How To Use EasyBCD Tool To Create A Bootable Windows 7 USB Drive
Posted January 19, 2011 – 10:33 pm in: Windows 7 GuidesAfter having seen how to add Windows Startup Repair option to Windows 7 boot menu using EasyBCD utility, in this post, we will show you how you can use EasyBCD utility to create a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 7.
EasyBCD is well-known for its ability to add, remove, and edit boot entries. Most of Windows users don’t know that fact that this free tool even lets you create a bootable USB drive with a few clicks.
Here is the procedure to create a bootable Windows 7 USB in EasyBCD:
1. Start off by installing the EasyBCD utility on your machine. If you haven’t already downloaded it, get it here.
2. Next, connect the USB flash drive to your PC, remove all data from the drive, and then format the drive in FAT 32 file system (to format, right-click on the USB drive and select Format option and then select file system as FAT32).
3. Run EasyBCD and click Bootloader Setup button present in the left side.
4. Here, under Create Bootable External Media box, select the USB drive that you want to make as a bootable drive.
5. Next, click Install BCD button and wait for while to see the following dialog-box.
Simply click Yes button. Close EasyBCD tool, and insert your Windows 7 DVD into the drive.
6. Copy all files from your Windows 7 installation DVD to the USB flash drive. If you have an ISO file, you can use 7-Zip tool to extract the ISO contents to the USB drive.
7. Your bootable Windows 7 USB flash drive is ready. You can now use the USB drive to install Windows 7 from USB.
Please note that you can’t use this tool to create a XP bootable drive.
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10 Comments
I fully agree that many users don’t know what this tool can do as Neosoft failed to label its functions in an understandable and ‘intuitive’ way. This tip is a good example: the button ‘Bootloader setup’ leads to the functionality ‘Create Bootable External Media’. Higly misleading and confusing…
I have an old EEE netbook, with a bad drive. Can I use this to install Windows 7 on a flash drive? I want to use a USB flash drive for my hard drive. I know it won’t last very long, and it would be slow. I just want to get a few months out of it. I have tried to figure out how to do it, but so far no luck. Any advise would be appreciated.
Microsoft also has a free tool for doing this, and bootable DVDs It’s very easy, I have used it many times. I can’t remember the name of it
@Techland
Agree with you. Neosoft need to do something to make sure that the end user gets the full benefit of this tool. At least, they can provide a good How to use EasyBCD tool on their site.
@ Actionjksn
Of course, you can install Windows 7 on an external USB drive. Read this: http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7-to-usb-external-hard-drive-must-read/
@ Actionjksn
Yup. There are many free tools. We just wanted to show one more use of EasyBCD. Btw, the name of the tool that you mentioned is Windows 7 USB/DVD tool.
hey thanks for the post,easy bcd is really a handy tool
is this method also work for window xp?
Mohit, this method is only for Vista and Windows 7.
please is there any software that can also help to make a bootable windows xp on the usb drive
this tool is perfect because I does the job in windows and doesnt format the partition! well i think its more reasonable to name it “BCD Deployment” because lots of times I connect a SATA hdd to my cmoputer to fix bcd issues!
and for xp i think easybcd let you write the MBR and you have to put 3 files: ntdetect.com, ntldr and boot.ini (customized for your hdd) and its just for normal sata drives and for boot xp from usb you have to modify your os