Install Windows 7 From USB Drive [Requires 2 Simple Steps]

By Nakodari | Published: May 19, 2009

I have found a much easier way to install Windows 7 from a USB Flash drive. Unlike other methods where you have to write complicated commands, this method can be completed even by those who have very little computer background.

The whole process takes only two steps, run UNetbootin, load the Windows 7 ISO file, and finally restart your computer. See how we installed Ubuntu from USB using UNetbootin here.

Before you begin, you will require the following:

  • USB Flash Drive (4GB minimum)
  • Windows 7 ISO Image file
  • UNetbootin

Note: If UNetbootin doesn’t work, try out the Microsoft’s official tool called Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool.

Now insert the USB drive, run UNetbootin, and select Disk Image as ISO. Browse your local drive for Windows 7 ISO that you downloaded and click Open. Now Select Type as USB and choose the drive. Once done, it will look like a bit similar to the screenshot shown below.

UNetbootin main windows 7

Click OK and it will begin extracting all installation files to the USB drive. The whole process will take some time(10-15 minutes), so have patience.

unetbootin installing windows 7 iso

Once the installation is complete, reboot your computer. Now while your system is starting up press the appropriate button(usually F1, F2, F12, ESC, Backspace, or Escape) to bring up Bios Boot Menu. Change the startup order to boot USB by default, usually you will have to press F6 to move the selected USB device on top. Once done, save changes and restart the system.

windows 7 install screen - boot

Windows 7 installation screen on my HP Dv5t laptop.

Wasn’t that easy? Enjoy!

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  • Stephen
    Dude, thank you so much. I've been looking for an easy way to mount this from file onto a jump drive without the .ISO, and this seems to be the only logical way.
  • It's not only logical, but it actually works! Since I have tested it myself. :)
  • Casey Parker
    Being a regular user of various linux distros, I use the same method for all of my installs. I probably would have tried this one way or another, assuming it would work! It's nice to know that Windows folks have the same kind of flexibility, these days. It wasn't so easy with previous Windows versions.
  • zakir
    very simple method .. nice will give it a try tmmorow . need to find a usb drive first :P
  • ArchiMark
    Great idea...

    I've followed instructions and when I reboot, UNetbootin window appears on screen, Default is highlighted near top of window and at bottom it says "Automatic boot in x seconds....". Once it does countdown to 1 second it just starts countdown over again saying "Automatic boot in 10 seconds...." and starts countdown again and again, etc...

    So, never boots into Win7 installer....

    Any suggestions???

    Thanks!
  • This seems to be a weird error that I have never heard of before. You can try re-installing it on your USB and give it another try. :)
  • Ravi Gupta
    You are facing this issue because your flash drive is not using NTFS file system. Right-click your flash drive, click Format and choose NTFS in the file system drop-down. After this you can follow the method in the guide.
  • Nick
    Does it have to be a flash drive or will an external hard drive work as well?
  • I haven't tested it with an External Hard drive, but it may work. You can try it out and let us know. :)
  • Steve
    Nice Article... and saved my time as I seen this while I was doing disk part. thanks. I should add a note for the version of unebootin is matter you to do. I tried it with Version 3.19 but did not work. Download latest one. Cheers
  • pole
    Will this work for an upgrade?
  • Tanny
    This works...make sure you format your USB drive as NTFS. Thanks!
  • J
    My USB is format with NTFS, I follow the guide and what I got is "No bootable partition in table"

    Any ideas how this can be fix?
  • SyntaxError
    Doesn't matter if you format your flashdrive in Fat32 or NTFS, it simply doesn't work. Either way it just boots into a menu that does absolutely nothing. I only tried it with Win7 RTM, so who knows how it might work with other operating systems.
  • fere
    NOT WORK for me
  • NIck
    thank you
  • Splash
    Does this RTM work on Desktop or laptops only?
  • Microsoft has a tool available that can do this much easier. download it here http://images2.store.microsoft.com/prod/cluster...
  • Eric
    When i reboot i get an error "NTLDR is missing".
    Any ideas what to do?
  • brahino
    My Flash disc is damage and I will pring another
  • u dont need to know my name
    external hard drive didnt work for me.
  • bob
    where do i get the Windows 7 ISO Image file?
  • lonirop
    i am using unetbootin in ubuntu, and i want to create a usb bootable win xp...is it possible?
  • txabo8
    No work for me.
    No extract any file in the second operation and only copy the Syslinux in root directory of USB. When i reboot computer the default option bucles eternity.
    I copied the ISO content to the root directory and no work again... (how is the USB directory structure in yours exitous PENS?) xD
    Finaly i tried the oficial Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool but i think that this utility requiers original ISO file (for me no work...)
    Sorry for my horrible English, and i hope we learn something tonigth...
  • qwertyology
    Does anyone know what it mean when you did everything right, buy upon boot from the usb, the screen goes black with a little underline thing blinking and nothing else.
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