We need a Windows installation medium to reinstall Windows, install the OS on a new PC, or even hack the Windows administrator password. If we don't have one, it's quick, easy, and free to create a Windows installation disc or bootable Windows USB. We just need to download a Windows ISO, and then use Microsoft programs or free third-party applications.
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Download the Windows version of your choice
This guide requires that we already have a Windows ISO. You can get one for the latest versions of Windows through the following guides:
- Download Windows 7 ISOs, Legally and for Free
- Download Windows 8.1 ISOs, Legally & Free from Microsoft
- Download Windows 10 Creators Update ISO, for Free
How to create a Windows installation bootable USB flash drive
CDs and DVD aren't dead yet, but they are on their last legs. USB thumb drives have a smaller size, larger capacity, faster read and write speed, and they are impervious to scratches.
So, why bother to create a Windows installation disc, when we can have a Windows USB? Provided our motherboard's BIOS can boot from USB, of course.
Rufus: The fastest way to create a Windows USB
There are several programs we can use to create a Windows USB from an ISO.
For Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, we can create a bootable Windows USB straight from Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, no third-party apps required. It even skips over the step to download the ISO; it's a true all-in-one solution.
If, however, we have already downloaded Windows as an ISO, or wish to create a Windows 7 USB, Rufus is one of the best apps to create a Windows USB of any version. We will find the latest version at https://rufus.akeo.ie/downloads/.
The program's interface seems a bit cluttered and somewhat old-fashioned, but it's simple to use.
Rufus also claims to be much faster than its competitors, in comparisons with the same ISO and USB stick.
Creating a bootable Windows USB with Rufus
To create a bootable Windows USB, we just need to make sure that we have selected our USB flash drive in the "Device" field, and that it has a capacity of at least 4GB.
If we use a Windows 10 ISO that has both x86 and x64 versions together, we will need a thumb drive with a capacity of at least 8GB. Most other Windows versions will fit on a 4GB flash drive.
For a Windows 7 installation USB, the MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI is the best option.
If we are installing Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 on a UEFI system with a GPT disk, we must select a "GPT partition scheme for UEFI."
After that, we click on the disc icon and choose the ISO image.
Rufus will automatically change the File system to NTFS, which is a prerequisite for creating a Windows USB. It will also change the volume label to ESD-ISO.
We don't need to do anything special to make the USB bootable, change any settings or check any options. If we use the Microsoft/Digital River ISOs, it will be bootable by default.
Finally, we click "Start." Rufus will warn us that it will destroy any data already on the flash drive.
If we have no data on the USB flash, or we don't care about the files, we proceed with "OK."
Depending on the speed of the thumb drive and the USB version, the Windows USB will take a few minutes to prepare.
With an old and slow USB 2.0 drive, the process took more than 23 minutes.
Using a fast USB 3.0 drive, with the same ISO on the same system, it finished in about two and a half minutes.
Remember to safely eject the USB
It's a good idea to remove the USB safely, to minimize any chance of corruption. Corrupted data is never fun, but it's especially bad on a Windows USB.
How to create a Windows installation disc
If we have an older-than-10-years motherboard on our PC, it is possible that it can't boot from a Windows USB. In that case, a Windows installation disc is the most compatible solution.
What's best is that Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 can create a Windows installation disc from an ISO without any third-party programs.
We just need to right-click on the ISO and select the "Burn disc image" option.
Then, it's just a matter of selecting our DVD-R drive - in which we should have an empty DVD-R or DVD-RW - and click on "Burn."
We can optionally check the "Verify disc after burning" checkbox, to make sure the Windows installation disc was created correctly and with no corruptions or any other problems.
As with the USB, we don't need to do anything special for the DVD to be bootable. With the official ISOs, it will be bootable by default.
How to boot our PC with the Windows installation disc or Windows USB
For detailed instructions on how to boot from the Windows installation medium, check out our guide:
Change the Boot Order to Boot from USB or DVD on BIOS / UEFI
Do you prefer other methods of creating Windows installation media?
There are many apps we can use to create a bootable Windows USB or burn the Windows ISO to DVD.
If you prefer some other applications, leave us a comment, to help the rest of our readers with their choice.
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Nice to see your site going in the open sea .com Tell me something, if i buy that stick you have on advertisment of 1GB will it be NTFS or FAT (what should it be?) suitable for making it my boot usb for recovery windows image? i think it needs just a few MB if i remember well. Thnx
Unfortunately I don't see which adverticements are shown in other countries - they are automatically selected from the ad network.
