Installing Windows 7 64-bit from USB stick

Hi! I would like to install Windows 7 from a USB stick - create a dual-boot system with XP and 7. Previously I had made my system dual boot (actually triple boot because I had Mandriva one 2008 on it too). I did it by booting from the Windows 7 DVD in the CD/DVD device. But I did a clean install of my laptop after that, and so now I've got Windows XP single booting, but need to put 7 back on. To improve speed during this and future re-installations of Windows 7, and also to save wear and tear on my cd/dvd device, I'd like to make a USB stick from which I can install Windows 7 Pro 64-bit. This is a Sony Vaio, Windows XP Pro 32-bit with SP3, currently with a single C:\ partition. I was going to create a new partition for Windows 7 with the Easeus partition tool. (That's what I did before - created a new primary NTFS partition in XP 32-bit. Then later, during the custom Windows 7 install, I specified the newly created partition as the target for the installation). (I learned I cannot run programs from the 64-bit DVD while booted in XP 32-bit operating system) I've used Alex Feinman's ISO Recorder tool to create ISO images of both the 32- and 64-bit Windows 7 DVDs. I've tried various methods and media to create any bootable USB device larger than 1GB, all of which have failed. The only USB media and software I have successfully been able to boot from for this laptop is Clonezilla live from a 1GB Sony USB stick. Any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks! Linda

Hello Linda,

The process is a bit complicated, but it is possible. In the past I've used EasyBCD to make a USB drive bootable.

1. Go to http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1 and download EasyBCD.
2. Install EasyBCD.
3. Plug in the USB Drive.
4. Open up EasyBCD and go to "Bootloader Setup".
5. Under "Create Bootable External Device" choose the USB drive from the drop down menu.
6. Click "Install BCD".

(Note : It helps if you format the USB drive before you make it bootable)

Next, you need to extract all the files from the ISO image. I normally use 7zip for this :

1. Go to http://www.7-zip.org/ and download 7zip
2. Install 7zip and restart your computer.
3. Locate the ISO image.
4. Right click the ISO, click on 7zip and then click on "Extract Files".
5. Find the extracted files and copy them to the USB drive.

Then you just turn your computer off and plug the USB Drive in. You need to ensure that the USB Drive is top on the Boot Priority List, you can do that by accessing the BIOS. If all goes well the computer should boot from the USB drive.

One more note, if you want to install Windows 7 on a seperate partition you need to make this partition before you install Windows 7. There's no need to use Third Party tools to make a partition, just follow the instructions in this Microsoft KB Article to use the inbuilt Disk Management tool :

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000

I hope that helps,

Very good instructions for creating a bootable flash drive to install Windows 7 from. I;ve used it and actually have it setup so I can install any version of Windows 7 for either 32 or 64 bit. How to Create a Bootable Windows 7 Installation USB Flash Drive

Also a good tutorial here: Dual boot Xp and Windows 7 - either installed first

Hello Linda,

{snip….}

One more note, if you want to install Windows 7 on a seperate partition you need to make this partition before you install Windows 7. There's no need to use Third Party tools to make a partition, just follow the instructions in this Microsoft KB Article to use the inbuilt Disk Management tool :

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000

I hope that helps,

Hi Nahumi - thank you for your response!

I have worked with 7zip before and currently have it installed. It's a great little tool which I use for incremental backups. It's nice to learn it can also get inside an ISO file and pull the files out of it.

For Windows XP, there's a Virtual CD Control Panel one can download from Microsoft. I've been using to mount ISO files as if they were in a CD tray. It makes it seem as if you have additinal CD/dvd devices on your computer. It's very handy for software which insist you run it from a disk but you don't want to keep carrying the disk around. Or for when one downloads ISOs from the network and doesn't want to waste time, energy, DVD/CD physical media and wear and tear on the physical device.

For example, I have ChessMaster 8000 which won't run unless I put its install disk into the CD player. If I mount an ISO of the disk into the virtual CD disk drive, I can leave my disks in the desk drawer and still play chess on my laptop.

