How to Make Bootable USB in Windows 7 Using CMD

Larissa updated on Jan 31, 2024 to Data Backup Questions Answered | How-to Articles

Creating a bootable USB has many benefits, like booting my PC after an emergency, using the recovery system to repair the PC, or working as a system backup. I want to create a bootable USB in my Windows 7 using CMD. Do you know how to do it? Do you have a detailed guide?

A bootable USB drive allows you to use the files system in the USB to boot your computer instead of your hard drive. To make a bootable USB in Windows 7 with CMD, follow the steps below:

Note: Creating a bootable USB will erase all data on the USB drive. So, if there are files in it, back them up in advance.

Action 1. Format your USB drive

  • Plug your USB drive into your computer.
  • Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run command, then type “cmd” and click OK. 
  • Type Diskpart and press enter key in the Command Prompt.
  • Type list disk.
  • Then type select disk *. (The * stands for the number of your USB drive. If your USB is 1, then type select disk 1.)
  • Type clean > Enter.
  • Type create partition primary > Enter.
  • Type select partition 1 > Enter.
  • Type active > Enter.
  • Type format fs=ntfs > Enter.
  • Type assign > Enter.
  • Type exit > Enter

Action 2. Copy the image from the DVD to the USB drive

  • Insert the Windows 7 DVD into the optical drive to create a bootable USB. Assume the DVD drive is letter H.
  • Open Command Prompt as the above instruction. 
  • Type H: > Enter. 
  • Type cd boot > Enter.
  • Type bootsect /nt60 g > Enter. (G means your USB drive)
  • Type copy e:\*.* /s/e/f g: > Enter. 

Now, your bootable USB is created successfully. 

Using CMD to create a bootable USB involves many steps and codes, and it is more suitable for computer experts. 

If you have little knowledge about the computer or want to save time, you can find a professional tool to do it. EaseUS Todo Backup owns this function and can help you create a bootable USB or CD/DVD with only a few steps. It also supports creating an emergency disk even when your computer fails to boot. 

Whether you use the CMD or EaseUS Todo Backup, creating a bootable USB will greatly help you. 

Related Article: Create Bootable USB Without Any Software Using CMD