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This article also answers questions like – how to format laptop without CD, how to format laptop without CD drive, how to format a netbook, how to re-install Windows (Vista/XP/7) without CD…
In case your laptop or netbook does not have a CD or DVD drive and you want to format it, then you can do this with a USB flash drive too.
Here are the requirements:-
- A USB flash drive with atleast 4GB capacity for Windows Vista and Windows 7; or atleast 2GB for Windows XP.
- A laptop or PC for getting your USB drive ready.
- The ISO image file of the operating system (XP, Vista or 7) you want to install, downloaded on the laptop. [This is available on the internet]
- The UNetbootin tool, which is available as a free download at – http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
To make your USB pendrive, a bootable drive to install the OS, follow these steps:-
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Step
1Insert the USB drive into the USB port of the laptop.
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2Click Start > My Computer for XP [or Start > Computer for Vista]
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3Right click on the USB drive and then from the drop down menu, select Format. (Refer Figure 1)
Figure 1... Click to enlarge
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4A Format window will appear. Select NTFS from the “File System” drop down menu. And then click Start on the same window. (Refer Figure 1)
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5Once the format of the USB drive is complete, close the window.
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Step
6Browse to the folder that contains the UNetbootin tool, and double click on it. Then click on Run.
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7Click on Diskimage in the lower half of the UNetbootin window. Choose ISO from the adjacent drop down. Click on the ‘…’ button and browse to the location where the .iso file of the OS you want to install is located. Click on the .iso file and then on Open. (Refer Figure 2)
Figure 2... Click to enlarge
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8Towards the end of the Unetbootin window, set the following
Type: USB Drive
Drive: The drive letter of the USB drive
Then click OK. This will begin the extraction of the ISO file on to the USB flash drive.
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9Once the entire transfer is complete, you have a bootable USB drive. Before formatting your laptop and installing the OS from the USB drive, ensure that your BIOS settings are changed to boot from the USB drive.
The rest of the format process is similar to using an installation CD/DVD. Visit “How to format laptop” for details on how to complete the rest of the installation.
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