I've briefly worked with EasyBCD in the past, but gave up on it because it doesn't work well with Windows XP. At least, the newer version didn't that well with XP.

I will try your step-by-step instructions and let you know how it goes.

I have Windows XP Professional OS, and the disk management tool for it does not natively allow me to resize my C:\ partition, which is using the whole disk. Here's a quote from the KB article you referenced:

In the Disk Management window, complete one of the following procedures, and then continue to step 2:
To create a new partition, right-click unallocated space on the basic disk where you want to create the partition, and then click New Partition.
To create a new logical drive in an extended partition, right-click free space on an extended partition where you want to create the logical drive, and then click New Logical Drive.

There is no unallocated space on the basic disk (there's only 1 physical disk drive). The C: partition uses up the whole thing. There's nothing in Disk Management in Windows XP which allows me to resize the C:\ partition. If it would let me shrink C:\ and leave unallocated space on the disk, then maybe I could follow the rest of the steps in the KB article.

I don't have any extended partitions within which I could create a new logical drive. And anyway, I think Windows OS systems like/need to be installed on primary, not logical, partitions.

So in the past I've needed to use a 3rd party tool to create my partitions. It's pretty easy to do. First time, I held my breath a little because I didn't like thinking that if it messed up, I'd have to recover from a back up image of the whole disk. (But that's much better than potentially having to recover from manufacturer's disks, starting from the VERY beginning!)

I like Easeus (epm) partition tool, but I've also experimented with GParted on the Linux Rescue/Recovery CD (I don't remember the link to that right now, but it's a tiny little bootable linux OS - Gentoo, I think)

Then you just turn your computer off and plug the USB Drive in. You need to ensure that the USB Drive is top on the Boot Priority List, you can do that by accessing the BIOS. If all goes well the computer should boot from the USB drive.

Thanks - I have already changed my BIOS setting because when I power up with the Clonezilla Live USB thumb drive plugged in, it starts Clonezilla. So that part is already taken care of.

Thanks for the help - Will write back and let you know how it goes.

Linda

Hi Linda,

I'm just wondering why you need to install W7 from a USB stick if you have the W7 disk?

I learned I cannot run programs from the 64-bit DVD while booted in XP 32-bit operating system.

You don't need to install W7 from within XP (you don't need EasyBCD either).
All you need is the W7 disk.

I have a dual boot XP / W7 computer and the the only reason you would need EasyBCD is if you were installing XP after W7 is already installed. You already have XP installed, so no problems.

With XP already installed and the partition for W7 already created, just set you boot priority to boot from CD, insert the W7 disk, boot up and install W7 to the appropriate drive partition.

After the installation and when you reboot, you will be given the choice of which OS you wish to go to. If you make no choice within about 30 seconds, your system will boot into W7 by default (this can be changed around to boot to XP by default if you wish).

Cheers,
Lee

@ Lee

To improve speed during this and future re-installations of Windows 7, and also to save wear and tear on my cd/dvd device, I'd like to make a USB stick from which I can install Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.

I think that's why Linda wants to make a bootable USB device.

But yeah, you're right, it would be much easier to use the disc.

@ Linda,

In hindsight, you might have some issues making the USB bootable for a x64 Bit OS. I remember reading somewhere that you need a 64-bit OS to make a 64-bit bootable drive…or something. I might be wrong.

Your best bet may be to install it using the disc the first time and then to make a bootable USB drive afterwards.

Also with the partition, you need to shrink the C drive and then you need to delete the left over non-formatted partition. This will make it go from "Free Space" to "Unallocated". From there you can create a new partition. Any OS can run on a partition, the "Primary" status is dependant on which OS you're running from. So lets say you have W7 on Partition 1 and Ubuntu Linux on Partition 2, they would treat their own Partitions as the "Primary" or System partition.

I have a 4GB USB flash drive that I use to install all versions of Windows 7 from, both 32 and 64 bit.

