Creating Bootable Vista / Windows 7 USB Flash Drive

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.]

  1. Plug in your USB Flash Drive
  2. Open a command prompt as administrator (Right click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”
  3. 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.
  4. 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:

  1. Insert your Windows Vista / 7 DVD into your drive.
  2. Change directory to the DVD’s boot directory where bootsect lives:
    d:
    cd d:\boot
  3. 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:
  4. 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.

655 thoughts on “Creating Bootable Vista / Windows 7 USB Flash Drive”

  1. Hey I followed the instructions up til the point were I have to use the boot sect. I used the "bootsect /nt60 g:" but I got the following error

    Drive g: maps to volume DeviceSCDEmuSCDEmuCd0.
    This volume does not appear to connect to any disk partitions. Volume bootcode
    is always unused in the absence of associated partitions.

    so I went to "My computer" and realized it was a assigned a different letter "j"
    , so I entered "bootsect/ nt60 j:" and it said that it was successful. so my question is Did I do it right?

  2. Great post. I followed you instructions.
    It allowed me to INSTALL Win7 on to a USB, Now I can INSTALL Win7 from my USB.
    What I wanted to do was to BOOT from my USB, with Win7 INSTALLED on the USB (as if there was NO HARD-Drive in my computer) ANY IDEAS!!!
    Thanks.

    1. No, you didn't install Win 7 on the USB, but just made the USB bootable and duplicated the Win 7 install files to the USB.

      You need another USB to actually install to, though I suspect that Windows would run very slow, as USB keys do not have good read and write times, and assuming you have enough GBs to run in (like 16GB+).

  6. Did anyone have any success with this?
    I do everything as instructed but I end up getting the "error reading boot/bsc" message when the computer tries to boot from the USB.

  9. Fantastic – Am now running Windows 7 Ultimate on my Acer Aspire one 751h. So far, running way smoother than Vista Basic was!

    I didnt even need to boot onto the USB drive – I ran the Setup.exe from the USB drive right in Vista, chose a custom install, selected the main drive, and it installed without any issues at all.

    Way easier than I thought it would be.

  11. Hello Kevin. I recently purchased an HP Pavilion dm3 laptop with no optical drive but with Windows 7 Premium. Instead of making Recovery Disks I wanted to put the recovery info on a Flash Drive and make it bootable. The salesman said this can be done. Any idea how I can do this. My computer did not have a copy of the Windows 7 CD.

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  13. Thank so much! I follow your instruction throw step Bootsect i can not complete it. It shows me the message "Could not map drive partition to associated volume device object: Access is denied. " I'm stuck on this step. So anyone please help me how can i complete it.
    Please kindly reply me. Thank @@

  14. any ideas if i run XP? because the usb disk no. does not show.. although i know it is 2, the step SELECT DISC x does not work…

  15. Good Man.

    That is whats known as "A Professional"

    Any person with common sense would consider that an easy lesson learnt.

    Thank You for your help.

  16. Thank so much! I follow your instruction throw step Bootsect i can not complete it. It shows me the message "Could not map drive partition to associated volume device object: Access is denied. " I'm stuck on this step. So anyone please help me how can i complete it.
    Please kindly reply me. Thank @@

    copy the bootsect program from the boot folder to C: drive….

    after that in cmd, type cd c: to go auto route to C drive
    and follow the instruction…

    bootsect /nt60 g: (as that g is the driver ur usb is in ..) hope it help

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  21. This worked, and the install process took a LONG time.

    It said it would restart a few times, so I go back to see what progress it has made, and the thing has restarted to the BEGINNING of the install process.

    Any ideas?

    1. Assuming that you mean the Windows 7 install, then, yes it an take a long time… I'm not an expert in it, but I've seen it take an hour on some systems and four on others. There are always 3 restarts (I think) and that shouldn't change. I highly doubt it restarted from the beginning (it can't) it probably just took a long time.

  22. Use UltraISO, it's much simple:

    1. run UltraISO as administrator.
    2. mount your windows image using virtual cd.
    3. in UltraISO click 'File'->'Open CD/DVD…', then select the mounted drive and press 'Open'.
    4. click 'Bootable'->'Write Disk Image…'.
    5. in "Disk Drive", select your flash stick drive. in "Write Method" select 'USB-HDD+'.
    6. Click on "Write" button, wait until it end. and that's it.

    Enjoy.

    DNA

    1. Thanks, DNA. I haven't tried this method myself but I've heard others have had success with this. I'll try it myself and see what kind of success I have. If it works, I'll update the main post with instructions.

