USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

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.
• When ready to install Windows 7 from the USB key:
  • Connect the USB key.
  • Restart the computer, and keep tapping the F key (see screenshot below) responsible to open the Boot Menu screen for the brand and model of your motherboard or computer until it does.
    • 
      
  • Select the USB key to boot from.
  • Start installing Windows 7.

CONTENTS:

• Option One: Use "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" to Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB
• Option Two: Use "Rufus" to Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB
• Option Three: Manually Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive

OPTION ONE

Use "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" to Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB

   Tip

If you do not have a Windows 7 ISO file, then you can either download the latest ISO version at the links below.

:ar: Microsoft Software Recovery

:ar: Microsoft: Windows 7 Direct Download Links

You could also use a free program like ImgBurn or ISODisk to create a ISO from your Windows 7 installation DVD.

1. For how, see the Part 2 section here: Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.

OPTION TWO

Use "Rufus" to Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB

1. Download the latest version of Rufus at the link below, and save it's .exe file to your desktop.
:ar: Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

   Note

This is a standalone exe file that doesn't install anything to your PC.

For Rufus FAQs, see: https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ

2. Connect your USB flash drive if you have not already.

3. Run the rufus_v###.exe file, and click/tap on Yes if prompted by UAC.
NOTE: ### = latest version number.

4. Set Rufus with the settings below: (see screenshot below step 5)

• [Under Device, select the USB flash drive you want to format and use.
• Under Format Options, check Create a bootable disk using, click/tap on the browse icon to navigate to and select your 64-bit Windows 7 ISO file.
• Under Partition scheme and target system type, select MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI computers.
• Under File system, select NTFS.
• Under Cluster size, select the (Default) (ex: 16 kilobytes or 4096 bytes) it has listed.
• Under Format Options, check Quick format.
• Under Format Options, check Create extended label and icon files.
• Under New volume label, you can enter any name you like for the USB flash drive, or leave the default name.

5. When ready, click/tap on Start. (see screenshot below)

6. Click/tap on OK to confirm. (see screenshot below)

7. Rufus will now start creating the bootable UEFI USB flash drive. (see screenshot below)

8. When Rufus is "DONE", you can close Rufus. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: It could take a little while to finish.

9. You are now ready to installWindows 7 with your bootable USB flash drive.

OPTION THREE

Manually Create Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive

   Warning

Using this method:

• You will only be able to create a 64-bit Windows 7 bootable USB flash drive if your current Windows 7 installation is also 64-bit.
• You will be able to create a 32-bit Windows 7 bootable USB flash drive if your current Windows 7 installation is 32-bit or 64-bit.

64-bit installation + 64-bit ISO = 64-bit flash drive
64-bit installation + 32-bit ISO = 32-bit flash drive
32-bit installation + 32-bit ISO = 32-bit flash drive
32-bit installation + 64-bit ISO = unable to create

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 use in step 6 below. You can also open Computer (step 19) to see what the drive size is to. For example, mine is 3920 MB. (See screenshot below)

3. Open an 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 to use in step 6 below. You can also look for the drive size (step 2) of the USB key to help ID the disk number. For example, mine is listed as Disk 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: 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 in the command below to format the USB as NTFS or FAT32, and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This may take a few moments to finish formatting the USB key.

   Note

You can substitute Windows 7 within quotes in the commands below with whatever name (drive label) you would like to have displayed for the USB drive instead.

See also: Choosing between NTFS, FAT, and FAT32



FAT32 volume labels

• If you have an UEFI instead of BIOS motherboard, then you will need to use FAT32 and not NTFS.
• Volume labels can contain as many as 11 characters and can include spaces but no tabs.
• Volume labels cannot contain the following characters: ? / \ | . , ; : + = [ ] < > "
• Volume labels are stored as uppercase regardless of whether they contain lowercase letters.

NTFS volume labels

• Volume labels can contain as many as 32 characters.

format fs=ntfs label="Windows 7" quick

OR

format fs=fat32 label="Windows 7" quick


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 to use in step 22 below. For example, mine is now H.

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

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.

19. Open the Start Menu, 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 in it, and click on Open. (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.

   Warning

If you have UEFI instead of BIOS motherboard, then you will need to temporarily disable Secure Boot to use the USB to install Windows. After installation is complete, you can enable Secure Boot again.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc
• How to Do an Upgrade Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7
• How to Install Windows 7 FAST without a DVD or USB Device
• How to Setup Windows 7 to Boot from a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk)
• How to Create a Windows 7 VHD at Boot to Start with from Boot
• How to Create a Bootable ISO from an Older ISO
• How to Do a Custom Installation of Windows 7
• How to Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version
• How to Get and Use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
• How to Make a MS-DOS Bootable Flash Drive
• How to Create a Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc
• How to Install Windows 7 from USB Pen Drive Using Grub4Dos
• How to Slipstream Windows 7 SP1 and Updates to Create a Bootable USB, Installation DVD, or ISO File
• How to Install Windows 7 Using "Unified Extensible Firmware Interface" (UEFI)
• How to Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive for Installing Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[Golden]

Hi,

You shouldn't have to change the "Legacy USB" option - thats there to allow the keyboard amd mouse to work prior to the Windows driver for those being loaded. Moving the USB to the top of the boot priority is the correct thing to do.

Regards,
Golden

 

[Brink]

Hello Golden,

You don't if it's just Legacy USB, but if it's Legacy USB storage detect, then you would need to. That is if there is a setting for in the BIOS.

