Earlier this week, I installed Windows 7 on my laptop in dual boot with Windows 8.1. While preparing the bootable USB of Windows 7 using Microsoft USB/DVD Download Tool, I got “We were unable to copy your files. Please check your USB device and the selected ISO file and try again” error.
More often than not I use the ever-green Command Prompt or the popular Rufus tool to install Windows 7 from USB drive. However, this time, I thought of using the official Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool that I had downloaded earlier to check if it’s compatible with Windows 10.
Those of you getting “We were unable to copy your files. Please check your USB device and the selected ISO file and try again” error while preparing Windows 7/8/10 bootable USB can use a more efficient third-party tool such as Rufus to prepare the bootable USB. The download size of Rufus is under 1 MB, and more importantly, you can run the tool without having to install it.
However, if you don’t want to use Rufus or any other tool, you can complete the given below instructions to fix the error.
Fix to We were unable to copy your files error
NOTE: If you’re getting Selected file is not valid ISO file error, please check our workaround to fix selected file is not a valid ISO file error.
Step 1: Open elevated Command Prompt. That is, you need to open Command Prompt as administrator. To do so, type CMD in Start menu search box and then simultaneously press Ctrl+Shift+Enter keys. Click Yes button when you see the UAC prompt.
Alternatively, you can open the Start menu, click All Programs, Accessories, right-click on Command Prompt entry and then click Run as administrator option.
Note that you must run the Command Prompt as admin to follow the instructions mentioned in the next step.
Step 2: Once elevated Command Prompt is launched, execute the following commands one after another.
Diskpart
List disk
The above command will show all connected disks with their numbers. You need to note the disk number of your USB drive. Be sure note down the right disk number.
Select disk X
In the above command, replace “X” with the disk number of the USB drive (Ex: 2). Entering a wrong disk will cause data loss.
Clean
Create partition primary
Select partition 1
Active
Format quick fs=Fat32
Assign
Exit
Step 3: You can now copy all files from your Windows 7 DVD or ISO file to the USB drive. Alternatively, you can run Microsoft USB/DVD Download Tool again to prepare the bootable media and automatically copy all files to the USB.
admin says
Daniel, thank you so much for the encouraging words.
Daniel B. says
Who made this article? Man I want to donate to you!!! I had a USB flashdrive that didnt work no matter what. It was completely unusable due to fault during Fat32 formating… My friends even told me it had faulty memory controller… and voila, you fixed it :) Btw this guide works for both NTFS and FAT32 as format :) Tested
Mantasha sheikh says
Thank you
MD RUHUL AMIN says
Worked Thank You………..
Jay says
Thanks mate, it worked as indicated.
Lawrence says
Thank you that’s helpful!!!
Kevin says
work like a charm
Sandesh says
Still I am getting same issue.
Let me know what should I do???????
RB says
This does not work… Tried 10 times already!
Is there another fix? Whoever came up with this one, worked form him/her so thought it was the solution. It is not the solution. Said person just got lucky and is now posting as the sole solution! IT IS NOT!!! WHAT IS THE REAL SOLUTION HERE????
Abhay says
thanks for the detailed article !!! and solving the problems !!
asdaasd says
Dude i fucking love you
Bogdan says
Thank you very much!
P.S.: Rip Chris Cornell
Keertish Bafna says
Thanks alot. Working fine.
Chodeeeeeeeeee
Swapnil says
You R Great Solved my problem
mafia says
Very, VERY helpful !!!
Thank you
Sandro says
Thanks brother.
Maggie says
Thanks for this. Unfortunately, I’ve tried it on four different flash drives, but the tool gets to 99% then gives me the message that it cannot copy the files!! Tearing my hair out. If anyone has any other fixes, I’d love to hear them in the meantime, I’m off to try Rufus.
Usman Qayyum says
thanks dude this work for me thanks of bunddle………….
usama says
thank you works fine
Phil says
Worked fine, thank you!
undun says
Fat 32 wont let you copy more than 4 gigs onto a thumb drive..Format the drive in ntfs and the problem is fixed you can copy larger files on the drive when that’s done.