How to install Debian from Windows without writing a USB or CD-ROM, on UEFI system

This post outlines how to install Debian without requiring writing the ISO image to a USB or burning to DVD drive.

  1. Shrink the Windows partition using Disk Management
  2. Create a Fat32 partition, 4GB or more, after the Windows partition
  3. Use 7-zip to extract the Debian Netinst ISO, move the extracted files to the Fat32 partition.
  4. Use mountvol E: /s in Windows command prompt to access the ESP partition, backup the E:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi for Windows boot manager and replace with rEFInd boot manager or the grubx64.efi boot loader
  5. rEFInd or Grub should automatically detect the Kernel and allow booting into the installer
  6. The Debian installer will fail when it gets to installation of components due to being unable to mount the CD-ROM. Use Ctrl+Alt+F1 to switch to a terminal window, mount the Fat32 partition in the location that the installer is searching. I.e.: mount /dev/sda4 /media/cdrom
  7. Create new partitions for Debian and swap and continue the installation.