 

[Golden]

Thanks Brink - I wasn't even aware that that option for storage existed.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Golden.

It can be a real handy setting, if the motherboard has it, to allow or prevent booting from a USB by setting it and password protecting BIOS.

 

[Kar98]

Thanks! I've used method 2 from this post about a year ago, successfully. Perfect if you have a fast flash drive and a legal volume key.

Any idea if I can just copy or clone this over to another, larger drive, or if I have to do it all over again?

 

[Brink]

Hello Kar, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You could create a ISO from the USB key, then burn the ISO to another USB key using OPTION ONE to make it bootable as well.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[BishopLord]

Hey Brink, thanks for this tutorial. I didn't even have to read through, I just opened the first pic and kept clicking the next arrow to advance to the next pic. I wish everyone made their tutorials like this.

Anyhow, the USB key worked, but unfortunately my system still would hang on various installs... either expanding the files, or finalizing installation. Frustrated, I went to bed, and when I woke up this morning, I researched for another solution and I can't believe I overlooked this (as it never happened before), but when the install was expanding the files, I unplugged the USB cable and keyboard (I went back to trying to install from DVD). This worked perfectly. This took all but of 15 minutes or so, unlike when it got stalled I would wait up to an hour just to find out the system was installed.

I know this thread is over 2 years old, but if what I said above helps anyone else in my predicament...

 

[Brink]

Hello BishopLord,

I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for posting your results so that they may help others with the same issue.

 

[Kar98]

Hello Kar, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You could create a ISO from the USB key, then burn the ISO to another USB key using OPTION ONE to make it bootable as well.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Well, on that note, I just took my W7 install ISO and made it into another USB key
This time, since I was actually doing it _with_ W7 installed on an actual computer, method one worked without a hitch.
The previous time, all I had to work with was XP in a virtual machine so I had to use method two, because the MS tool bitched about "invalid ISO" or words to that effect.

 

[Brink]

Kar,

That's great to hear. I'm glad that you got it sorted.

 

[winwolf]

Brink,

I've got a 250 GB USB HDD with spare space - can I create a new partition on that with an ISO image that is bootable, or does this still require the entire USB drive to be wiped?

I have an OEM Win 7 Pro install DVD, but no USB sticks over 2 GB in size. I have copied all the files to both this USB HDD as well as one on my laptop.

I could just install from the DVD, but as this is my second install on this machine, I want to be ready to reinstall faster next time.

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Winwolf,

Unfortunately, the USB flash drive will still get formatted when you burn a ISO to it to make the USB bootable. However, you could temporarily copy what you do not want to lose on the USB flash drive to another location, then after creating the bootable USB flash drive, you could copy the files back onto the USB flash drive if you still have enough free space.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[winwolf]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I'll go the DVD route for now.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Winwolf.

 

[Henfracar]

Printer's Devil

Aah Brinks,
Seems like the 'printer's devil' got you in this tut also.
Your notes in steps
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.
and
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.

should read "for step 22 below"; and

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)

should read "for step 20 below"

and "You can also open Computer (step 21)"

should read "(step 19)"

Hope I'm not being a PITA, just trying to be helpful, and thanks from us 'noobs' for writing these very informative, stepwise tutorials.
P.S; your last suggestion to me in the "SFC thread" triggered my need to read up on the ways I could install my OS.
Frank

 

[Brink]

Hello Frank,

No you're not being a PITA. With these tutorials constantly being updated all the time, I'm sure that I missed a few things here and there. Anyone that helps to point out these mistakes are always most welcomed.

Thank you.

 

[Henfracar]

LOL, seems I missed one myself, Brink,

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 open Computer (step 21) to see what the drive size is to. For example, mine is 3920 MB. (See screenshot below)

"(step 21)" should be (step 19); or
instead of necessitating scrolling down to step 19, the note may be better stated:
"Open computer (Start>Computer) and make a note of the drive size and disc letter of the USB key for use in later steps of this procedure. For example, mine is 3920 MB and listed as disc G: (See screen shot below)"

(P.S) the note in step 5 is OK
the note in step 6 (unchanged) will now refer correctly to step 2.

But step 18 says:
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 20 below. You can also open Computer (step 19) to see what the drive letter is to. (See right screenshot below)

since step 19 requires you to open Computer etc, and step 20 follows then there really is no need for step 18's note, if you catch my drift.

Again, just my two cents.
Your friend
Frank

 

[Brink]

Hello Frank,

Thank you. I fixed up the missed typos. Unfortunately, you cannot use the drive letter of the USB drive until you actually get down to step 13 since the drive letter will change from step 2.

 

[Britton30]

My 1½¢ worth

Hi Brink,
Couldn't one simply insert the USB drive, go to Computer, right click the drive, click format, uncheck Quick Format, then start the copying from the Win 7 DVD after it's formatted?

I'm a total novice at doing this, but it would seem simpler unless going through the elevated cmd prompt does something else I'm unaware of.

I'm trying to create a bootable Win 7 X86 USB drive to use on my wife's PC which has XP now. My Win 7 DVD is a University Upgrade version. Will this still work on a USB?

 

[Brink]

Hello Britton,

Q1) It wouldn't be a "bootable" USB if done that way. You could do it that way if you only wanted to run the USB from within XP though.


Q2) Yes, it should be able to be used the same as a retail Windows 7 DVD in the tutorial.