The Flash drive will be FAT32, but you can format it in NTFS. I guess since Windows need to be on an NTFS USB flash, the same goes for the recovery disk.
um... so if i want to download this and then immegiatelly upgrade to windows 10? will it work?
If you have a genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license, yes, you can immediately upgrade to Windows 10.
can this method work to boot windows on a mac with an external hard drive/USB?
From Apple's manual https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1583/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.7.pdf , on "Installation Overview Step 2" I see that the Boot Camp Assisant will copy a Windows 7 ISO image to a USB flash drive.
but that will download windows ON the mac itself, right? is there a way to use an external hard drive instead? so that windows is on that, not on the mac... :(
You want the whole Windows installation on the external hard drive?
I have tried in the past a method to have a Windows installation on an external hard drive for a PC. It worked, but it wasn't worth it, it was way too slow.
I don't think it will work on a MAC, but you could give it a try: http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7-to-usb-external-hard-drive-must-read/
καλησπέρα και από εμένα... έχω μητρική την ASUS A58M-E και επεξεργαστή AMD A8 6600... αυτός ο επεξεργαστής έχει κάρτα γραφικών... αλλά θέλω να πάρω άλλη... (εκτός και αν κάνει αυτή που έχει) για παιχνίδια. ποια μου προτείνεις? τα λεφτά που διαθέτω είναι από 80 μέχρι 140 ευρό...
shouldn't you explain how to use the usb or disc to actually go about installing it on your computer? you don't got to do anything special to make it boot-able. but what do you have to do to boot it and install it? i know i can google it, and i will, i just thought it was appropriate for that information here.
Here you will find the full Windows 7 installation procedure: https://www.pcsteps.com/2785-install-windows-7/ and the Windows 10 clean installation procedure: https://www.pcsteps.com/3924-clean-windows-10-install-only-way/
We don't have yet a Windows 8.1 installation guide, but the process is similar to Windows 7.
I need to download Windows 7 on a dvd because my computer went into a reboot loop after I downloaded Windows 10. I'll have to use the key from the bottom of my computer so will this download work with that key?
Yes, the download from here: https://www.pcsteps.com/45-download-windows-7-iso-legally-free/ will work with your key, provided you downloaded the right version of Windows 7 (usually home premium).
Hi when I go to burn it to DVD or make it in to a bootable USB stick do I need to put all the file that came with the down load eg. boot , efi ,sources, support, upgrade, autorun, bootmgr, boomgr.efi and the setup or just the setup
Hi Dave,
Every file and folder on the ISO needs to be recorded on the DVD or written to the USB.
You don't need to extract the files from the ISO, the DVD burning app or the USB creation up will do it themselves.
thank you very much
Is it ok to use a CD-R?
Windows 7 or Windows 8 won't fit on a CD-R, they need at least 3-4GB of space, depending on the version.
I followed your guide to getting a Win 7 ISO, downloaded via the torrent, created a USB bootable USB with Rufus, and attempted to load Win 7 Professional 64 SP1. When I selected Install Now, I get a missing driver. "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have..." Any ideas? I looked on the manufaturer's website for a driver to match. Computer is a 2011 Dell Vostro 131, motherboard should support USB bootable media. Thanks for the help.
Hi,
This seems to be a common problem with this particular laptop
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3524/t/19427515
Try using a USB 2.0 port for the boot USB instead of the USB 3.0, this has worked for many Vostro owners.
Got it working - thanks for the response!
I'm glad it worked :)
Burned both x64 and x86 on separate DVD-R's, When I went in to boot using the disks I received an error saying I still needed a Windows CD. I followed your instructions. Whats going on?
You might need a driver for your motherboard's SATA controller, so the Windows installation can see the hard drives.
Which is the model of your motherboard?
Hi Angelos, thank you for your guides, I am however having an issue with booting from usb.
I am getting the following error:
windows/system32/ntoskrnl.exe kernel missing
Can you help at all? thanks
Hi Dan,
Can you try the USB you created on another PC? So we can see if the problem is with the USB.
If the USB works fine, then the problem must be with your PC, probably with the RAM.
Thanks for your reply.
I've just a new laptop but don't really want to run a windows boot from usb incase it causes issues with the laptop.
How can I check this safely without risking issues?
