I want to download the Windows 7 professional iso (x32), from microsoft, and , i can do two things. Or buy a new burner , as mine doesn't work (i am trying to decide what dvd writer i could buy) or use a usb dongle to copy the iso to it , and install it via usb.

I want to install Windows 7 in a netbook that now has debian,and in my pc. I think i have to buy only the license for the pc , as the netbook came with windows 7 preinstalled, so i suppose that i can use that serial to activate the windows , although i don't know how to install windows 7 starter instead of professional (i think if you remove a file from the iso, windows let you choose the edition to install).

The problem is that in both pcs there isn't any windows , only debian.

My father has a netbook with windows 7 starter, but i think it hasn't antivirus (at least until have the Karspersky Internet security for 3 pcs bought ), and i don't trust to make the usb there , if i don't now that there isn't any virus or malware.

So i am trying to find a way of Create a Windows 7 usb installation , to at least be able to install windows 7 in the netbook without a external dvd writer.

I know that with dd in linux you can copy a debian.iso to the usb , and then install debian with it (i've done it) using something like dd if=win7.iso of=/dev/sdb, but i don't know if this would work for windows 7 iso,and if dd will correctly copy the iso to the usb.

I suppose that if you are able to boot and install windows 7 from the usb , is that the method works,and you can forget of problems later with the windows 7 installation (problems because some files could not be copied or like).

So , i remembered that Microsoft created a tool to copy the iso to the usb using windows.

So i thought that i could install in my pc , virtual box , as i have VT and 8 GB ram in it, and download the iso from microsoft ,install windows 7 in the virtual machine , and then copy the iso inside the machine , donwload the iso tool, and atach a usb to the pc, connect it to the guest , and use the tool to copy the iso to the USB.

But i don't now if is possible to use a virtual machine to do this , or the virtualization could give problems with the usb, or something.

I have found some minutes ago this How to make a windows 7 usb flash install media, from linux?

The first method (dd) is the one i like more , and i trust more ( i don't now if the second method using ms-sys , works well , and if i can trust it.

I understand that a iso is like a .rar , but no compressed,only containing the files ,so mount the iso and cp the data inside perhaps is ok.

Although the method i like more is the microsoft one (more because is from microsoft , and i suppose they now what they do ,at least with this usb related thing, than anything).

Perhaps worth more to buy a external dvd writer haha ...

Should the virtual machine method work ?