Instructions for adding the X64 to an X86 image: Creating a 2 OS thumb drive - Windows 7

Instructions for creating the bootable USB flash drive: Install Windows 7 from USB Flash Drive

@Nahumi I attempted to create a bootable USB 4GB drive (SD Cruzer from Walmart) following steps to install and use EasyBCD [removed], then extract ISO to the USB stick with 7zip. No luck. Will try other suggestions in this thread next…

I have a 4GB USB flash drive that I use to install all versions of Windows 7 from, both 32 and 64 bit.

Instructions for adding the X64 to an X86 image: Creating a 2 OS thumb drive - Windows 7

Instructions for creating the bootable USB flash drive: Install Windows 7 from USB Flash Drive

Thanks for the reply, ztruker!

Here is a quote from the second link (Install Windows 7 from USB Flash Drive):

Now open up command prompt and type: diskpart

This will open up a new command window. No if you are like me you have many USB drives and card readers connected so you want to list your drives so you know what drive your connected USB drive is. To do that type: list disk

This will list all of your connected drives or card reader drives. Now identify your flash drive, for us it is drive 13.

On my computer, here's what I get when I have a USB stick plugged in and I type 'list disk' in the diskpart utility:

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565

Copyright © 1999-2003 Microsoft Corporation.
DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
——– ———- ——- ——- — —
Disk 0 Online 233 GB 0 B

DISKPART>

This list doesn't include USB sticks.

So I can't perform the next steps with diskpart:

clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=fat32
assign
exit

Previously (before I started this thread), I had tried & failed to use diskpart to do the task, so I tried to get the job done using another route. I used Easeus to create an active primary partition on the USB stick. Did a 'wipe' of it initially. (don't remember if it was NTFS or FAT32 that I'd created). Then I copied the files from within the ISO to the USB stick and tried to boot from it. Didn't work.

A quote from the first link (Windows 7 - creating a 2 OS thumb drive):

3. Put a copy of Imagex in Windows\System32 of the o/s ( Vista or 7) you are booted into.

imagex.zip

imagex16385.zip

This method assumes I am already running Windows 7. I'm starting with Windows XP. Once I have Windows 7 installed, though, I might come back to this and check it out - though I think it's much more than I need, using "Imagex", because I don't really need to have a USB stick with all 4 choices of Windows 7, only the one for which I have a valid license key. So I think ImageX is overkill. If I were going to be helping out friends and family members to reinstall their Windows 7 systems, it would be extremely valuable. If I ever get to the point where I"m that much of an expert ;), I'll try to remember the 'imagex' method of creating USB with multiple choice on it.

Right now, I'd settle for just the one I bought for my own system!

I"m going to try again - maybe I'll do something different from before and it'll work.

Otherwise, I guess I will just use the install DVD.

thanks again

Otherwise, I guess I will just use the install DVD.

That's what I'd do.
I mean, your going to all this trouble to save "wear and tear" on using your optical drive to do a rarely done install (?)


Cheers,
Lee

Lee, agree it would be easier to go ahead and install from the DVD, but it's the challenge (at least it was for me).

Anyway …

When I do a list disk with my 4GB flash drive plugged in, this is what I see:

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
——– ————- ——- ——- — —
Disk 0 Online 279 GB 1024 KB
Disk 1 Online 1397 GB 1024 KB
Disk 2 Online 74 GB 1024 KB
Disk 3 No Media 0 B 0 B
Disk 4 Online 3824 MB 0 B

Disk 4 is my flash drive. It also shows up in Disk Management.

Do you see the flash drive in My Computer and Disk Management?

I installed from the Windows 7 DVD. (Used 64-bit disk)

The I followed these steps:
diskpart
list disk

In Windows 7, the Cruzer drive shows up as Disk 2 (I have another device which shows up in between my internal hard drive and the USB stick)

I typed these commands into diskpart utility:
select disk 2
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS
(This took a while to finish…)
assign
exit

Then I put my Windows 7 64-bit DVD back into the CD/DVD drive, which is driver letter E: on my system

e:
cd boot
.\bootsect /nt60 g:

G: is the drive letter for the USB stick.

Then I opened an Explorer window in Windows 7 and copied the 9 files and folders from E:\ to G:\

That took about 20 minutes. Popped the DVD out when done.