Thanks
There is no need to worry. Just booting from USB on your new laptop won't change anything on the installed Windows, it's perfectly safe.
Even if old pc is windows 7 and new one windows 8?
Since you will just boot to the beginning of the installation, there won't be a problem, regardless of the Windows version.
Installing this way.... when you boot from the internal HD post installation from USB / DVD, Windows WILL NOT ask for a Serial Number? (Sorry, it may be a silly question. I am helping a Windows friend.) Having long been on the Macintosh platform I never had to deal with this - overbearing anti-piracy controls, expensive OSs etc. Just waiting for my third free upgrade to El Capitan!! Thx!
Never mind, I found the answer in a previous article. I do need a SN / Lic. The word "free" in that article's title here : https://www.pcsteps.com/45-download-windows-7-iso-legally-free/ is misleading to say the least. If you have a SN / Key, it obviously means that you paid for it (at least in theory!), so then this ISO isn't really "free" it's more akin to a "redownload" (< incorrect word i know). All this is very convoluted to a Macintosh mind as I have access to a three - four year old purchase download of OS on my Mac in the App Store. I can download the quite old Lion OS, for example from my Mac App Store today if I wish to - no need to go on a OS hunting trip ;)
Actually, if you need an OEM disk from a large manufacturer, such as HP, Toshiba, Acer etc, they will charge you shipping and handling to send you a DVD, so being able to download an ISO for free is accurate.
I will agree, though, that Microsoft's system is convoluted, and it's still convoluted for Windows 10.
Thanks Angelos! Much appreciated!
Hello, I am trying to reinstall windows 7 home premium on my desktop after it crashed from a bad PSU, Would a F: drive work instead of an E: drive? I have a 1TB External HDD but only a 2GB USB flash drive.
Thank you!
Ashley Wentz
Hi Ashley,
The letter of the drive is irrelevant, but as far as I know you can't use an external hard drive to install Windows instead of a USB. You will need to buy a 4GB or 8GB USB flash drive.
Hi, Angelos(please don't judge my decision for a profile pic, its an old one.
I am upgrading from a 32bit to a 64bit. And I am opting for the usb flash drive way. Now, I downloaded rufus and while doing it step by step so as not to fuck something up, I noticed that after I select the iso image it resets the selected option(Fat32) in the File System, back to NTFS. And also when I try to START the process with selected option Fat32, it says error and that it cannot start with the selected option Fat32. But when I try with NTFS it stars and there are no problems.
Now, basically the question here is. Should I be worried about it being NTFS and not FAT32?
Hi Stefan,
Don't worry about the profile pic, I 've seen worse.
It is essential that the USB is formatted as NTFS for the Windows installation, that is why Rufus demands the NTFS option. So you will be fine with NTFS.
One more question. How to I boot the pc with the usb?
This guide will help: https://www.pcsteps.com/1508-change-the-boot-order-usb-dvd-bios-uefi/
Help it says Error: Undetermined error while formatting. after i start rufus
There might be a problem with your thumb drive.
Try to format it through Windows first, with Right-click -> Format, see if you get an error that way.
If you manage to format it that way, you can try again with Rufus.
i cant install windows 7 from usb flash drive. i get the following error ""A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing." i have google it , and i have tried using the USB2.0 ports but same error appears over and over.
my desktop is brand new, i bought all the parts and put it together. many parts (motherboard, cdrom, graphic card, etc) came with drivers cds, but i cant install them because i must install windows first, and now i cant install windows. any miracle idea on how to fix it?
Hi Cesar.
At which part of the installation do you get this error message? Can you boot to the installation environment, and then get the message, or you can't even boot from the USB?
getting the same error message after booting from the usb....
i use universal USB installer 1.9.3.1 . although what i use is outdated it can't install windows 10. thanks for making it easy for everybody (including me of course)! by the way, if you can also cover the Dban stuff. i'm pretty new at it. thanks.
You mean Dban the disk-wipe utility? I personally prefer to use the dd command with a Linux Live USB to wipe a hard drive. I already have such a post on the Greek website, and I will prepare one here too.
I used a USB to reinstall windows 7 pro bit 32. It worked fine on my first computer. Then i went over to my second to reinstall windows there. It did not work. It kept asking press anny key to start the boot. I was pressing all the key's on the keyboard. It did not work. anny one know how to fix this?
Hi Angelos, thanks for your helpful site.
