt, users who have two or more flash drives may consider keeping a flash drive for Windows installation job. This will save you time as well as your flash drive (formatting flash drive repeatedly may corrupt it) as you don’t need to execute commands every time you want to install Windows.
But if you have only one flash drive and don’t want to go through the Command Prompt method every time, you may simply create an image backup of the USB flash drive and restore the image backup when you want to install Windows from USB.
USB Image Tool is a small tool that lets you create image backup of any USB drives with a click. It supports almost all USB drives out there and lets you backup bootable drives as well. Follow the below mentioned steps to create an image backup of the bootable drive and restore the backup using the same tool.
How to create image backup of the bootable USB:
Step 1: Download and install USB Image Tool. It supports both x86 and x64 versions of Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems.
Step 2: Connect your bootable USB drive to the PC and then run the program as administrator. Select your USB drive, select Device Mode in drop-down menu, click Backup button and browse to the location where you wish to save the image backup and finally click Save button to start the process.
To restore the image backup to the USB:
Step 1: Connect the USB drive to your PC, backup all data from the USB and then launch the program.
Step 2: Select Device Mode, click on Restore button and browse to the image file that you have previously saved and finally click Open button to start restoring the backup image to the USB drive. That’s it!
carrt7 says
HTWingNut, what is a “DOS boot drive”?
anonymouse says
I have an easy alternative. this also helps with avoiding loading the windows install process if you leave your BIOS set to boot from USB first and you forgot to eject your usb drive before restarting.
Simply make a folder and name it something like “windows x install” and move the installation files in there when not needed. to avoid mixing your other files that you want to store on the usb drive, simply store them at all times in a folder called something like “my files”. this will keep all your stuff separate and orderly and ready to use in a minute’s notice.
Raghavendra says
USB IMAGE TOOL cannot save the image.. the save option not working sir..
HTWingNut says
Doesn’t work for DOS boot drives.
Anonymous says
what if i have a 8gb flash & i want to save other data on it, will it effect on the window bootable setup or not ?