How To Create Windows Xp Boot Usb

For a long time, Microsoft didn't sell Windows install media in the class of bootable USB flash drives. Instead, it prefered to stick to old-school DVD media, despite the fact that many notebooks today are too pocket-size to even include an optical drive, and many DIYers are building PCs which forego ane on purpose.

However, things take moved on, and for the beginning time, Microsoft has begun to sell Windows 10 on pre-configured USB drives. Previous versions of the OS (XP, 7 and 8.ane), all require the user to create their ain bootable USB drive.

Creating a bootable Windows USB bulldoze used to be a chore, but today, one solution can pretty-well suit almost people. However, at that place are times when a flash bulldoze has some quirk that prevents it from working with a item solution, and so for that reason, this article takes a wait at v different methods.

Guide Alphabetize:

• USB Installer Tools & Successes
• Acquiring a Disc Image (ISO)
• Method ane – Using Rufus
• Method two – UNetbootin
• Method 3 – Using Microsoft diskpart
• Method 4 – Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool
• Method 5 – Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
• Windows XP Notes
• Mutual Problems

Benefits of USB Install Media

Even if the target desktop or notebook has an optical drive, in that location are a couple of reasons to consider first creating a USB-based installer. Admittedly, the time and attempt of creating the drive might arrive best-suited for system builders, just for people like u.s.a., who juggle test machines, USB is a no-brainer.

To start, USB media is more than durable than disc-based media. Discs can exist hands scratched, while well-built USB flash drives can generally handle a bit of abuse. And then, there's the convenience. Ever walk around with a disc in your pocket? It looks a bit odd.

For united states of america, functioning and reliability are the cardinal reasons why we've opted to use USB-based installers in lieu of discs, especially with USB three.0 being much more than mutual. Even if a DVD has been burned at the highest commercial speeds, information technology won't be able to compete with flash memory which offers far improved IOPS performance (operations per second) – it's the aforementioned reason why SSDs are much faster for booting an OS and loading applications than a mechanical hard bulldoze; the seek times are minuscule in comparison.

While it's beyond the scope of this article, those who truly desire a fast install experience can slipstream USB iii.0 back up into the install media, which on current chipsets and an SSD target can permit you to install Windows in nether four minutes flat.

USB Installer Tools & Successes

Over the course of this article, nosotros're going to be looking at five different solutions that accomplish the verbal aforementioned thing: Creating a USB-based Windows installer; if i doesn't work, the next 1 should (at least, that's the hope). To give an overview of what to expect from each solution, refer to this success table:

	Windows ten	Windows 8	Windows 7	Windows XP
Rufus	Yes*	Yep	Yes	Yes
UNetbootin	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
diskpart	Yeah	Aye	Yes	No
Microsoft USB Tool	Yep	Yes	Aye	No
Media Creation Tool	Aye	No	No	No
* Requires Rufus two.1.6 or afterwards.

Given the fact that Windows XP has reached end-of-life status and doesn't officially support installation over USB, we take to outline a number of problems and conditions in club to get information technology working. Windows XP over USB is still temperamental, and there is a skilful chance that it just won't work with your organization, and so delight keep this in listen.

For starters, mod UEFI-equipped machines are not designed to support such an quondam OS, so chances are that it will not even install, or even be detected in the first place. If the motherboard in question happens to support a legacy BIOS mode, and so it might work. Different version of Rufus (explained after) accept better luck with the XP procedure than others. We strongly suggest you lot skip to the dedicated office of this article that explains the problems with Windows XP and USB support.

What about Windows Vista? Like Windows 7, viii, and 10, Vista too tin can be installed from USB media with these same methods, but due to that fact that well-nigh have moved on from it in favor of 10, it's not a large focus.

We mentioned Rufus above, and that'due south the tool we're going to lead in hither with, equally we consider information technology to be the simplest to use, and the near effective. We discussed the same tool in an commodity from summer 2012 called 'Creating a Bootable DOS Flash Bulldoze the Easy Manner', every bit it allows for simple cosmos of bootable MS-DOS wink drives, as the title suggests.