Three questions if I may.
1. I understand to burn an iso dvd one should use a slow speed if possible. Windows Image Burner does not seem to have a variable speed option, so is it ok to use from this point of view?
2. Is the speed of the burn also a consideration if burning to USB?
3. Lastly, after burning to USB, can one put drivers on the same USB stick before installation, or would one have to use a separate USB stick for that?
Thanks
Hi,
The slow speed is a remedy mainly for low quality writable DVDs. With standard quality disks you shouldn't have a problem with the Windows Image burner.
Speed doesn't play any role whatsoever on USB.
You can add files and folders with drivers on the USB stick. As long as you don't mess with the Windows installation files and folders, you won't have a problem, you can use the stick for any type of files.
Thanks for your quick reply Angelos
Thank you. thank you, thank you!!!
Will it hurt to use an old linux stick as a bootable usb for installing windows? In rufus it is identified as a UUI rather than a USB
Since Rufus will format it, it won't make a difference, it should work perfectly for installing Windows.
Thank you Angelos, I greatly appreciate the quick reply.
As long as you have enough space on the flash of course.
hi
i have 7 home premium and i have my product key at the back of my laptop, i did everything you said, and it worked great, but only untill the "install windows"' part, he could not find the boot device, for some reason.
any ideas?
Hi. So, you finished the Windows installation, and on the reboot, it couldn't find the boot device? Or you weren't able to install Windows at all?
hi again and thank you for the fast reply.
i was not able to install windows at all. after the third screen it was not able to find the boot device.
but 5 minuts ago i changed the usb port, just because, and then i was able to keep going.
but now (hahah), i see 6 different pertitions but it wont let me install on any of them.
i want to add that its a new laptop, that im trying to install windows on, and it came with a ubunto lynux op
Check the "Windows cannot be installed to this disk (GPT partition style)" part of this guide: https://www.pcsteps.com/2785-install-windows-7-for-beginners/#Windows_cannot_be_installed_to_this_disknbspGPT_partition_style
ok thank you.
it will erase everything, right?
even my ubunto op?
what i mean to say is, if it wont work, i will have options?
i could try something else?
ok, i did it anyway, im waiting to see......(:
update: after the last stage of installing, he needed to reboot and then it crushed, saying my op is currept or something...
This probably means you have a hardware problem on your PC, likely with the hard drive or RAM.
If you can write the exact message you get, I might be able to help you better.
i think the problam was that after the first reboot, right after the last stage of installation, the pc went back to loading from the hard drive only now no one is there. no ubunto and no win, because i erased everything.
at least i think so.
so i did something, im not sure what to be honest, not 100% anyway.
after tha last time it crushed i got angry and just took out the usb and tried turning off the laptop and tadaaaa, win 10 starts, all is well.
have no idea how.....
any ideas?
After the first reboot the system is supposed to load from the hard drive.
Can you tell me what error message you are getting?
Yes, it will erase everything.
Hi Angelos i did everything said in the article but when i hit the "install now" button the laptop didn't react and froze. It happens every time, my laptop is Lenovo Z500 and the problem was I couldn't boot to my oem windows 7. Could you help?
Hi Danny,
This could mean that your laptop has a hardware problem, probably with the RAM, but it could be the motherboard too. I'm afraid you need to contact a technician to check it out.
Alright thank you. Is there a way I could check their condition without booting to windows? Maybe by a linux I could run from usb?
i cant install windows 7 from usb flash drive. i get the following error ""A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing." When I google it im told to use the usb 2.0 ports but that doesnt work either.
I have managed to change to boot device to my usb and I can enter the windows installation screen, just can't get windows to detect any drivers. Any help would be appreciated
Is your flash drive from Kingston? It hasn't happened to me, but I have heard readers having trouble with some specific Kingston flash drives when trying to install Windows.
Do you have another flash drive to try?
flash drive is 16GB from sandisk, and I tried it with another flashdrive but that one didn't work either :/
When you get the "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing." message, does the installation give you an option to load drivers?
If so, check the motherboard manufacturer, if it provides SATA drivers, these might do the trick.
I have a Kingston USB, did anyone have issues with a Kingston DT Ultimate G2 32GB thumbdrive?
Instead of Rufus, could I just use the windows 7 media creation tool?
