This post outlines how to install Debian without requiring writing the ISO image to a USB or burning to DVD drive.
- Shrink the Windows partition using Disk Management
- Create a Fat32 partition, 4GB or more, after the Windows partition
- Use 7-zip to extract the Debian Netinst ISO, move the extracted files to the Fat32 partition.
- 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
- rEFInd or Grub should automatically detect the Kernel and allow booting into the installer
- 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
- Create new partitions for Debian and swap and continue the installation.