If you are planning to install a new operating system on your Windows 7 PC or, you want to upgrade your current Windows version, you will need a bootable USB drive. Although you can use any media to install the new operating system, such as a CD or DVD, using a USB drive always comes in handy as most new laptops and PCs do not come with a CD ROM. However, this article will see different ways forWindows 7 boot from USB . Stay tuned and give these ways a try!
Things to know before Booting Windows 7 from USB
Before directly booting your PC from Windows 7 bootable drive, you must know some things which are mentioned below:
1.Understand how booting from a USB works:
When you start your computer, it automatically boots from the built-in hard drive. The instructions that help your computer start are in a menu called BIOS (Basic Input Output System). Before booting from the USB drive, you will have to ensure the following:
- You know how to access the BIOS settings on your PC.
- Your USB contains the ISO image file and must be set up as bootable media.
2.Determine your Computer's BIOS Key:
The BIOS key refers to a function key present on your keyboard, which is responsible for displaying the boot menu whenever pressed during startup. The BIOS key is different for different models and computer brands.
How to Boot From USB Windows 7?
Once you have understood and got access to all the things mentioned in the previous section, you are good to boot from USB Windows 7. This section will see how to boot from USB Window 7. Booting from USB Windows 7 includes two steps:
Step 1: Create Bootable Disk
Creating a bootable disk is the process of burning the operating system files onto a USB drive. You can create a bootable disk in various ways best of which are mentioned below:
Option 1: Use PassFab Computer Management
PassFab Computer Management is an incredible tool that allows you to manage all the settings of your computer in one place. Using this amazing software suite, you can boot computers, repair Windows black/blue screen issues, reset Windows passwords, and much more. To create bootable media through PassFab Computer Management, follow the steps below:
- Install PassFab Computer Management on your PC and launch it.
- Plug a USB drive and click Create boot disk now.
- Choose the operating system that you wish to install.
- Select your USB drive from the devices list and click Next.
- Wait for the instructions to burn.
- Plug out your USB drive once the process completes.
You have successfully created Windows 7 bootable device. You can now use it for Windows 7 boot from USB.
Option 2: Use Windows 7 Installation Files
Alternatively, you can use the Windows 7 installation files to boot Windows 7 from a USB drive:
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Download Windows 7 ISO image files from Microsoft's official website.
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Install the Windows USB/DVD Download tool and launch it.
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Click Browse to choose the ISO image file. Click Next.
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Click the USB device button to burn the ISO files on your USB drive.
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Choose your USB drive from the option list and click Begin copying.
Let the procedure complete. Once done, your USB drive will become Windows 7 bootable media. Now that we have Windows 7 boot device, let's move to the next step:
Step 2: Boot From USB Windows 7
Windows 7 boot from USB is quite simple and easy. You must set your USB drive on priority through BIOS settings, and your PC will start booting from the USB drive. Here is how to boot from USB Windows 7:
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Plug in Windows 7 bootable media into the PC and restart it.
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When you see the Windows logo, press the Boot Key to launch Boot Menu.
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Choose your USB drive to boot your PC from it.
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Follow the instructions to complete Windows 7 boot from USB.
Conclusion
Booting the system from a bootable media other than the traditional hard drive seems quite difficult for a non-technical person. But, once you get through the process, it becomes easier to you to do Windows 7 boot from the USB drive. This article has answered how to boot from USB Windows 7. We hope you find this helpful.