No Optical Drive Or USB Flash Drive? Windows 7 Hard Drive Installation Is Super Simple And A Must-have For Old Computer Users

The optical drive of the old computer at home has been broken for a long time. I can’t find the USB flash drive at the moment. If I want to reinstall the Windows 7 system on it, do I feel like I have no way to start?

In fact, many people don't know that the computer hard drive itself can be used as an "installation disk".

This method does not require spending money to purchase a blank CD, nor does it require finding tools to create a bootable USB flash drive. However, its operation is actually faster than the previous two methods.

Especially for those old machines with low configuration? Hard disk installation can avoid USB driver compatibility issues. And its reading speed is much faster than that of optical drives and ordinary USB flash drives.

The whole process, to put it bluntly, is nothing more than copying the system files to a certain partition of the hard disk, and then using a boot tool to enable the computer to start the installation program from the hard disk.

Next, using the original Windows 7 image as an example, each step will be broken down and presented in detail. If you follow it, there will generally be no errors.

Step 1: Unzip the ISO image file

First, download the ISO image file of Windows 7 from the Internet. It is recommended to use the original Microsoft version or the MSDN version to avoid weird problems caused by various streamlined versions.

After the download is complete, don't go straight to double-click to open it. We have a need to extract all the files included in it.

If you have installed compression software such as WinRAR, Haoyi or 7-Zip on your computer, you can directly right-click the ISO file and select "Extract to current folder".

If you are used to it floppy disk pass (UltraISO) is also available, the function is the same.

After decompression, you can see the boot folder, you can also see the sources folder, and files such as setup.exe will appear, which means that the decompression operation has been successfully completed.

Be careful not to decompress to system disk C. It is best to try to create a new folder in other partitions, such as D drive or E drive, for storage. However, in order to facilitate the next step, it is recommended that we decompress it to the desktop first, and then move it together later.

Step 2: Copy the installation files to the root directory of the non-system disk

Open the extracted folder, press Ctrl+A to select all files and folders, and then copy them.

Then open the D drive, E drive, or F drive in your computer, as long as it is not the C drive (that is, the system drive), and paste directly to the root directory of the disk.

Let's focus on the meaning of "root directory": for example, after opening the F drive, do not create any new folders, but paste them directly into a blank space. In this way, all installation files will be placed directly under the F drive. This is the case.

If it is placed in a certain folder, the boot program will not be able to find the file and the installation will fail.

In addition, you need to confirm that the system disk of the current computer is indeed the C drive. Some machines with dual systems or special partitions may be different. You can right-click the C drive properties in "This Computer" to see if it is the "system" disk.

After completing this step, the operating system's installation source files for Windows 7 have been prepared in the hard disk and formed into a corresponding usable state.

Step 3: Use the NT6 HDD Installer tool

At this point, you need a small tool called NT6 HDD Installer. The best version to choose is 3.1.4 or later, which can be easily downloaded from the Internet.

Copy the downloaded program file, usually an exe executable file, directly to the root directory of the same disk where the Windows 7 installation file was just stored. That is, it should be placed together with the setup.exe and boot folders. Do not put it into any subfolder.

The function of this tool now is to add a boot menu for the current system to start with the help of the hard disk, so that after the computer restarts, it can directly enter the Windows 7 installation environment based on the installation files in the hard disk.

Please note that please do not get the wrong version. For some old versions, you need to manually select the mode. However, version 3.1.4 will automatically detect the current system information, which will save a lot of trouble when using it.

After the copy is completed, don't rush to run it. Check again whether the file location is correct.

Step 4: Run the tool and restart your computer

Press the mouse button twice to start running NT6 HDD Installer. This program will automatically detect whether you are using Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows 8/10, and its interface will display the corresponding installation options.

If it is a lower version of the tool, you may need to manually select it. However, the 3.1.4 version is basically a fool-like operation. Just press the Enter key according to the prompts.

The whole process is very fast. In about three seconds, a boot prompt will be given that the addition is successful. Then the program will be closed and the computer will be restarted manually.

There is such a subtle point: before restarting, it is best to remove all USB flash drives and mobile hard disks that will not be used at the moment to prevent interference with the startup sequence.

In addition, if there are multiple hard drives installed on the computer, it is recommended to confirm in the BIOS interface that the first startup item is the current system disk, but generally it is in the correct state by default.

Step 5: Select the boot menu to enter the installation

After the computer restarts, a menu of startup options will appear on the screen. In this menu, there will be an additional item nt6 hdd Installer mode 1.

Some computers will display mode 1 and mode 2 together. The functions of these two options are roughly the same. You can choose either one and it will not affect the installation results.

Use the keyboard arrow keys to select it and press Enter to confirm.

If there is no operation for a few seconds, the computer may enter the original system on its own, so restart it again, this time making manual selections.

After making the selection, the screen will start loading the Windows 7 installation program, and then the animation effect of "Starting Windows" will appear.

If it gets stuck and cannot move, or an error occurs, it is very likely that the location of the previously copied file is incorrect, or there is a problem with the downloaded ISO image. You can go back to the previous steps to check.

As long as this step goes smoothly, the subsequent installation will be exactly the same as using a CD.

Step 6: Complete the system installation according to normal steps

After entering the installation page with a blue background, you have to select the language and input method for the first time, and then click the button that says "Install Now".

When you reach the stage of selecting the installation type, be sure to select "Custom (Advanced)" and never choose to upgrade.

Then you will see the hard disk partition list, find the C drive that was originally used as the system disk, select it, then click the button called "Drive Options (Advanced)", and then click "Format" to complete the operation.

Formatting will erase all data in the C drive, so be sure to back up important files to another drive or a mobile hard drive before doing so.

When the formatting is completed, select the C drive and click Next. At this time, the system will start copying the files, expanding the files, installing various functions and updating. The entire above process will take approximately 20 minutes to 40 minutes. During this period, several restart operations will be performed automatically without manual intervention.

When you see the interface for setting the user name and password, congratulations, the Windows 7 hard disk installation has been completed.

Really, for those old computers that have neither CDs nor USB flash drives on hand, hard disk installation is definitely the most trouble-free way.

There is no need to purchase any additional equipment throughout the entire process. You only need to download the system image and a boot gadget, and follow the steps of decompression, copying, running, and restarting. Generally speaking, the installation can be completed smoothly.

Be sure to remember that the key is to place the installation file in a directory other than the root of the system disk, rather than in a folder, and the boot tool must also be placed in the same location.

This method can also be used to install other versions of Windows, and the principles it follows are the same. This is the case.

If your old computer runs sluggishly and frequently displays blue screens, you might as well try reinstalling the system. Generally speaking, it can continue to operate smoothly for a period of time.