Installing Windows 7 from a USB device to HDD.

Right, my only point is that I went from top to bottom, set the Partition scheme and target system type to GPT partition scheme for UEFI computer, the File System to FAT32 (Default), Cluster size to 4096, and New Volume label to "Win7 Install"

***AFTER DOING THAT*** I selected the iso and RUFUS change the settings back to the screen shot, **NOT ME***,,which I noticed before when I first started down this path. In the spirit of "programmers code things to protect users from themselves", I thought perhaps it meant that I had to use MBT and that's why the software changed the combo-boxes.

Either way, one last try and then I'm abandoning UEFI and using MBR is this one last try doesn't work. Way too much hassle.

I will let you know what happens.

Try wiping the stick first with Diskpart Clean Command
then format it.

I had done that also. Window 8 gave me a "permission denied" even when running as administrator. However, it appeared to clean the disk.

Rufus ran successfully using all the settings provided and this is what my disk part looks like. It does show as a GPT, which I think may have been my problem the first time.

here is the screenshot

It looks like RUFUS made the bootx64 in the correct directory so I believe this may have a chance to work. Other documentation had users manually move and rename a file after doing OPTION #2 in this forum (not using RUFUS(. I did that, but I might have fouled something else up along the way.

Nothing is needed besides the steps in Option One which does it all. I already told you what to do if stick causes problems.

I think it worked .

Now my problem is that when I get to the screen that asks where do you want to install Windows, no drives show up. I can browse... do I select the C: drive? It looks like there is boot stuff in there. Do I need to set up partitions? Is there a tutorial on how to do this? All of my previous installations (which are few), I just picked a drive that was there and it seemed to put it on my HDD.

You may need some level of CSM or Legacy enabled in BIOS setup to see the drive.

If you'll post back camera shots of the settings choices for Secure Boot, CSM, UEFI, Legacy and BIOS Boot Priority we can help you find the correct ones.

Also under Reset to Defaults section, is there an alternative reset for "Other OS's?"

Try booting in first to wipe the hard drive with Diskpart Clean Command followed by the command "Convert GPT" to see if that also helps.

I probably have something fouled up because I don't fully understand this process. Right now, I have Window 8.1 on what I assume is a UEFI, gpt, NFS Partition on my hard drive. I attempted first to install Windows 7 x64 from a DVD and I got an error that a required driver could not be installed. No other information. That created a new partition so when the Windows Boot Manager loads I have a choice (Screenshot A) the setup version or Windows 8.1.

I have what I believe is now a bootable USB with Windows 7 x64.

I have been reluctant to touch the HDD because a while back, on a laptop, I lost everything learning about dual boots, swap space, and Ubuntu.

Back on the current PC, I noticed now that the Hitachi Hard Drive does not show up in the Boot Sources, where as it did before. The DISKPART command also hangs on this PC. Something must be fouled up.

Since I basically consider Windows 8.1 useless, and I have recovery disks on hand, I will try to reformat the Hard Drive and get the driver, if I need it, next. I'll take a look at disk clean, but I'm not sure how to use it at this point.

I've attached several screenshots. The BIOS utility from HP seems to have limited options compared to others I've seen. Again, I really appreciate your help. Maybe I'll come out of this exercise as a hardware guy, but I doubt it.