Posted 08 July 2016 - 04:50 AM

Clean Install Windows Directly from the Hard Disk Drive

You want to install Windows but you can’t use a DVD or an USB for whatever reason?



This tutorial will show you a method that will allow you to boot and install Windows directly from the hard disk drive (HDD).



Note: This guide only works for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 OS's.



Part 1: Preparing the HDD

• If there is no Windows OS currently installed on the HDD then connect the HDD to a another working computer (with Windows installed)

• Create a 4GB primary partition.

• Format the 4GB partition with NTFS file system.

• Assign a drive letter to that new partition.

• Copy the content of the Windows 7 Setup DVD to the 4GB partition.

How To Create Extra Partitions In Windows Using Disk Management Console





Part 2: Making the HDD Bootable

1. Open the Command Prompt as a Administrator, type cmd.exe into the Start Menu search box, right click on cmd.exe, then select “Run as administrator”.

2. Enter the commands below, while replacing zero (0) number with your HDD assigned disk number and replace the X letter with the drive letter assigned to the partition you have created earlier on your HDD.

diskpart list disk select disk 0 list partition select partition X active exit









(See picture for example)







3. Within the Command Prompt type the command below:



X:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 Y:









Replace the X: drive letter with the drive letter of the CD/DVD-ROM optical drive where the Windows Setup DVD is inserted.



Replace the Y: drive letter with the drive letter of the 4GB partition you have created.



Part 3: Booting and installing Windows



Make sure that the BIOS is configured to boot from the hard disk drive (HDD).



If you did everything correctly, you should see “Windows is loading files ...” and a progress bar.



You can now install Windows as usual.







Part 4: Delete the 4GB partition



You have to quickly edit the boot menu once Windows is installed.



1. In Windows, press the keys;

2. Type msconfig into Run dialog box that has opened and click on OK;

3. Click on the Boot tab from System Configuration at the top;

4. Click 'Windows Setup (\windows)', and click on the Delete button;

5. Click OK;







6. Click on 'Exit without restart';



If the 4GB partition is designated as a System partition then in this situation you cannot delete that 4GB partition.



Follow the guide below to delete the 4GB partition if you were to find yourself in a such situation.



Note: Only follow the guide below if the 4GB partition is designated as a System partition.



1. Mark the C: partition as an active partition from the Disk Management Utility;









2. Open the Command Prompt as a Administrator and type:



Bcdboot C:\windows





3. Restart your computer;





Note: If the Bcdboot command is missing from Windows Vista, the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit contains the Bcdboot.exe tool. The Bcdboot.exe file is included at following locations: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Deployment Tools\amd64\BCDBoot" directory.



Note: Make sure to change the Command Prompt directory path to Bcdboot.exe file stored directory path with the Cd command.



And lastly, delete the 4GB partition this will free up 4GB which you can extend to the C: partition with the MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition.



1. Within MiniTool Partition Wizard select the 4GB partition;

2. From the left pane click on “Delete Partition”;

3. Click on the OK button and click on Apply from the toolbar;

4. Within MiniTool Partition Wizard select the C: partition and click on "Move/Resize" to enter the next interface;

5. Increase the C: partition size by dragging the right arrow of the scroll bar to the right or directly entering accurate values in the text boxes below;







After









6. After you're done with the settings, click on the "OK" button;

7. Click on Apply in the toolbar;

8. Click on the “Restart Now” button on the Notice dialog box;



