UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows

How to Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive for Installing Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1

This tutorial will show you how to create a Windows 7 or Windows 8 or 8.1 installation bootable USB flash drive for UEFIfrom either a Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 installation ISO or DVD.

Requirements:
  • At least a 4GB USB flash drive
  • 64-bit Windows 7 ISO or DVD (If you want to install Windows 7)
  • 64-bit Windows 8 ISO or DVD (If you want to install Windows 8)
  • 64-bit Windows 8.1 ISO or DVD (If you want to install Windows 8.1)
  • 32-bit is not supported.
  • Set the boot mode to use UEFI and not CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in your UEFI firmware settings.
  • Temporarily disable Secure Boot in your UEFI firmware settings. Some motherboards will not boot from a USB unless you do this first. When the Windows installation is finished, you can enable secure boot if you like.
  • If you have fast boot or ultra-fast boot enabled in your UEFI firmware (if supported), then you may need to temporarily disable it until Windows has finished installing to be able to boot from a USB flash drive at boot.

EXAMPLE: UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive
NOTE: This is it listed in the motherboard's boot menu.

UEFI_USB_Boot_Menu.jpg





OPTION ONE

To Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive using Free Program "Rufus"



1. Download the latest version of Rufus at the link below, and save it's .exe file to your desktop.

Note   Note
This is a standalone exe file that doesn't install anything to your PC
For Rufus FAQs, see: FAQ · pbatard/rufus Wiki · GitHub





Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way



2. Connect your USB flash drive if you have not already.

3. Run the rufus_v###.exe file, and click/tap on Yes if prompted by UAC.
NOTE: ### = latest version number.

4. Set Rufus with the settings below: (see screenshot below step 5)


  • Under Device, select the USB flash drive you want to format and use.
  • Under Format Options, check Create a bootable disk using, click/tap on the browse icon icon.jpg to navigate to and select your 64-bit Windows 7 or Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 ISO file, and then make sure that Standard Windows installation is selected (dotted).
  • Under Partition scheme and target system type, select GPT partition scheme for UEFI computer.
  • Under File system, select FAT32.
  • Under Cluster size, select the (Default) (ex: 16 kilobytes or 4096 bytes) it has listed.
  • Under Format Options, check Quick format.
  • Under Format Options, check Create extended label and icon files.
  • Under New volume label, you can enter any name you like for the USB flash drive, or leave the default name.

5. When ready, click/tap on Start. (see screenshot below)


Rufus_UEFI.png


6. Click/tap on OK to confirm. (see screenshot below)

Rufus-confirm.jpg


7. Rufus will now start creating the bootable UEFI USB flash drive. (see screenshot below)

Rufus_working.jpg


8. When Rufus is "DONE", you can close Rufus. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: It could take a little while to finish.

Rufus_Done.jpg


9. You are now ready to do a clean install of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 using UEFI with your bootable UEFI USB flash drive.






OPTION TWO

To Manually Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive



1. Connect the USB flash drive.

2. Open an elevated command prompt in Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1.

3. In the elevated command prompt, type the commands below one at a time and press Enter after each one. (see screenshot below step 5)

  • diskpart
  • list disk

4. Make note of the Disk # (ex: Disk 4) for the USB flash drive. (see screenshot below step 5)

It is critical that you use the correct disk #. If you do not, then you could delete the wrong drive below and lose everything on it


5. In the elevated command prompt, type the commands below one at a time and press Enter after each one. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute # in the first command with the actual disk # from step 4 above. For example: select disk 4


  • select disk #
  • detail disk (this is to verify that you selected the correct disk before using "clean" below)
  • clean
  • create partition primary
  • format fs=fat32 quick
  • active
  • assign
  • list volume
  • exit

Create_UEFI_USB-1.jpg


6. Make note of the volume letter (ex: K) for the USB flash drive in the command prompt. (see screenshot above)

7. Do step 8, step 9, or step 10 below depending on if you are using a Windows 7/8/8.1 ISO or DVD.

warning   Warning
It has been reported that using the downloaded Windows 8 upgrade ISO does not always give you an UEFI bootable USB option in the boot menu.

If this happens to you, then use the ESD-TO-ISO.exe program created by our member Simon (SIW2) below to create an ISO that will work with UEFI. Afterwards, start this tutorial over using this new ISO instead.

See OPTION TWO here: Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 ISO - Download or Create

download






8. If Using a Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 ISO File in Windows 8
NOTE: For a Windows 7 ISO or Windows 8/8.1 ISO file.


A) Open File Explorer, navigate to the .iso file, right click or press and hold on the .iso file, then click/tap on Mount. (see screenshot below)



W8_ISO.jpg


B) The mounted .iso file will now automatically open. Select all files in it, right click or press and hold on the selected files, click/tap on Send to and the Removable Disk for your USB flash drive letter (ex: K) from step 6 above. (see screenshot below)



Copy.jpg


C) This could take a bit to copy the ISO contents to the USB.

D) When finished, go to step 11 below.

9. If Using a Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 ISO File in Windows 7
NOTE: For a Windows 7 ISO or Windows 8/8.1 ISO file.


