Windows 7 on Flash Drives? Maybe
The hot netbook phenomenon has brought to light for consumers a problem that enthusiasts have been wrestling with for years. How do you upgrade the OS on computers that don’t have optical drives? Like I said, this is nothing new for those of us who have been working without optical drives, but as the Windows 7 release draws near, those who have picked up a Windows XP-equipped netbook are wondering how they can easily upgrade to Win 7 when it’s released.
Hobbyists have long been performing OS upgrades using USB sticks. It’s not a difficult process but does require a certain amount of technical savvy. The most difficult part of the process is getting the OS upgrade, normally distributed via DVD/ CD, onto the USB memory stick in a format that can be used to boot the netbook for the upgrade procedure.
Word is starting to appear that Microsoft is aware of the difficulty consumers face when it comes to upgrading netbooks and may be considering distributing Windows 7 on USB sticks. This would be a first for the Redmond folks, but it makes sense given the high sales numbers for netbooks. The best way to move OS upgrades for netbooks would definitely be on USB sticks. Microsoft would love nothing better than to get all of those netbooks running Windows XP upgraded to Windows 7.
even in this day & age there are still many many netbooks that cant boot from a USB stick, whereas any machine can boot from an optical drive.
netbooks will come preinstalled with W7 anyways, i doubt Joe Blow running netbook/XP will be updating manually to W7.
I don’t agree – I think the hype about Win7 has gotten a lot of people interested in its goodness and they’ll want to upgrade.
Some won’t, for various reasons including the cost and the WSI? (Why Should I?) factor. But I know I’d like to upgrade mine easily – and a USB stick works on all my computers.
I think this is a great idea. I carry an 8gb flash drive with me at all times with all the OSes I might need to install from time to time because it’s just so easy. When Windows 7 hits RTM I’ll be downloading it from MSDN and replacing the RC image I currently have on my drive.
In addition to this I’d really like to see Microsoft moving towards direct downloads of DVD images for retail customers. The days of buying disks are almost over and it would be nice to see them start on this now. It would also make life easier for people who end up with x86 media but need x64 – just download it.
Ah, I’ve just read elsewhere that you can pre-order for a download direct from Microsoft. I told you it was a good idea
Then again having a USB key with the Win installation would have been a handy thing for a lots of the occasions in my previous life… (Where is that CD I got with that laptop last year…)
Also it is a branding possibility for MSFT – to put their logos all over it!
@Ivan — where’s that USB stick that came with that laptop last year?
Am I the only one who thought the story was going to be about running Win7 off of the USB stick?
Booting off of USB’s are not terribly difficult if you know what you are doing. However I agree with Reter the average Joe Blow is not going to upgrade to Windows 7, they would most likely buy a new system. That is what I have noticed amongst my friends that are not ‘technology savy’.
Many ask me why I installed Windows 7 on my netbook, they feel that it is a waste of time and is just easier to purchase an entire new system.