How to Create a Bootable USB Key with Windows 7 or Vista

Table of contents:

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Do you need to install Windows 7 on a computer without a DVD player? Do you want to create a backup installer in case your disk gets damaged? Follow this guide to find out how to transfer Windows installation files to a bootable USB stick.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Create or Obtain a Windows Vista / 7 ISO

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 1

Step 1. Install a free burning program

There are many free burning programs online, but you will need one that can create ISO files.

If you received your copy of Windows 7 as an ISO file from Microsoft, you can skip to the next section directly

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 2

Step 2. Insert the Windows 7 DVD

Run your burning program and look for an option like "Create Image File". If prompted, set the DVD player as the source.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 3

Step 3. Save the ISO file

Choose a filename and location that are easy to remember. The ISO you create will be the same size as the disk you are copying (this means you may need several Gigabytes of free disk space). Make sure you have enough space.

It may take a long time to create the ISO, depending on the speed of your computer and DVD player

Part 2 of 4: Creating a Bootable Disk

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 4

Step 1. Download Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool

Microsoft allows free download of this tool. Despite the name, it also works with Windows Vista ISOs, and you can run it on virtually any version of Windows.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 5

Step 2. Choose the source file

This is the ISO file you created or downloaded in the first section of the guide. Click on "Next".

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 6

Step 3. Select the USB Device option

You can choose whether to burn a DVD or create a USB device. For this guide click on USB Device.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 7

Step 4. Select your USB device

Make sure the USB device is connected properly. You will need at least 4GB of space on it to be able to copy the Windows installation files to it.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 8

Step 5. Wait for the program to finish running

The program will format the USB device to make it bootable correctly and then copy the ISO file to it. The transfer could take up to 15 minutes, depending on the speed of your computer.

Part 3 of 4: Using the Command Line

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 9

Step 1. Insert the USB device

First insert the USB device and copy all its contents to a safe place on the disk.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 10

Step 2. Run Command Prompt as administrator

To open the command prompt, click on the Start menu and search for CMD. Click on it with the right mouse button and select Run as administrator to run it with administrator privileges.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 11

Step 3. Use the Diskpart utility to find the USB disk number

To do this, type the DISKPART command in the command prompt.

By running DISKPART, the current version of DISKPART and the name of your PC will be displayed.
Type "list disk" to view all the disks connected to your computer. Make a note of the number assigned to your USB device.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 12

Step 4. Format the disk

Run the following commands one after the other. Make sure you replace Disk 1 with the correct number assigned to your USB device.


select disk 1


clean


create partition primary


select partition 1


active


format fs = NTFS QUICK


assign


exit

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 13

Step 5. Make the USB device bootable

Use the bootsect utility available on Windows 7 and Vista. To do it:

Insert the 7 / Vista DVD and make a note of the letter assigned to the DVD player. In this guide, the DVD player is D: and the USB disk is "G:".
Change to the directory containing bootsect.

D:


cd d: / boot

Use bootsect to make the USB disk bootable. This will add BOOTMGR code to the disk to prepare it for Windows 7 / Vista boot.


BOOTSECT. EXE / NT60 G:

Close the Command Prompt windows.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 14

Step 6. Copy all files from the Windows 7 / Vista DVD to the newly formatted USB device

The safest and fastest way is to use the Windows Explorer. Open the disc, select all of its contents and drag it to the USB device (this may take a few minutes to complete).

Part 4 of 4: Prepare for Installation

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 15

Step 1. Change the boot order

To boot your PC from the USB disk you will first need to configure the BIOS so that the USB device has boot precedence over the hard disk. To enter the BIOS, restart your computer and press the key displayed on the screen. The key to press depends on the manufacturer, but is usually one of F2, F10, F12, or Del.

Open the BIOS Boot menu. Set your USB disk as the first boot device. Make sure it is entered, otherwise you will not be able to select it. Depending on your PC manufacturer, it may appear as a Removable Device or with its model name

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 16

Step 2. Save changes and reboot

If you have set the boot order correctly, the installation of Windows 7 or Vista will begin as soon as the manufacturer logo has disappeared from the screen.

Create a Bootable Windows 7 or Vista USB Drive Step 17

Step 3. Install Windows

The installation process will load and Windows setup will start.

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