Subsequently the expect at Rufus, we'll go along on to UNetbootin, Microsoft's diskpart (a tool congenital into Windows), a quick mention of another official Microsoft tool, but 1 the visitor no longer promotes for Windows 7 and 8, likewise every bit the latest method, the Media Creation Tool. But first…

Acquiring a Disc Prototype (ISO)

Some solutions listed on this page require a Windows disc image (.iso) to exist nowadays. The exception is 'diskpart', equally the disc's files will need to be transferred over manually (it doesn't matter if they come from a mounted ISO or a drive in an actual DVD-ROM). ISOs are bachelor from a number of sources, but nearly people volition acquire them after purchasing the Bone online through Microsoft, or through some other related Microsoft service. If you don't have an ISO, or a disc for that matter, yous'll demand to acquire one from a friend or elsewhere on the web.

If you're just looking to downloadWindows 10 as an ISO, yous simply need to run the tool listed in stride #5, and choose to salvage every bit ISO rather than to burn the image to a flash drive. Annotation that we can't really provide an MD5 for a Windows 10 ISO, as information technology changes every time it's downloaded through Microsoft's tool. Only the ISOs directly supplied by Microsoft would take static hashes.

In that location are multiple editions of any given Windows version, just we're going to list the exact ISOs we used along with their MD5 checksums in case they show useful.

MD5 Checksums

• Windows XP Pro (Service Pack three): F424A52153E6E5ED4C0D44235CF545D5
• Windows 7 Ultimate (Service Pack 1): 56A26636EC667799F5A7F42F142C772D
• Windows 8 Pro: 0E8F2199FAE18FE510C23426E68F675A
• Windows 8.i (MSDN; multi-version): CDADC5A76634651770A365F457702803

Please exist careful where you source your Os image from, as about online sources will be pirated copies and/or bundled with extra (sometimes malicious) software. How the prototype was captured as well volition take an effect on how the terminal boot drive turns out, and so stick to official sources where possible.

For those who have a Windows setup DVD, a free tool like CDBurnerXP or ImgBurn can be used to rip it into an .iso file. Other tools exist that achieve the same matter, but these are the merely ones we can personally recommend. For mounting an ISO image, we'd recommend Virtual CloneDrive, every bit it's free, and not the "free merely a total nag" kind of complimentary.

NOTE: Some anti-virus applications might interfere with the USB creation process due to the autorun backdrop involved, and then if issues are experienced, nosotros'd recommend temporarily disabling the anti-virus until the procedure is complete.

Using Rufus

Both Rufus and UNetbootin are elementary tools for this task, and outside of Rufus' Windows XP support, both work only the same. However, we prefer Rufus because we find it loads a lot quicker, and feels a chip faster, too. For a great many reasons, this is still our preferred method of creating USB boot drives.

With Rufus loaded up, cull the appropriate device that you want to turn into a boot drive, under the "Device" carte du jour, and make sure that the file arrangement is NTFS (not FAT32). The other options shouldn't matter too much, although if yous're planning to install Windows viii every bit an official EFI OS, you may wish to peruse the options under the "Partition scheme and target system type" carte. For Windows XP, select MBR Partition only.

To load the Windows .iso file, the small CD icon to the right of "Create a bootable disk using:" option can exist clicked. After perusing the file manager for the ISO paradigm and accepting it, the "Start" button tin be clicked to accept the tool piece of work its magic. Notation: As the program will state, doing this will erase all information off of the flash drive – so backup first.

If y'all have whatsoever issues, be sure to check out our Mutual Problems section beneath.

Using UNetbootin

UNetbootin is a well-known tool equally it's become a de facto option for turning a bootable Linux alive CD into a bootable Linux alive wink drive – for that purpose, information technology still excels. Little exercise virtually people realize, it tin can handle Windows ISOs likewise (simply as the table at the top of this page shows, it doesn't support creating a bootable Windows XP bulldoze).

Like with Rufus, the appropriate bulldoze should exist selected from the "Bulldoze:" menu at the bottom, and so the "…" button to the right of the largest text field tin can be clicked to search for and have the required ISO. At this indicate, the "OK" tin exist clicked, and the process will get underway.

Unlike Rufus, UNetbootin doesn't erase the wink bulldoze get-go, so information remains intact – however, if you're repeatedly writing new ISOs to the bulldoze using the tool, information technology's recommended you format after each one, so as to non go out unused chip files around the drive. Notation: We'd nevertheless recommend backing upward personal data before writing an ISO to it just in instance.

Using Microsoft diskpart

For those who don't have an ISO, just rather a DVD, diskpart is the solution for you. It does require some control-line usage, but every bit y'all'll see, it's not likewise complicated. NOTE: This method will delete the entire flash drive, so be sure to back up personal data start.

