Windows 7 How to Install Windows 7 from a USB Drive

tblount · Nov 9, 2009

Basher said:
making bootable usb to install onto netbook - never heard of diskpart before so though I'd give it ago (good job I have backups )

Unetbootin is the tool that does all that with one click.. Microsoft ripped off their idea and last week released their utility that does the same thing.

You should be able to repair the partitions. Just don't do any writing to the drive because it will wipe out some date if it overwrites used sectors.

Basher · Nov 9, 2009

Tried repair and then 3 hrs into it realised that I had bitlocked them lol - never mind, another learning curve.

Remember boys and girls - backup, backup and then backup again.

Basher

fjgold · Nov 15, 2009

tblount said:
Unetbootin is the tool that does all that with one click.. Microsoft ripped off their idea and last week released their utility that does the same thing.

You should be able to repair the partitions. Just don't do any writing to the drive because it will wipe out some date if it overwrites used sectors.

The only way I could get unetbootin to work with Win 7 was to pre-format the drive to NTFS.
With fat 32 I get a unetbootin startup that loops indefinitly.
With NTFS the Win 7 install routine starts normally. Go figure.
Installing using the CLI method posted earlier works with the drive formatted to fat 32.

tblount · Nov 15, 2009

fjgold said:
The only way I could get unetbootin to work with Win 7 was to pre-format the drive to NTFS.
With fat 32 I get a unetbootin startup that loops indefinitly.
With NTFS the Win 7 install routine starts normally. Go figure.
Installing using the CLI method posted earlier works with the drive formatted to fat 32.

Which drive? Unetbootin has nothing at all to do with the hard drive you would be instlling Windows to... that's all in the Windows install process. Windows will even tell you that you must format the drive to ntsf if you start the install and it doesn't find the install hard drive as ntsf format.

fjgold · Nov 15, 2009

tblount said:
Which drive? Unetbootin has nothing at all to do with the hard drive you would be instlling Windows to... that's all in the Windows install process. Windows will even tell you that you must format the drive to ntsf if you start the install and it doesn't find the install hard drive as ntsf format.

Sorry for the confusion Terry, I'm talking about my USB Flash drive. I know that the host HDD must be NTFS for a Win 7 install.
My tests show that if the Thumb drive is formatted to Fat 32 Unetbootin won't work. It appears to create a USB Flash installer
OK, no errors but it won't run. When you boot to it a unetbootin start screen appears and if you click on the only option (default) or wait for the 10 second count down to finish it loops back to the start indefinitly.
If you pre-format the USB flash drive to NTFS you get a device that boots exactly like a USB installer created using the CLI
method and will install Win 7 with no incident.
Incidentally I use Sandisk Cruzer Titanium flash drives (some of the fastest available).

Again sorry for the confusion I often refer to USB Flash devices as drives which they essentially are.
I often refer to hard drives as HDD's (hard disk drives).

Creating a USB Flash drive installer using Unetbootin only seems to work on a NTFS formatted device.

If I want to create Fat 32 formatted installer I've found that I need to use the command line method.

What amazes me is that Linux based Unetbootin works for Win 7 at all.

I tried creating a USB Flash installer for XP using Unetbootin but it failed to boot with an error about a missing "bootmgr" file.

tblount · Nov 15, 2009

fjgold said:
What amazes me is that Linux based Unetbootin works for Win 7 at all..

What amazes me is that week before last Microsoft ripped off Unetbootin and released a tool to do the same thing to "help people install windows to their laptop."

fjgold · Nov 15, 2009

tblount said:
What amazes me is that week before last Microsoft ripped off Unetbootin and released a tool to do the same thing to "help people install windows to their laptop."

Oh well that is a pitfall of open source anyone including MS can use the source code anyway they want.

You've mentioned the MS version of Unetbootin before, any reason you don't link to a place to get this app.
I've had no luck googling it. I don't really know what MS has named their version.

tblount · Nov 15, 2009

fjgold said:
Oh well that is a pitfall of open source anyone including MS can use the source code anyway they want.

You've mentioned the MS version of Unetbootin before, any reason you don't link to a place to get this app.
I've had no luck googling it. I don't really know what MS has named their version.

I'm pretty sure I linked it in my blogs. I just don't always link everything I mention.

Failman · May 15, 2010

I get a disk read error when I try it. After I pick to boot from external usb, black screen.

