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usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html
Note
Requirements:
At least a 4GB USB flash drive
64-bit Windows 7 ISO or DVD (If you want to install Windows 7)
Note
This is a standalone exe file that doesn't install anything to your PC.
4. Set Rufus with the settings below: (see screenshot below step 5)
Under Device, select the USB flash drive you want to format and use.
Under Format Options, check Create a bootable disk using, click/tap on the
browse icon to navigate to and select your 64-bit Windows 7 or Windows 8
or Windows 8.1 ISO file, and then make sure that Standard Windows
installation is selected (dotted).
Under Partition scheme and target system type, select GPT partition scheme
for UEFI computer.
Under File system, select FAT32.
Under Cluster size, select the (Default) (ex: 16 kilobytes or 4096 bytes) it has
listed.
Under Format Options, check Quick format.
Under Format Options, check Create extended label and icon files.
Under New volume label, you can enter any name you like for the USB flash
drive, or leave the default name.
7. Rufus will now start creating the bootable UEFI USB flash drive. (see screenshot below)
8. When Rufus is "DONE", you can close Rufus. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: It could take a little while to finish.
9. You are now ready to do a clean install of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 using UEFI with your
bootable UEFI USB flash drive.
OPTION TWO
To Manually Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive
1. Connect the USB flash drive.
3. In the elevated command prompt, type the commands below one at a time and press Enter
after each one. (see screenshot below step 5)
diskpart
list disk
4. Make note of the Disk # (ex: Disk 4) for the USB flash drive. (see screenshot below step 5)
Warning
It is critical that you use the correct disk #. If you do not, then you could delete the wrong drive
below and lose everything on it.
5. In the elevated command prompt, type the commands below one at a time and press Enter
after each one. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute # in the first command with the actual disk # from step 4 above. For example:
select disk 4
select disk #
clean
create partition primary
format fs=fat32 quick
active
assign
list volume
exit
6. Make note of the volume letter (ex: K) for the USB flash drive in the command prompt. (see
screenshot above)
7. Do step 8, step 9, or step 10 below depending on if you are using a Windows 7/8/8.1 ISO or
DVD.
Warning
It has been reported that using the downloaded Windows 8 upgrade ISO does not always give
you an UEFI bootable USB option in the boot menu.
If this happens to you, then use the ESD-TO-ISO.exe program created by our member Simon
(SIW2) below to create an ISO that will work with UEFI. Afterwards, start this tutorial over
using this new ISO instead.
A) Open File Explorer, navigate to the .iso file, right click or press and hold on the .iso file, then
click/tap on Mount. (see screenshot below)
B) The mounted .iso file will now automatically open. Select all files in it, right click or press
and hold on the selected files, click/tap on Send to and the Removable Disk for your USB flash
drive letter (ex: K) from step 6 above. (see screenshot below)
C) This could take a bit to copy the ISO contents to the USB.
A) If you have not already, you will need to download and install the latest alpha version of the
free program 7-Zip.
NOTE: You can use any program that performs the same function to extract or mount an ISO,
but I just find 7-Zip easier to use.
B) Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the .iso file, right click on the .iso file, then click on 7-
Zip and Extract files. (see screenshot below)
C) In the Extract dialog, click on the browse button, select the Removable Disk for your USB
flash drive letter (ex: K) from step 6 above, and click on OK, and OK. (see screenshots below)
D) This could take a bit to copy the ISO contents to the USB.
A) Insert the Windows 7 or Windows 8 installation DVD into the CD/DVD drive.
Note
Thanks to theog for this step.
You do not need to do this step unless you are creating a 64-bit Windows 7 UEFI USB flash
drive.
B) If you have not already, download and install the latest alpha version of the free program 7-
Zip, then run 7-Zip.
E) Copy/Move the renamed bootx64.efi file into the efi/boot folder (step 11A) on the USB flash
drive.
F) Go to step 12 below.
12. You are now ready to do a clean install of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 using UEFI with
your bootable UEFI USB flash drive.