How to Effectively Create a Bootable Windows 7 USB Drive

CDs and DVDs are considered old-school nowadays. In fact, many of the latest computers and laptops don't even support CD or DVD installations, rendering disk installations outdated.

While you can still install movies or video games using CDs or DVDs, unfortunately, you need a bootable USB drive if you want to do a clean install of Windows 7.

A bootable USB is a straightforward USB drive that contains an ISO image of the operating system installed on your computer. The ISO image holds all the data about the operating system that would typically be found on an optical disc.

Having a bootable Windows 7 USB can be beneficial in various situations, such as:

• When you need to reinstall the Windows 7 operating system on your computer
• If your hard drive becomes damaged or corrupted
• When you already have the necessary installation files on your system, and you just need to reinstall them
• When you want to run Windows 7 on your Mac, etc.

A bootable Windows 7 USB drive can be of great assistance when it comes to performing a clean installation of the OS. Let's now explore how to create one.

如何使用Rufus创建可启动的Windows 7 USB驱动器

Traditionally, the Microsoft Windows Installation Media Creation Tool was used to create a bootable Windows 7 USB. However, this is no longer feasible for Windows users, as Microsoft has discontinued support for Windows 7.

Therefore, you can no longer download the Windows 7 ISO files directly onto your computer. If your computer doesn't have a Windows 7 CD or DVD installation, you won't be able to downgrade to Windows 7 unless you have a bootable USB.

因此，Microsoft Windows 安装媒体创建工具的可自由选择的启动 USB 驱动器创建工具之一是 Rufus。

Rufus stands for Reliable USB Formatting Utility with Source. It is a free and open-source application for Windows designed to format and create bootable USB flash drives.

The software supports various bootable .iso files, including Windows installation and Linux distributions. It also enables you to create bootable USB drives for MS-DOS, FreeDOS, and Windows To Go. Additionally, it allows you to format USB drives using file systems such as FAT, NTFS, UDF, and numerous others.

To create a bootable Windows 7 USB using Rufus, follow these steps:

Step 1. Visit https://rufus.ie to download the latest version of Rufus on your computer.

Step 2. Launch Rufus and insert your clean USB drive (with at least 8 GB of space) into your device.

Step 3. Rufus will automatically detect your flash drive. Once it does, click on the Device dropdown menu and select your USB.

Step 4. Make sure the Boot Selection option is set to Disk or ISO image, then click Select. Rufus will now open a file explorer. Locate the ISO image of Windows 7 and choose it.

Step 5. If you want to create a Standard Windows installation, Rufus will automatically detect the appropriate partition scheme based on your computer. However, you can change these settings at any time.

Step 6. Give the Volume label a name of your choice or leave it blank. Also, keep the File system and Cluster size at their default settings. Finally, click the Start button.

Step 7. You'll receive a warning that any data on your USB drive will be erased. Click the OK button, and Rufus will create a bootable Windows 7 USB for you.

如何在USB驱动器上创建Windows 7的精确副本？

With Rufus, you can create a bootable Windows 7 USB to perform a clean installation of the operating system. However, if you want to clone your exact Windows 7 to a USB drive, including all applications, games, and files, Rufus is not capable of doing that.

In that case, you need a more potent and reliable tool than Rufus, called OS2Go tools.

OS2Go is a straightforward solution for creating bootable Windows 7 USB drives, catering to both Windows and Mac users. This software is compatible with the most recent Windows versions, supporting Windows 7, 8, 10, and now, Windows 11.

Using this software, you can create an exact replica of your Windows 7 environment. This proves extremely helpful when your system encounters issues, allowing you to access your crucial data safely. Furthermore, the software assists you in:

• Access the same USB on multiple devices
• Supports running Windows on a Mac
• Convenient for carrying your Windows 7 around
• Easily create a bootable Windows USB and more.

Here's how you can create a bootable USB drive using the tool OS2Go:

Step 1. Install OS2Go on your Windows computer, which will show the used space on your system drive. Insert a USB drive with a capacity larger than the system drive's used space. Select the target USB drive and click Next to proceed.

Step 2. OS2Go will warn you that the next step will erase all data on your drive. Make sure you've backed up all important data. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 3. Adjust disk layout. The default disk layout on the target drive will be identical to the source drive. You can also edit the layout to suit your needs. Check the option provided if you're using an SSD as the Windows boot drive. Then, click Proceed.

Step 4. OS2Go will then begin creating the portable USB drive. This process may take a while, depending on your operating system and network conditions. Once the progress reaches 100%, the USB drive will be bootable.

Step 5. Insert the portable Windows USB and restart your computer. Press the necessary key (F2, DEL, F10...) to access the BIOS. Select to boot from the USB drive.

注意: 请确保便携式USB和目标计算机的启动模式（UEFI或Legacy）相同，否则可能无法启动。

Sum Up

Creating a bootable Windows 7 USB drive can facilitate a clean installation, running Windows on a Mac, and more. Just choose the appropriate method to create a bootable Windows USB, and you won't need to worry about re-installing the operating system on your computer.

As we've mentioned, if you just want to put Windows 7 on a portable drive to reinstall later, Rufus will do the job. But if you're looking to create a replica of your Windows 7 on USB to run on Mac and Windows devices, OS2Go is the best option for you.

Alright then, the ball is in your court. Select the appropriate method and promptly create a bootable Windows 7 USB.