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How to install Windows 7 or 8 from USB using UEFI

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How to install Windows 7 or 8 from USB using UEFI

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2 Oct 2012 4:48 AM
  • Comments 6

In order to benefit from the new UEFI features (including faster system startup), you will have to prepare your USB device slightly different.

Main take-away here: UEFI accepts boot loaders in files placed a the FAT formatted boot volume

To prepare your USB stick (4GB minimum) manually follow these steps:

  1. Open an elevated command
  2. Start diskpart
  3. Enter list disk

    Locate your USB stick, no room for mistakes here or you might destroy the wrong thing.
    image
  4. Enter select disk #    (where # is the number of your USB drive, in the example above it’s number 3)
  5. Enter the following commands, keep in mind that all data on the USB device will be deleted:
    • clean
    • create partition primary
    • select partition 1
    • active
    • format quick fs=fat32
    • assign
    • exit
  6. Mount or extract the Windows 7 or 8 ISO
  7. Copy the contents from the ISO to the USB stick
    • xcopy S:\* D:\ /s /e        (S = the ISO drive or contents, D = the USB device)
  8. Reboot your computer and enter the “BIOS” by pressing one of the F keys, this key varies depending on hardware manufacturer and model.
  9. Enable the option “UEFI only” or similar option.
  10. Save and exit, boot from your USB stick to start the installation.

Do you want to check if Windows is installed in such a way that its actually using UEFI, please consult my other blog post.

Comments
Comments
  • Tomas Kanturek
    2 Oct 2012 5:35 AM

    Hi, are you sure about second "clean" in the sequence? I'd say that this wipes the drive, so your previous steps will be lost.... but maybe I'm wrong:)

    Tom

  • 2 Oct 2012 5:37 AM

    Hi Tomas, you are absolutely right. Thanks for commenting, will fix it straight away!

  • Donkey
    13 Dec 2012 12:42 AM

    I used Win7 USB tool to convert ISO to USB...the tool formatted my usb stick to NTFS..I selected UEFI boot & it boots so its not only FAT is it?

  • 14 Dec 2012 2:15 AM

    The USB will boot but in the end you will have a NON-UEFI installation. Please read my other blog post on how to check afterwards.

  • rahmat
    28 Jan 2013 7:35 AM

    may you can help me

    how make win 7 & win 8 or the other os in UEFI?

    please

  • rahmat
    28 Jan 2013 7:37 AM

    sorry

    i mean 2 booting win 7 & win 8 or the other OS

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