Then I rebooted. No good.

Then I shutdown - power off completely. The I pressed the power button and pressed ESC key repeatedly, which brings up a mini boot menu. That menu has 3 choices - usb flash drive, internal optical drive, internal hard drive. (That might not be the exact wording, but basically those are the choices.)

I selected the USB flash drive. Still, no good - it booted from internal drive.

So I've come to the conclusion that this Cruzer USB flash drive is not compatible as a bootable media for my Sony Vaio VGN-sz750N and/or the BIOS I have on it. I know my computer can boot from a usb stick, because I have done so many times now from 1GB Sony microvault with Clonezilla Live on it.

I need to find a detailed reference of which USB sticks would be compatible with my computer.

Is it a coincidence that the only USB flash stick I've found compatible thus far is also a Sony product?

Is it the size of the USB stick? I.e. maybe the BIOS won't boot from any USB stick larger than 1GB?

Is it the 'age' of the USB stick? I.e. did something change in the hardware/firmware of USB sticks since 2008 which would make the newer ones incompatible, but old ones are okay?

As for Windows 7 - something else to learn -mostly I think I'm happy about that. But a little tired First main challenge - getting the right drivers for Win 7 64 bit system. Hopefully not too difficult.

So that's where things stand now.

Thanks for your help on this!

Linda

Edit:
The point is - I should be able to make bootable USB pen drives for lots of different things (memtest, recovery disk, linux recovery disk, etc). So what the tech is going on here?

and yes, I would still like to create a bootable USB of the install disk because I tend to re-install my op sys a lot. It's like that fresh new car smell In the meantime, I've done some customizations to Win7, but I can make an image using clonezilla and I'll use that for my 'starting point' for future reinstalls at least for now, until I find a USB stick which is actually compatible.

all usb sticks should be compatible.. (size permitting)

try this guide :- http://kmwoley.com/blog/?p=345

In Windows 7, the Cruzer drive shows up as Disk 2 (I have another device which shows up in between my internal hard drive and the USB stick)

what other device? you sure it's not a partition on the usb stick?

all usb sticks should be compatible.. (size permitting)

That is not what I'm finding. I strongly suspect drivers, hardware, firmware, or BIOS incompatibility at this point.

try this guide :- http://kmwoley.com/blog/?p=345

Funny! Kevin's blog is exactly the page I used , when following steps. I also have a book Windows 7 Tips & Techniques, secrets revealed by Stuart Yarnold ("in easy steps"). Pages 123-124 give nearly exactly the same steps (diskpart, list disk, select disk, clean, create parition primary, select partition 1, active, format fs=ntfs, assign, exit, d:, cd d:\boot, bootsect /nt60, then finally copy the contents of the DVD drve to the USB drive. Voila - one has a bootable USB drive with Windows 7 install on it. But not for me, sadly.

In Windows 7, the Cruzer drive shows up as Disk 2 (I have another device which shows up in between my internal hard drive and the USB stick)

what other device? you sure it's not a partition on the usb stick?

Yes, I'm sure. It's the SD card reader. See images: 📎709.png📎710.png
When I put an SD card into the SD card reader, this is what I get: 📎711.png

I'm googling around for phrases which could help me identify which USB sticks are incompatible and which are compatible with my computer. It is about 3 years old, not new hardware (or BIOS, for that matter, either).

Also - I haven't gotten new drivers on here yet. I"ve had some mixed experiences with drivers from Sony's esupport site on Windows XP, so definitely going to create a disk image before I begin that process.

thanks!
Linda

i was thinking of his edit when i gave the link, and the microsoft usb tool:-

EDIT 2009/12/11: Microsoft Provides a tool to do this for you – Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool which is available for download here. If you need instructions on how to use the tool, see the Microsoft Store Help on the ISO-Tool (http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool).

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstor…help_topics_at4

'm googling around for phrases which could help me identify which USB sticks are incompatible and which are compatible with my computer.

they are all compatible.

only thing that makes some different is if they are write protected, then you wouldn't even be able to format it, speaking of formatting i'd go with fat32 and not ntfs too.