How to Create a Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive

How to Create a Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive

   Information

This will show you how to create a USB flash key drive that you can boot from to install Windows 7 with.

   Tip

If the USB flash drive is of sufficient capacity, say 8GB, then after copying the Windows 7 installation DVD onto it, you can create a new folder (ex: Device Drivers) in the USB key and place all of your latest driver installation files in it. This way you will have them handy to manually install the drivers after installing Windows 7 from the USB key.

   Note

If you booted from the USB drive to install Windows 7, then you may need to change the hard drive back to being listed before the USB key in the boot order in BIOS after the computer restarts during installation to prevent the computer from booting right back into the USB key starting the installation process over and over.

   Warning

• The USB key needs to be at least 4 GB in size.
• This will delete everything on the USB key. Be sure to save anything that you do not want to lose on it somewhere else.
• Before installing Windows 7 from the USB key, you will need to:
  • Enable Legacy USB storage detect in the BIOS.
  • Temporarily set the USB FDD (USB Flash Disk Drive) to be listed right before the hard drive (or partition) that you will be installing Windows 7 on in the hard drive Boot Priority order list in the BIOS.
  • After you are finished installing Windows 7 from the USB key, make the Windows 7 hard drive (or partition) listed first in the hard drive Boot Priority order list in the BIOS.
  • If you have a BIOS setting to have USB mass storage set to emulate fixed discs, then be sure to set it to this and not have it set to something like emulate floppy discs.

METHOD ONE

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Use a Program to Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive

NOTE: If you do not have a ISO file, then you can use the free program like ImgBurn or ISODisk to create a ISO from your Windows 7 installation DVD to use with the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool program to make a bootable USB flash drive with the ISO.

1. For how, see: Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.

METHOD TWO

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Manually Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive

   Warning

With this method:

• You can only create a 32-bit Windows 7 USB key from within a 32-bit Vista or Windows 7.
• You can only create a 64-bit Windows 7 USB key from within a 64-bit Vista or Windows 7.

1. Plug the USB key in.

2. If AutoPlay opens a pop-up for the USB key, then just close it.
NOTE: Make note of what the drive size is for the USB key for step 6 below. You can also openComputer (step 21) to see what the drive size is to. For example, mine is 3920 MB. (See screenshot below)

 

3. Open a elevated command prompt.

4. In the elevated command prompt, type diskpart and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

5. In the elevated command prompt, type list disk and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Make note of what disk # your USB key is listed as for step 6 below. You can also look for the drive size (step 2) for the USB key to help ID the disk number. For example, mine is listed asDisk 1 here for the 3920 MB disk.

6. In the elevated command prompt, type select disk # (your USB disk #) and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can also look for the drive size (step 2) for the USB key to help ID the disk number. For example, my USB key is listed as Disk 1, so I would type select disk 1 and press Enter.

7. In the elevated command prompt, type clean and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

8. In the elevated command prompt, type create partition primary and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

9. In the elevated command prompt, type select partition 1 and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

10. In the elevated command prompt, type active and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

11. In the elevated command prompt, type format fs=ntfs quick OR format fs=fat32 quickand press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This may take a few moments to finish formatting the USB key.

12. If AutoPlay opens a pop-up for the USB key, then just close it. 

13. In the elevated command prompt, type assign and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This will assign a new drive letter to the USB key. Make note of the new USB drive letter for step 19 below. For example, mine is now H.

14. If AutoPlay opens a pop-up for the USB key, then just close it.
NOTE: Make note of the new USB drive letter for step 19 below. For example, mine is now H.

15. In the elevated command prompt, type exit and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This will exit you from DiskPart from step 4.

16. Close the elevated command prompt.

17. Insert your Windows 7 installation DVD into the DVD drive.

18. If AutoPlay opens a pop-up for the Windows 7 installation DVD, then just close it.
NOTE: Make note of what the drive letter is for the DVD drive that has the Windows 7 installation DVD in for step 18 below. You can also open Computer (step 21) to see what the drive letter is to. (See right screenshot below)

19. Open the Start Menu, and right click on the Computer button and click on Open.

20. Right click on the DVD drive (ex: E: ) that has the Windows 7 installation DVD, and click onOpen. (See screenshot below)

21. Highlight all of the contents, right click on the highlighted contents, and click on Copy. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You will need to copy all of the files and folders on the Windows 7 installation DVD to the USB key.

22. Go back to Computer, right click on the USB key drive (ex: H ), and click on Paste. (See screenshot below)

23. The contents of the Windows 7 installation DVD will now start copying over to the USB key. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This may take a few moments to complete.

24. When finished, you can close the Computer window and unplug the USB key.

25. You now have a Windows 7 Installation USB key. 

That's it,
Shawn