Installing the Windows 7 beta on a netbook

Monday, January 12th, 2009

Reluctant to use my primary PC as a Windows 7 testing ground, I opted to nuke my brand new Samsung NC10 instead. All I’ve installed so far is Live Mesh, so I don’t need to back anything up or transition any files. What I do need is a DVD drive – or do I?

In fact it’s very simple to install an operating system without an optical drive; all you need is a USB flash drive or hard disk with enough free space on it to fit the installation files – 4GB should do it. As your netbook is most likely running XP you probably won’t be able to upgrade, so back up anything you need and follow these steps.

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