If you’re planning to install Windows 7 on a netbook or other computer that doesn’t have a CD/DVD drive, you can use a bootable USB stick as substitute installation media. The installation process seems faster than it would if you were installing from a DVD disc, but keep in mind that’s largely because you’re doing all of your preparation work ahead of time on the USB stick, including locating Window drivers.

Pay Careful Attention To The Requirements!

The process of loading Windows 7 from a bootable USB stick can be timesaving if you’re properly prepared. Proper preparation includes having a USB stick that’s large enough to accommodate the Windows installation media. Do not attempt to prepare a USB stick that’s smaller than 4GB. Sticks smaller than this are simply not large enough to hold all of the required information. You’re also better off using a “devoted” USB drive. If you have other material stored on your candidate, remove it or store it elsewhere for the time being.

You’ll need to make the USB drive bootable, if it isn’t already. There is a utility on PCs called DISKPART that will enable you to make a clean, bootable partition on your USB drive. You can’t skip this step because you need to install the OS from a bootable drive. I will cover the process of making a bootable USB drive in my next post. The process isn’t hard or even time-consuming, but there are several steps that you’ll need to take to ensure you get the proper result!

You’ll need all of the Windows 7 installation files. You can get these from licensed Windows 7 media. Be sure you’re not using some form of the release candidate, or using media that’s already licensed to someone else. If you use the release candidate as the source of your Windows 7 files, you’ll soon find that your computer will start rebooting itself periodically, which frankly, can ruin your day. You’ll also need to ensure that the media is properly licensed because unlicensed software or software that’s registered to someone else won’t work.

You may want to verify that Windows has the proper drivers for your target upgrade device before you load the Windows media on your USB stick. If Windows doesn’t have the correct drivers for your setup, you can manually download the drivers you need after you’ve completed the basic installation. You may also want to use a program like Driver Detective, to ensure that you have the most up-to-date drivers for your computer. Driver Dectective is ideal for netbooks because it can be downloaded and installed from the Web, and will work to ensure that you always have the proper driver setup.

Photo Credit: Balazs Gal, via Flickr

If you’re planning to upgrade to Windows 7 as soon as it is released, you may encounter some issues with locating Windows drivers that are compatible with your new OS. Many hardware manufacturers have already released or are finishing work on their latest drivers.

Driver Availability May Not Be Windows 7′s Major Issue

In addition, Microsoft is working hard to ensure that a large complement of hardware drivers are available on Day 1 (October 22) to avoid a repeat of driver issues that plagued (and to some extent, still plague) Windows Vista. Microsoft made it known earlier this spring that any manufacturer that wanted to keep its Vista-compatible designation had better be prepared to pony up with working drivers for its hardware by Release Day.

Last week, Dell announced that it was ready to go with drivers for its commercial products. In the weeks leading up to Release Day, expect to hear from other hardware manufacturers who have their driver ducks in a row. Windows 7 also comes with a good slug of generic drivers and drivers that are known to be compatible with Windows 7.

That’s not to say you won’t see driver problems when the new OS is released. To the contrary, you’ll probably see a number of hasty driver releases in the days leading up to (and following) the release of Windows 7. It’s safe to say that the availability of drivers for the new OS is a touchy subject with Microsoft. The non-stop stream of complaints regarding driver availability and driver performance dulled Vista’s initial entrée to the market and eventually guaranteed its ignominy among operating systems.

Microsoft can’t afford to have a second major dud in the OS department. While some users are sticking close to Windows XP, the reality is that XP is tired. Microsoft would like it to be “retired” but users want guarantees that their systems will be stable and that drivers will be available for basic hardware.

While the driver issues were indeed disruptive for Vista, the bigger issue for the enterprise user was Vista’s in ability to work with Active Directory on Server 2003. Server 2008 has rectified that. Microsoft expects Windows 7 and Server 2008 to hit the ground like Starsky and Hutch on October 22, and preliminary reports indicate that might just happen. Windows 7 is much more stable than Windows Vista is and works well in Windows 2008′s compatible server environment. For the home users, the server environment is neither here nor there, but they’ll benefit from improved performance and stability. And the availability of hardware drivers on Release Day.

Photo Credit: Ted Bongiovanni, via Flickr