Install Windows Server 2008 R2 from USB/Thumb/Flash Drive

Format the thumb drive

1. Format the thumb drive as Fat32

Setup the thumb drive

Open run command (Start Menu > Run), type diskpart, and hit OK.  Then type the following in sequence:

1. list disk   (take note of the serial ### for the thumb drive)
2. select disk 2    (assuming disk 2 is the thumb drive)
3. clean
4. create partition primary
5. select partition 1
6. active
7. format fs=fat32  (if you don’t do this step, you won’t be able to copy any files to the thumb drive)
8. assign
9. exit

Copy Microsoft Windows Setup files to thumb drive

Now, open a new command window (Start Menu > Run > cmd), type the following, and hit Enter.

• xcopy F:*.* /s/e/f G:   (assumes your source dvd is F: and your thumb drive is G: