Want to install Windows vii on your computer without an optical drive? Possibly yous're using a laptop without a built-in DVD drive, or fifty-fifty an old netbook or Windows tablet. Whatever the case, you'll demand to make a USB installation disk.

Y'all can practise this without any extra software, or you tin utilise tools provided by Microsoft and tertiary parties.

Note: Despite the legacy that Windows vii left backside, it's fourth dimension to upgrade to Windows 10! With Windows 11 on the mode, Windows 7 isn't desirable equally a personal operating arrangement. Still, for older hardware, or for those who but like Windows vii, read on.

2 Means to Brand a Bootable USB Windows vii Installation Deejay

Y'all accept 2 choices for making a bootable USB bulldoze that tin install Windows 7.

  1. Create a bootable disk using Windows tools: this requires no additional software
  2. Download the install from Microsoft: this is a far simpler solution

Let's take a look at each option.

What Yous'll Demand to Install Windows vii From a USB Drive

Without an optical drive on the target computer, installing Windows 7 every bit your preferred operating system is impossible. Simply if you have the original installation media and a USB wink drive, you lot tin brand it work.

To get started, you'll need:

  • A working Windows 7 figurer with a DVD drive and administrator rights.
  • A Windows 7 installation DVD.
  • AUSB flash drive with 4GB of space or larger.

This will likewise work with external USB hard drives instead of a USB thumb drive. However, all the data on the drive volition exist formatted and deleted.

The following steps can exist completed on a Windows 7 estimator. However, they're almost the same whatever operating arrangement you're using, including Windows 10.

1. Open an Elevated Command Prompt

To outset, insert your USB flash bulldoze in your principal PC---the one with the optical drive. You should as well insert the Windows seven installation DVD.

Click Start > All Programs > Accessories and right-click on Command Prompt. Select Run As Administrator. Of grade, you demand to exist able to authenticate as the administrator on the PC you're using.

On Windows x, click Outset and then type "command". Right-click the get-go event and select Run every bit administrator.

In the blackness command prompt window, open the deejay partition tool with the command:

          diskpart

This will open up in a new command prompt window. Here, retrieve a list of disks attached to your PC.

          list deejay

One of the drives listed will exist your USB drive. You'll probably exist able to spot it based on the bulldoze'due south capacity. Make a note of the disk number of the USB drive.

screenshot of disk part in windows 10

This is of import to go correct; otherwise, yous'll end up losing data on other drives.

Next, division the disk. Begin past selecting the disk and cleaning it.

Where you come across the # sign, substitute it with the disk number of your USB device.

          select deejay #
clean

You can then create a new partition.

          create division chief
select partitioning one

Brand the partition active, then format as NTFS:

          active
format fs=ntfs quick
screenshot of formatting usb for windows 7 iso

Next, issue the single command to set the disk as drive Eastward:

          assign letter e

Finally, exit the DiskPart tool.

          go out

The USB wink drive is at present ready for Windows 7's installation files.

ii. Brand Your Windows vii USB Bootable

The format step may take some time, depending on your computer'due south specification.

In the command prompt blazon

          d:/boot/bootsect.exe /nt60 e:

(This assumes D: is your DVD drive with the install DVD inserted, and you named E: your USB bulldoze. This may differ on your PC, so cheque before entering the command.)

This will make your USB drive bootable.

3. Copy Windows vii Installation Files to the USB Drive

The last pace tin be done from My Computer. Merely open the installation DVD, highlight everything, and drag it across to the USB drive.

This tin can besides take a while. When complete, you lot should exist all gear up. Insert the USB disk into your new PC, then enter the BIOS to adjust the boot order. Your target computer may even have the Choose Kick Device option during start-up.

If yous want a simpler solution to installing Windows 7 from a bootable USB drive, try Microsoft's defended, downloadable tool.

The tool is no longer hosted on Microsoft'southward official servers, then nosotros will find a mirror to the same plan hosted on archive.org.

Download: Windows 7 USB Download Tool

The main download is only ii.8MB in size, so this should complete quickly. While you wait, insert your USB flash drive into your main PC. A 4GB drive should be large plenty.

Meanwhile, you lot'll also need an ISO version of Windows 7. Like the USB Download Tool, these files are no longer easily accessible from Microsoft's official servers. Below are ii versions hosted on archive.org.

Download: Windows seven Ultimate Edition

Download: Windows 7 Professional person Edition

Annotation: You will still need a valid product key to activate these products!

While you expect for the download, install the installer tool, then launch from the Showtime carte du jour.

You'll exist prompted to observe the ISO image file for Windows vii. Find the ISO file on your hd bulldoze, then click Next.

screenshot of the windows 7 usb dvd download tool

Here, select USB device for the media type you programme to create. In the next screen, use the dropdown menu to select the USB drive, then Begin Copying. Wait while the process completes.

When the bar reaches 100%, you'll spot some status information. Any problems that occurred are listed here. If yous need another bootable USB Windows vii installation deejay, click Start Over to repeat the process.

Otherwise, click the X in the top-right corner to shut, before safely ejecting your USB deejay. It is now ready to install Windows 7 on a suitable estimator of your choice.

It's Like shooting fish in a barrel to Create a Windows vii USB Installation Disk

If yous've been stuck trying to go an operating system set upward on your old laptop or netbook, you'll exist relieved to run into how unproblematic it really is. Indeed, Windows 7 and later already have the tools congenital in to help you lot make a bootable USB installer.

Failing that, you tin take the simple choice by grabbing Microsoft's own USB installer tool for Windows seven and afterwards. And if you love the portability of the USB drive, be sure to check out all the other portable apps you can put on 1 as well.

100 Portable Apps for Your USB Stick for Windows and macOS

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About The Author

Jason Currie (37 Manufactures Published)

Jason is a former freelancer and tech blogger. Driven and knowledgeable nearly all things tech, he has a desire to make things simple and digestible. When Jason isn't writing for MakeUseOf, he will usually be flexing his creative muscles in other forms of writing.

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