Installing software via USB?

[stuartf]

I am about to get my significant other an x201 (to replace her x32) and, with embarrasment, must ask if I can install factory software from a USB jum drive? Can I take the DVD (say MSOffice), tranfser the program via my T43 to the drive and then install the program on the new x201?

I have done this with donwloaded programs, not sure about the factory load.

Thanks,

stuartf

[EOMtp]

It is not clear to me what you mean by "factory load", given that you use MS Office as your example. MS Office can indeed be installed from any type of drive.

The general answer to your question is YES, one can copy the CD/DVD contents to a flash drive, and then install from that drive. However, there are exceptions, where the installation package checks to see if the drive is indeed an optical drive, and "refuses" to install if it is not. Other packages, such as Windows 7, support being installed from a flash drive if one takes the correct steps. Still other packages, such as Windows XP can be installed from a flash drive if and only if one knows how to walk between raindrops -- i.e., can be done, but it is exceedingly difficult.

You may wish to look into programs such as PowerISO, which let you create an .iso image file of the source CD/DVD. Then you make the .iso image file "available" to the target machine -- place it on the hard drive, use a USB flash drive, or access the file from another machine via LAN -- use PowerISO to "mount" the .iso image as a virtual CD/DVD drive, and then install the package(s) from that virtual drive.

[stuartf]

EOMtp:

Many thanks, you gave me a clear roadmap and I am appreciative,

[ZaZ]

I've install Office 2007 and 2010 via a USB drive. I had no trouble with it.

[raydabruce]

There's a free program called "Wintoflash" which will take the files from your Windows 7 installation DVD and put them on a flash drive and make it bootable. Maybe it's my older, slow USB flash drive, but my X201 will not boot from it. It will boot from an external USB DVD drive but installing Windows 7 was very slow. I'm assuming this is because the new chipset isn't recognized by the "dated" Windows 7 installation drivers.

Once the install was completed and I got all the Lenovo drivers and software installed, it runs just fine.