EDIT 2009/12/11: Microsoft Provides a tool to do this for you – Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. See the Microsoft Store Help on the ISO-Tool (http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool).
It surprised me to find that there are very few dead-simple guides to creating a bootable USB thumb/pen/flash drive for a Vista and/or Windows 7 installation. I cobbled together the following from VistaPCGuy and another source I don’t remember right now.
This will walk through the steps to create a bootable USB flash drive for the purpose of installing a Vista or Windows 7 OS. These instructions assume that you have a computer with Windows Vista installed on it.
Required:
- USB Flash Drive (4GB+)
- Microsoft OS Disk (Vista / Windows 7)
- A computer running Vista / Windows 7
Step 1: Format the Drive
The steps here are to use the command line to format the disk properly using the diskpart utility. [Be warned: this will erase everything on your drive. Be careful.]
- Plug in your USB Flash Drive
- Open a command prompt as administrator (Right click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”
- Find the drive number of your USB Drive by typing the following into the Command Prompt window:
diskpart
list disk
The number of your USB drive will listed. You’ll need this for the next step. I’ll assume that the USB flash drive is disk 1. - Format the drive by typing the next instructions into the same window. Replace the number “1” with the number of your disk below.
select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS
assign
exit
When that is done you’ll have a formatted USB flash drive ready to be made bootable.
Step 2: Make the Drive Bootable
Next we’ll use the bootsect utility that comes on the Vista or Windows 7 disk to make the flash drive bootable. In the same command window that you were using in Step 1:
- Insert your Windows Vista / 7 DVD into your drive.
- Change directory to the DVD’s boot directory where bootsect lives:
d:
cd d:\boot - Use bootsect to set the USB as a bootable NTFS drive prepared for a Vista/7 image. I’m assuming that your USB flash drive has been labeled disk G:\ by the computer:
bootsect /nt60 g: - You can now close the command prompt window, we’re done here.
Step 3: Copy the installation DVD to the USB drive
The easiest way is to use Windows explorer to copy all of the files on your DVD on to the formatted flash drive. After you’ve copied all of the files the disk you are ready to go.
Step 4: Set your BIOS to boot from USB
This is where you’re on your own since every computer is different. Most BIOS’s allow you to hit a key at boot and select a boot option.
I used these instructions to get my new Dell Mini 9 laptop loaded with Windows 7 (the PDC bits). HTH.
Thank you so much for this guide. I've used it about 6 times.
Another method now is to use Ultra ISO (trial) and under Bootable tab, select Write to Drive and it will burn it like a disk, yet you can still put other files on there (like with this method) as long as you don't mess with the ISO files which must remain out in the root.
I can not find a "Write to Drive" under "Bootable tab". Could you advice me?LittleJoe
Thanks gregrocker!!! I'm doing this right now…. on an XP machine, my 4gb sony usb wasn't showing up with diskpart / list.
UltraISO is writing the disc image to my usb drive right this moment!
Also remember that you need to enable boot from USB drive in your BIOS. This can be tricky since an old BIOS may not be ready to recognize USB, so check for BIOS updates (try your manufacturers support page for your computer via 1)serial or 2)model; at Intel downloads you can check using your motherboard model; get motherboard and BIO's ID and version numbers using Belarc Advisor freeware. Also tricky is that many bios view flash USB as a hard drive, so you may need to look at your hard drive listings under Boot tab in BIOS to see if it recognizes your flash there. If so, set it as first boot, or look in the temporary F10 settings (on some mobos) which let you choose boot-up devices on a one-time basis.
Worked for me WITHOUT Vista/7. I formatted my flash drive with XP to Fat32 and then used the ISO/DVD bootsect like you said to make it bootable. Works like a charm.
BOZ,
After formatting flash drive to Fat 32 how to convert Fat 32 to NTFS?
Bhasker Raj
India
Great howto, but I do find it ludicrous that you can do this in Ubuntu with a simple one click util that does it all, and people say that Linux is hard …. LOL.
Yes using the command line does get things done ;-)
This was incredibly helpful, thank you so much for posting such a clear and concise guide on how to make a bootable USB drive with Windows 7!
Hi, one thing i found was the need to set the boot order back to hdd after the first reboot…
Hi everyone..
I had just complete my windows 7 installation based on this guide..
Well.. It is amazing because its really work for me..
But i have a problem to format the usb drive to normal..
I did the default format but it comes that my usb drive only have 3.7GB space..
How to format the usb drive for it to have the original space that is 4GB???
Please help me!!!
TQ
This worked for me to install Win7 on an older Dell GX260, but I can't get it to work on another PC. Whenever I try to boot from USB is says "Invalid Partition table". Since I was able to do an install off of this USB key could it be an issue with a BIOS setting? This PC has an Asus P4P800 mobo. Or could somehow the partition nave been made unactive?
Not all computers will allow boot from USB. BIOS settings need to be studied carefully, Google to determine relevance. "Enable USB legacy support" and "Enable Boot from USB" are the obvious ones. Under the boot tab, USB must be selected as first boot device; it may be detected under HD and not "removable device." Some Bios offer first boot device in temporary settings booted off of F10 or such, often listed at boot up.
If all attempts fail, check for a bios update for your model on manufacturer's support page – it will normally say something about USB in the change table if it applies to this issue. A last resort is the manufacturer of your bios model, determined by running Belarc Advisor freeware. Follow instructions carefully, take all backup precautions and determine in advance emergency recovery procedures for bios flash.
You have already determined the USB stick will boot on another computer, so that doesn't seem to be the problem but if there were any question about the stick's bootability the best check is to resinstall using UltraISO's trial new Bootable>Write Disk Image options.
