If you have a computer without a DVD ROM, a bootable partition can be a lifesaver. With a bootable partition, you can recover, repair or reinstall Windows without the need for a DVD or USB drive. In this tutorial, we will show you how to create a bootable partition to clean install Windows.
Before we begin, it is important to note that this tutorial is being recorded for the users of Windows 8 and Windows 10. However, the process is pretty much the same for Windows 7 users, except for one thing.
Firstly, we will need to create a separate partition for this purpose. You can use any partition except the one where Windows is installed. To avoid a mess, you can create a separate partition for this purpose. You can merge this partition with any other partition without data loss when you don’t need it. We need 6GB of disk space, which you can shrink from another partition without any data loss.
To shrink and create a new partition, go to the start menu and type in diskmgmt.msc. Click diskmgmt.msc to open up this Windows utility. Right-click on a partition that has more than 6GB of free disk space, which you want to shrink, and click Shrink Volume. Set the amount of required disk space amount. After the shrink is complete, right-click on the unallocated partition and click New Simple Volume. The partition is now ready for the next step.
We will be using a free-to-use third-party software called EasyBCD. Download and install EasyBCD. You can find the download link in the video description box. Open up Windows 10 or Windows 8 DVD or the ISO image file, select all, and copy DVD or ISO image file content to the partition we prepared. The copying process may take a while depending on the hard disk speed.
After copying is complete, open up EasyBCD. Go to the Add new entry menu and click on the WinPE tab. You may give it a name. Here you need to set a file named Boot.Wim. When you restart, this file kick starts installation setup. Click here to locate Boot.Wim file. Go to the partition where we’ve copied the Windows 10 installation files. Open up the source folder. Highlight Boot.Wim file and then click open. Click the plus icon to add WinPE image to the boot menu. The process is complete, and you can now install Windows 10 or Windows 8 from this partition without DVD or bootable USB.
To switch between Windows and bootable partition, restart your PC. You will be given 30 seconds to choose to boot installed Windows or bootable partition.
Creating a bootable partition can save you a lot of precious time in an emergency, and without Windows DVD and creating a bootable USB, you can recover, repair or reinstall Windows with ease. We hope this guide has been helpful to you. If you run into any problems, feel free to contact us via the comment section. The comment section can also be used for suggestions, feedback, and questions.