  23. This process got my advent notebook running again. Many thanks, the supposed "tech guys" were useless and many google results don't help. your way was simple, well explained and worked first time. The best!
    Roger UK

  24. does not work for me.. usb 8gb formatted in NTFS ( successfully formated partition using GPARTed), as the DISKPART does not show my usb in DISK LIST (although it is shown in VOLUME LIST (?!) used the tip shown here (the BOOTSECT part) everything is successful until the booting.. NO BOOTABLE PARTITION IN TABLE shown again…

    Any solution for this?
    I really think it would be very nice to install a Win7 for no more than 20 min ;) , so i need this :)

    1. I MUST SAY.. I'm using XP for making all of the above.. if this is the error, could anyone explain how to do this in XP…

  25. I found a solution using Gparted! (if DISK LIST does not list your USB)
    recomended:
    1.USB 2G formated in FAT32 **it has ti be FAT for the gparted program.
    2. A 4G USB (optim. for PERFORMANCE for NTFS FORMAT capability.
    3. Gparted *i did this with it
    get it here:
    http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php
    4. follow my instructions:

    – Unzip the Gparted on the 2G usb *FAT32
    – go to utils, win32 and run file named MAKEBOOT.bat
    – restart and boot pc wia this usb
    – Gpart will boot, and You should now insert the other USB (4GB)
    – refresh, select THE 4GB usb (beware if you select the 2GB usb or your HDD you could get in real trouble!!
    – Create a partition table
    – New Partition – Primary, NTFS
    – APPLY
    – again, select the 4GB usb, EDIT FLAGS: select BOOT
    – APPLY, RESTART, take out the 2GB usb.
    – Boot in Win as usual.
    – This is the moment You follow STEP 2 and STEP 3 from this article.

    You should have Your Win7//Vista ready on your USB ;)

    Hope this settles it.. it did for me though..

  26. I followed these steps to a T and when I booted up on my 16GB flash drive it gave the error DISK READ ERROR press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart…what gives? The only thing diffrent is I did all of the steps on a VISTA machine but copied the files from the DVD to the USB drive using Windows XP..any thoughts?

  27. Great post. It worked a treat. Interestingly, I used this to create a Hyper-V 2008 R2 USB setup disk. Instead of using the Bootsect file from a Vista disk I used the one from the Hyper V disk just incase.

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  30. VistaGuyRay in the 'Boot to Command Prompt?' thread at Microsoft TechNet indicated that pressing Shift + F10 at the Install Windows opens a Command window.

    There you can use diskpart.exe to create and format custom partitions, like with 64kB sectors and align of 64, for non-removable or non-SATA SSDs in laptops like the Vaio P or netbooks.

    1. Just to clarify this.

      You make the USB Key, and when you boot from that and get the Install Windows dialog, press Shift + F10 to do your custom stuff.

      Press F2 at boot up on a Sony Vaio P to get to the BIOS (H2) to change Boot order.

      1. Strange thing, i prepared external usb hard drive with W7, but trying to boot on VAIO P from External Device cause me an "Missing operating system" message. The same time, my desktop boots from this USB drive successfully.
        Any ideas?

        1. Did you change the boot order in the BIOS. Press F2 during bootup.

          You can even run Win 7 with Aero, but just need to disable some things in the Visual Effects panel of the Performance Options dialog box (Computer > Properties > Performance Information anf Tools > Adjust Visual Effects), like 'Animate windows when minimising and maximising', 'Slide open combo boxes' and any other CPU-intensive visual effects, OR just select the Bsic theme.

          The only drivers that need to be installed are the video, which you can download from the Sony P series sites. Just DON'T install any of the sony stuff as they are real resource hogs.

  32. when i boot from the usb i get the message :" reboor and select proper boot device or onsert boot media in selscted device and press a key "
    where did i go wrong ?

  35. This worked flawlessly for me on a MSI wind 210. Thanks, it's a pleasure when something written actually works as written :)

  36. I am looking to simply flash my bios to upgrade it (Vista). However, my computer did not have any DVDs with it as Vista was preinstalled by Gateway. Where can if find the boot files needed to make my USB bootable?

  37. Hi,
    I followed your instructions to the letter.
    Every thing goes fine. No error messages.
    But at booting time, the message "BOOTMGR is missing" appears.
    Do you have any idea on the cause? and solution?
    Thanks,

  38. Congratulations kmwoley for this brilliant & genial tip.
    I tried to do the same with Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool but i failed.
    I just appplied your method and it works !
    The installation of Windows 7 runs much faster than with the DVD.
    Thanks a lot again.

  40. Hi.
    The procedure seems really working.
    One just little comment (it saved me 15 minutes):
    -while using diskpart-
    FORMAT FS=NTFS QUICK

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  43. thank you very much for this :)
    for those having 32-bit OS and trying to bootsect 64-bit DVD.. had a same problem.. so, instead of running bootsect from 64-bit DVD, i mounted 32-bit Vista… after that copied the files from win7 DVD.. worked like a charm.. you should be able to do the same with 32-bit win7…

  45. Hi. Awesome post!

    Do you know how to create a bootable USB drive that will boot to a command prompt like bootable floppies used to?

    I ask b/c as part of the instructions to update my BIOS here:

    (click the how to update icon)
    http://www.asrock.com/MB/download.asp?Model=X58%2…

    it says to create a bootable system USB drive, then assumes after booting you'll be at an a: prompt (like when one used to boot from a floppy in the old days :) ).

    Trouble is when I boot with the USB drive I created with your help, Windows starts and tries to re-install itself.

    Thanks for the help!!

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