To make proper employ of diskpart, you'll demand to open a command prompt with administrator rights (head to "Start", blazon in 'cmd', right-click it, and choose 'Open as Ambassador'). In one case the prompt is opened, blazon in 'diskpart' to load the tool, and then 'list disk' to figure out which # relates to your flash drive.

External storage should appear at the end of the list, and in our instance, it did (we're using a 32GB flash bulldoze, which appears here as 29GB). Once the appropriate drive is figured-out, it can exist chosen using the 'select deejay #' command. One time selected, information technology needs to be wiped clean, take a partition created, so be formatted. The entire command procedure is summed-up in this block:

list deejay – shows avaialble disks, wait carefully for the one that looks like your flash drive
select disk # – change # to the disk (flash bulldoze) you wish to use
make clean – removes existing partions
create partition primary
select sectionalization ane
active
format fs=ntfs quick
assign
exit

For those who might want to run into this in action, we provide this screenshot:

Note that "quick" tin exist removed off of the format command to run a total format, but that might take minutes to tens of minutes depending on the drive (as information technology's more thorough).

At this bespeak, the Windows setup DVD can be inserted into the drive, or the ISO mounted, and its files copied over to the root folder of the wink bulldoze. After the procedure is done, opening up the flash drive in the file manager should mirror the contents of the Windows DVD/ISO.

Using Microsoft Windows vii USB/DVD Tool

Afterward the Windows 7 launch, Microsoft released its own USB creator tool that supported its official ISOs. While the company no longer promotes the tool, information technology supports at least 7 and viii just fine, so some might prefer to apply it over the other solutions.

Once downloaded and opened, an ISO must exist called. After that, the "USB Device" option needs to exist clicked (this same tool can as well burn direct to a DVD).

At the terminal screen, the advisable flash dive needs to be selected from the menu, and afterwards hit "Brainstorm copying", the entire process will exist complete subsequently merely a couple of minutes.

Truthfully, Microsoft'southward tool hither might be the easiest of them all to use, but considering the company isn't promoting it in whatsoever way, shape, or form (note that information technology's called the Windows vii USB/DVD tool, and non Windows 7 & 8 USB/DVD tool), we feel that it'south right to quicker recommend the other (oftentimes updated) solutions first.

Using Windows ten Media Creation Tool

If y'all plan to install Windows 10 on a new system, use it to recover an existing organization, or upgrade a previous install of Windows 7 or eight, creating a bootable flash drive is the first step. Windows 10 is the first Microsoft Bone that not only natively supports USB installs, simply encourages information technology and fifty-fifty sells USB drives fix-to-become.

The procedure with Windows 10 is non much different from Windows vii and eight/eight.1 like above, only is made simpler by the fact that you don't fifty-fifty demand the disk image start, as you lot can download information technology straight from Microsoft, complete with all the latest service packs already installed.

The whole process for creating a Windows 10 bootable USB drive tin be done by using the Media Creation Tool; most systems these days will utilise the 64-bit version, so grab that.

Once you've downloaded the tool, run it and you'll be presented with the media cosmos process. The gallery beneath outlines each step of the process for the bones method. In that location are a few things you might demand to cheque first. Depending on where you plan to install Windows 10, you need to check which version you require, Home or Pro. Notation: The contents of the USB flash drive will be erased, so brand sure you back information technology upwardly first.

Select 'Create installation media for another PC'  to begin the procedure.

Nosotros'll be creating the bootable USB wink drive with the tool, so select the first option.

Select the version of Windows 10 that you require, in this case, we went with Domicile 64-bit.

Choose the USB drive that you wish to turn into the bootable media. Just Flash media will testify on the listing. The drive will need at least 4GB of complimentary space. Notation: The flash drive will be formatted, so make backups beginning.

Wait for the tool to finish downloading. Depending on your Internet connection, this could be  from a few minutes to a few hours.

In one case the Windows 10 paradigm has downloaded, information technology volition automatically begin creating the kicking media on the drive you selected. This can take a few minutes.

If everything when according to programme, the Media Creation Tool will declare success and yous are ready to use your new Windows x bootable USB bulldoze.

The version you choice here at the beginning really doesn't matter, since your license key will make up one's mind the version yous tin use, and the OS will change and configure itself based on that fundamental. The N version of each Bone type is for the EU compliant version, but truth be told, there isn't annihilation unlike about it at this time. You can pick 64-chip likewise, or both 32/64-bit if y'all are unsure or programme on using the bootable flash drive on unlike systems.