I'm trying to install windows 7 64 bit on a computer that has a single, new HDD on it. Of the several discs I've burned, one gives me a cd/dvd device driver error, the other gives me an endless reboot loop because it can't configure hardware or something.

I've gotten ubuntu working on it, but I had to reformat the hdd again to try installing windows. Now, from what I've read it seems that I can't make the boot disk from this computer since this one is running windows xp.

Should I try taking my flash drive (actually usb hdd..) over to an aunts house where she has windows vista, and try it from there? I'm worried it won't be worth it.

mjbmjb · Jun 17, 2010

thanks for your info

fjgold · Jul 30, 2010

connor543 said:
Now my new TB usb removable storage device is ****ed. My computer can't recognize it anymore. No more useful than a brick. Thanks.

How is this our fault?

fjgold · Jul 31, 2010

Is it even remotely possible that your device is defective or that you screwed up?
You could come here asking for help and provide useful info about your issue.

Like the type of device it is ie: external HDD, flash drive etc.
Does the Windows diskmgmt.msc tool see it?
If you don't know about diskmgmt.msc type diskmgmt.msc in the Start menu search field and click on the result to open the tool.
If it does is it reported offline?
Etc, etc.

Instead you come here with an attitude and a chip on your shoulder.
You should know that we post here as unpaid volunteers trying to help others.

It should be self evident that anything has risk.

Now if you want help possibly fixing your device how about toning down the sarcasm
and being more civil.
As I said before more info please.

nirmal · Oct 5, 2010

Thanks for providing useful tips on loading windows 7 onto your desktop using USB drive. I am searching the net to find similar posts.

Trouble · Dec 15, 2010

For anyone who may find it difficult to follow Kyle's excellent step by step written instructions on this topic. And appreciates that sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. You may find this video from Microsoft TechNet helpful in following along with the written instructions provided in the OP. It provides several warnings regarding the more intricate steps in the process.
Link Removed

junglistdeya · Dec 11, 2011

followed this Link Removed

running windows 7 32 bit

error - bootsect.exe is not compatible with version of windows you`re running. check your system information to see wether you need a x86

2-bit> or x64 <64-bit> version of the program, and then contact the software publisher.

Any thoughts please ?

Elmer · Dec 11, 2011

Hi junglistdeya and Welcome to The Forum.

Are you trying to put the 64bit version on the usb stick? I don't think you can do that from within a 32bit system without running, in an elevated (administrator) command: BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 G: (where G: is your usb drive).

Also see: bootsect.exe is not a valid win32 application - Microsoft Answers which might throw some light / tips on it.

junglistdeya · Dec 11, 2011

Thanks!

Mobo - P7H55-M

Updated to latest bios before i attempted to boot from usb btw. I solved it. Instead of changing teh boot device priority via the bios i used f8 to select a boot device during boot up. Also to solve the bootsect.exe problem i just ran the commands using a 32bit dvd onto my usb device then just copied my 64bit iso to the usb device. Worked like a charm!

Elmer · Dec 11, 2011

Excellent news! Well done.

And Thanks for joining our community. We hope to continue to see you around.

matispure · Dec 20, 2011

Hello Win7 Community!

My aunt bought a new notebook without dvd/cd drive. So i told that i have a win7 disc for her so she doesn't have to buy a computer with operating system.

I don't know why! but then i realized that I can't install the windows due to she doesn't have dvd drive. So i saw that it's possible to install with USB.

I downloaded win7 64bit version and 32bit. (her processor is 64) [Does it affect it somehow if they are both on the usb? - they seem to be like one, with one installer]
I made the USB perfectly bootable.
Started the comp - f8 - USB boot option - loaded windows - clicked ''install'' option - and it popped up an error nearly like this :''Missing media drivers, please insert DVD/CD''

I downloaded another windows 7 from different source and still same problem.

1. Could Ubuntu what's currently on the computer cause this problem?
2. Maybe is there something i have to change in setup ?
3. Should i download some drivers and add them to USB? Does it automaticly install them? Has it helped anyone with a similiar problem like this? (I don't think so because the notebook is bought like week ago and it should be updated to date)

Please help!

gary03 · Jun 27, 2014

Hi everyone! Hope it will help. Link Removed

Windows 7 How to Install Windows 7 from a USB Drive

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