A) If you have not already, you will need to download and install the latest alpha version of the free program 7-Zip.
NOTE: You can use any program that performs the same function to extract or mount an ISO, but I just find 7-Zip easier to use.

B) Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the .iso file, right click on the .iso file, then click on 7-Zip and Extract files. (see screenshot below)




W7_ISO-1.jpg


C) In the Extract dialog, click on the browse button, select the Removable Disk for your USB flash drive letter (ex: K) from step 6 above, and click on OK, and OK. (see screenshots below)



W7_ISO-2.jpg


D) This could take a bit to copy the ISO contents to the USB.

E) When finished, go to step 11 below.

10. If Using a Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 Installation DVD


A) Insert the Windows 7 or Windows 8 installation DVD into the CD/DVD drive.

B) In the Computer window, open the DVD. (see screenshot below)



DVD.jpg


C) Select all files in it, right click or press and hold on the selected files, click/tap on Send to and the Removable Disk for your USB flash drive letter (ex: K) from step 6 above. (see screenshot below)



Copy.jpg


D) This could take a bit to copy the DVD contents to the USB.

E) When finished, go to step 11 below.


11. If Using 64-bit Windows 7

Note   Note
Thanks to theog for this step

You do not need to do this step unless you are creating a 64-bit Windows 7 UEFI USB flash drive.

If you are not, then go to step 12 below instead.




A) On the USB flash drive, "copy" the efi\microsoft\boot folder up one level into the efi folder as efi\boot. (see screenshot below)



11A.jpg


B) If you have not already, download and install the latest alpha version of the free program 7-Zip, then run 7-Zip.

C) In 7-Zip, navigate to the sources\install.wim\1\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgfw.efi on the USB flash drive, select the bootmgfw.efi file, copy it to your desktop, click/tap on OK, and close 7-Zip. (see screenshot below)



7-Zip.jpg



D) Rename the bootmgfw.efi file on your desktop to bootx64.efi.


E) Copy/Move the renamed bootx64.efi file into the efi/boot folder (step 11A) on the USB flash drive.



efi-boot.PNG


F) Go to step 12 below.

12. You are now ready to do a clean install of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 using UEFI with your bootable UEFI USB flash drive.






That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

 

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Last edited by a moderator:
Click to expand...
theog said:
Step 11 is only needed for Windows 7.
Click to expand...
But it says (Win 7 64bit). Don't I need to do this step too if I want my UEFI USB drive to load a Win 8 setup in order to install the 64bit Pro N version?

When I choose the UEFI USB in the boot menu, it stays at the shell even though I've done all step from 1 to 11! (-_-)
 
Step 11 is only needed for Windows 7. not needed for Windows 8.

Where do you buy your DVD x64 from?
 
I tried installing Windows 7 from the Windows 7 64-bit UEFI bootable flash drive, but after it loads the files and I get to the "starting Windows" screen, it freezes up. I have secure boot disabled. Any ideas? Thank you.

LB
 
Hello LB and Jayrap,

Have you used step 11 in the tutorial to create the USB with?

You might consider doing a normal install on a MBR disk with "legacy BIOS" instead of with UEFI on a GPT disk.
 
Brink said:
Hello LB and Jayrap,

Have you used step 11 in the tutorial to create the USB with?
Click to expand...

I have followed step 11 and all steps exactly. I don't really want to install using the legacy BIOS, as I want to take advantage of the benefits of UEFI.
 
LB,

I would recommend to go ahead and create a new thread for this to see what we can do to help.
 
makaveli316 said:
Isn't just better to use the microsoft windows 7 usb tool, which also works with windows 8 iso files?
Click to expand...

Hello Makaveli,

That will not create a bootable USB flash drive that will install Windows 8 with UEFI. :(
 
Brink said:
makaveli316 said:
Isn't just better to use the microsoft windows 7 usb tool, which also works with windows 8 iso files?
Click to expand...

Hello Makaveli,

That will not create a bootable USB flash drive that will install Windows 8 with UEFI. :(
Click to expand...


What's the difference between a normal bootable usb with windows 8 and a bootable usb with windows 8 for UEFI?
Is the only difference that the UEFI one is listed in the UEFI boot menu?
Maybe i'm not understanding well the purpose of the bootable usb for UEFI.
 
I'm making now an usb flash drive with Windows 8 Pro for UEFI looking at the tutorial and since i currently have windows 7 x64 and i'm creating a Windows 8 UEFI usb, i need to skip step 11, right?
So basically i only have to type the command prompt commands and extract the iso to my usb flash drive directory?
 
Correct. You would only need to do step 11 if you are creating a Windows 7 x64 USB flash drive.
 
NO.

You would only need to do step 11 if you are creating a Windows 7 x64 USB flash drive.

Since you are creating a Windows 8 Pro flash drive, you would not do step 11. ;)
 
Dude why is it in my case it says the .wim file is too big for the flash drive. It is 5.+ gb. Please how do i solve this for my windows 8 laptop has no os right now because i formatted it thinking i could clean install windows 8 pro in it not knowing of the uefi variations
 
Hello Cheesedog, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Did you post this in the right thread? :confused:

This tutorial makes no mention of the .wim file.
 
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