IT WORKED! YOU HELPED ME GET PASSED BOOTCAMPS STUPID WINDOWS 7 INSTALL formatting the USB never worked! I did the DVD with the OS burned straight to it, from a Windows OS! Seriously thank you! I owe you a drink in the afterworld!
When I click 'Start' in Rufus I get this message ..... https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f993a02e2f67be96c0682b2b9b34aa654e0b0afe73497d6c599827309e0a3439.png
When I do what it says and uncheck "Create a bootable disk using" checkbox, it then does not put the image on the drive.
Since it is a custom-made image, this could very well be the problem. You can try a Microsoft-downloaded ISO to verify if that is the case https://www.pcsteps.com/45-download-windows-7-iso-legally-free-digital-river/
Rufus doesn't mount disk images, like Daemon tools would. Apart from loading the image, there is nothing else you should do within the program.
will the usb be useable afterwords
like can you put files onto it
Yes, it's perfectly usable.
yes just need to format back your usb
used diskpart
My name is Rufus...and Rufus the software is equally as awesome! lol Kidding...I'm not awesome.
When i went to burn the image to CD i get "file is to large and will not fit".
The typical CD-R has a 700MB capacity. The Windows 7 and above ISOs are much larger than that, about 2.5-3GB. You can only burn Windows XP on a CD, you will need a DVD for later versions of Windows.
Thanks for a great article, Angelos. I managed to burn a the image to a DVD without any problems. Now, I'm wondering whether I'll still need to have the product key as well as the install key to reinstall the burnt copy onto the preexisting Win 7 OEM. I mean will I be asked to enter either of the keys at any point during the reinstall? You've not touched on this point in your article, which is why I am asking here and now. Right now, I do not need to do any reinstall, thank goodness, but the possibility of doing that at some point in the future is there, should the system fails. Cheers!
Hey Joe,
By default, the product key is not integrated in the ISO. There are ways to create a custom ISO that also includes the product key, but with the procedure on this guide you need to manually write the product key during the installation.
Thanks so much for this guide. Life & time saver when trying to get my 2013 x64 Dell laptop running under Win 7 pro 64 bit - truly appreciate
I have a slight problem.....using your 2 previous methods of downloading Windows 7 Installation files as ISO's.....they appear in my C:Drive HDD as ZIP files containing all the Windows files. Neither method produced a ISO file of 3 GB big
So from being ZIP files....how do i create Installation Disk in either USB and DVD (or both)
Ignore the above
I figured it out, I changed the file association to Winzip In Control Panel.....now it just "Disc Image File" i.e ISO.
I guess i just need a program to unlock this file and dump it into DVD and also USB Drive.
You don't need to unlock the file. Aren't you getting the "Burn disk image" option when right-clicking it, to burn a DVD?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a9f90bccb734bfb34158e3555c58e68432df9422742f34f7c5b95e833e2c7ff.png
And for the USB, Rufus will work straight away.
Thank you so much for these posts.. really helpful, especially the software/webpages tips like Rufus and Heidoc.
Hello sir,
I do not have a product key. During installation, when it asks me for a key, what should I do?
Regards.
Hello fiphire5.
It depends on which version of Windows you are installing.
For Windows 8, you can bypass the key prompt with this method:
https://www.pcsteps.com/627-install-windows-8-1-without-product-key/
Windows 7 and Windows 10 have an option to skip entering a key, as far as we know.
Thank you for the reply. If I skip the key option, the installation would be valid for 30 days only, is it not? So is there a way to get windows 7 permanently after this?
Hello sir, I keep getting an Error message that says "ISO Image extraction failure" and instead of changing the volume label to ESD-ISO it changes it to "GSP1RMCHPXFRER_EN_DVD" changing it manually to ESD-ISO doesnt seem to change anything. Here is the log if you need it and my PC is an Acer Aspire E5-575 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/abe43ba969620d8260035932a637416196fcb00ad0d72e2d202e151de69bb109.png
I also got the same issue. did you got to solved yours?
No, I just ended up making and using a windows 10 install disk (a single 4 gb disk will do) and you dont have to jump through all these hoops to do it
Actually ,I am also still facing this problem and didn't find the right solution for this problem but your post is really helpful for us and I am also searches and last time i will found a number to a great solutiion
will guide you step by step to resolve your issues and they do find the root problems and resolve it so users will not face any difficulty in future also. You can call on Microsoft Helpline Number 24 hours a day 7 days in a week on +1-877-353-1149
Can you use DVD+R