To clarify, check for bios update first on your computer manufacturers support software download page. Last resort, check on bios manufacturer's page. Run the Belarc Advisor to determine BIOs model, then search the model; for example on an Intel board, you search for mobo software on Download Page. Your computer manufacturer may restrict some bios updates for proprietary reasons.
Great writeup, Greg. :)
This worked for me to install Win7 on an older Dell GX260, but I can't get it to work on another PC. Whenever I try to boot from USB is says "Invalid Partition table". Since I was able to do an install off of this USB key could it be an issue with a BIOS setting? This PC has an Asus P4P800 mobo. Or could somehow the partition nave been made unactive?
I did that Greg – I was able to change the boot priority in my BIOS to boot from the USB key, but I still got the error. However I was able to boot on another Asus mobo – a P5K.
I can't get XP 32 to recognize my flash drive by "list disk" in diskpart. It shows up in list volume, as somebody else mentioned on here. Converted to NTFS, still won't show. Don't know how else to make it bootable. Also tried the link given by dhowdy (eeeguides.com…), when I use the programs suggested, the format fails. At a loss as to what else I can do. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Use MBRwiz just google it. It will allow you to make your flash drive bootable in xp 32. Diskpart only works in vista or windows 7
worked for me – HP Mini 1000 running Win 7 now! Rocks almighty ! Now I just need to figure out how to get the webcam to work.
Excellent guide! Followed it and I now have a dual-booting msi wind u123! Thank you so much. This guide was the one that made sense, and I've read many others.
Thank you, thank you! Even my hubby is impressed.
if that method didnt work…
this gives very detailed instructions on how to do it
thakn you so much! you saved me a loooot of time! much appreciated
Thank you so much! This is exactly what i was looking for. After an eternity (i mean it) of searching how to do this, i still could not find how to make the usb bootable. You are great, thank you!
Step 3 doesnt work.
My USB-Stick ist H:
I have a copy of the Install-disk on my HardDrive so i insert:
cd Win7CD
cd boot
bootsect / nt60 H:
Output:
Target volumes will be updated with BOOTMGR compatible bootcode.
Could not map drive partitions to set the associated volume device object:
access denied
Please help me
Forgett my last post.
It works also even with the failure message
Thanks to you
Excellent guide, worked perfectly for me with Lacie 8GB USB stick.
Using it to upgrade Asus EeePC1000 from XP to Win7.
Installation proceeding – slowly…
Can't find CD/DVD driver error appears after booting from flash drive. I tried going to Windows drivers but no luck with the one that shows up. Anybody else have this problem. I've tried to boot from my original Windows RC disk, but I can't do it?
Thank You for such detailed instructions on creating the bootable flash, however my laptop has Vista pre-installed, so I do not have the Vista OS disk…. How can I proceed without it????
No need for Vista disk. Just download UltraISO trial and load the Windows 7 ISO, then from Bootable tab select "Write Disk Image" to your USB flash and it will format and install Win7 installer on your USB. Works every time. The above comments handle almost every other possible hitch.
Does this mean that we can`t acually run Win 7 from the usb stick, like Linux, OSX, Solaris etc , but the only option is to install to an NTFS partition on your hard drive…?
There may be ways to run Win7 from external media, like a USB stick. This post is not about that.
@Deborah – If you extract the ISO to a DVD you will have a Win7 disc, which will have bootsect on it :)
Just finishing installing it on my new Samsung N110, thank you very much!
Thanks for this great guide!
My mom got an Dell PC from her boss who was replaced them with newer ones. They deleted everything on it, even the partition! So I had to put the harddrive in my Vista PC and there I created the partition. After putting it back it said bootmgr missing.
And somehow the BIOS was messed up that it couldn't start the Windows 7 DVD. But I'm so happy I found this guide, now I am installing it from my 4GB flash drive!
Thanks.
I followed the guide but got an error:
"Windows failed to boot" "File: bootbootbcd"
Seems like the usb is bootable, but the second level mbr is not properly set by the command "bootsect /nt60 g:"
I am running Windows 7 64bit, and I am trying to create a newer Windows 7 build, but it's 32bit. Maybe working under 64bits and 32bits is not a good idea. That's the most suspicious thing I could think.
Hi. im pretty sure i did all the steps correctly and got the usb bootable drive working. Im trying to install it to my dell mini 9 but got stuck till the part of WHERE i'm suppose to install it. there were 2 options in the setup; 1) partition 0 (OEM something2…) which is less than 1gb and another 2) partition 0 (system) with 14.3 gb. and i cant proceed. Did i miss something? I'm totally lost. right now, im googling to find some answers. Would be great if anyone could help me out please.
Your best option would be to use the 14.3 GB partition and leave the smaller one alone. The smaller one likely contains the Dell recovery/diagnostics tools which I've found (marginally) useful. If you really want/need all the space, delete all the partitions and start fresh.
use with ultraiso
When i try to load windos vista to a flash drive it ask to select the drive but the only drive listed is drive 0 and partition D . Disk 1 (usb) is not listed , Never the less is listed in the bios.
Thanks.
my motherboard is asus m2nmx this motherboard is booting pendrive
hey thanks, i badly needed this instructions..
i have windows 7 non bootable dvd
crate bootable dvd in nero
but i hve not boot image
plse where have boot image microsoft.img or ima file
I had the same problem where it didn't show the usb as a drive in list disk. I have found a workaround- type "convert [drive letter] /fs:ntfs". This formats the drive to ntfs without deleting any files already on the drive. Sorry, this cannot be undone.
Thank you. This is by far the fastest and most concise walkthrough I have seen, as well as the only one that has worked for me. You, sir, deserve eCookies.
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