The Media Creation Tool can can be used to just download the ISO epitome of Windows 10, which tin can then be used with something like Rufus to create the bootable USB drive. This offers the advantage of being able to go along a backup of the ISO epitome, as well as create multiple boot drives without having to download the paradigm each time. If you lot run into problems with the Media Creation Tool when it comes to creating the bootable flash drive, you lot tin can employ the post-obit method.

Instead of selecting USB Wink Drive in the Media Cosmos Tool, just select ISO File instead, choose a location to save the file, and after it's downloaded, follow the steps outlined in the Rufus guide above. In full general, we found this method more reliable than using the Media Creation Tool to create the Windows ten bootable flash drive, and ther are a number of other advantages to using Rufus as well.

Note: When you let the Media Cosmos Tool handle the entire process of making the USB boot drive, in that location is a minor problem when dealing with USB drives larger than 32GB. The tool will only create a single partitioning upwardly to 32GB and and so completely ignore the rest of the drive, and Windows-based operating systems tin only handle a single segmentation on USB flash drives. If yous create the boot drive with Rufus, it'll use the entire drive, so 64GB and 128GB flash drives will accept the total disk space made available.

Windows XP Notes

If you are attempting to utilise Windows XP on a USB drive, there are a couple of things to bear in listen. Offset off, we strongly recommend using Rufus (32-bit version) to setup XP on a USB wink drive over the other methods, every bit its success rate is much better. If installing with Rufus doesn't work the first time, change the partition mode to MBR for BIOS only. Making XP boot over USB is a little tricky as well, considering information technology's much more than sensitive to the age of the hardware and the system you are using it with.

As far equally we know, the 32-bit ISO image of XP is the merely compatible version that tin be put on a bootable flash drive (success for XP 64-flake was limited). One of the fundamental points though is that you can't use a USB iii.0 port when installing, fifty-fifty with EHCI fashion enabled. We likewise found that a lot of mod hardware refuses to discover the bulldoze.

If you are using an older system, and then you should take meliorate luck booting Windows XP from a USB flash drive. Just be sure that your particular motherboard supports booting from USB in the first place (it's normally off by default in older system). Check the BIOS boot section and run across if USB drives are supported.

Unfortunately, the time period in which motherboards supported USB booting on older hardware is quite short, as annihilation before didn't have the pick, and anything after (around the time Windows Vista and 7 took off), those boards started the transition over to UEFI, which XP does non back up.

A number of systems we have tested this with had very mixed results. Both an older Pentium D organization with BIOS, and a i7-2600 with UEFI, couldn't kicking into XP. The USB media does piece of work on a couple of laptops, merely with other systems, information technology only boots up into a blank screen. If checking your motherboard settings for USB boot support and fifty-fifty legacy modes do not work, then you volition accept to resort to using a CD/DVD. You can read below for some more than general communication as well.

Common Bug

No Bootable Device Detected

This can exist acquired by a number of things. The near mutual is that your system is not setup to notice or boot from USB devices. You will demand to get into your BIOS/EFI and check whether your USB bulldoze is detected at all. If it is, make sure that it's bachelor from the kicking bill of fare. If it isn't, then some security selection may be enabled that prevents booting from USB devices.

As each BIOS/EFI is dissimilar, we can not help with specific options, but cheque diverse security and kicking menus to make certain that USB support is enabled. If everything appears correct, but still tin't be detected, try enabling USB legacy support, or a unlike USB port, such equally a USB 2.0 port instead of USB 3.0.

It's besides possible that the install media, or ISO image you have, does not have the boot information available. Try a different ISO image if at all possible.

Windows Installer Starts Only Can't Observe Install Media

If the installer starts and lets you lot pick installation options, simply an error occurs that either says information technology tin't detect the DVD or it requests you to insert media with additional drivers, then yous demand to utilise a USB 2.0 port.

Windows XP, Vista and 7, exercise not have native support for USB 3.0 ports. Attempting to install with your flash drive plugged into a USB 3.0 port will result in the above error. Unplug your USB Flash Drive and insert it into a USB 2.0 port, so begin the process again. You may notwithstanding use a USB 3.0 Wink bulldoze, simply not plugged into a USB iii.0 port.

If no USB 2.0 ports are available (such as with more modern systems), then you will either need to go into the BIOS/EFI and enable forced legacy mode or enable EHCI on the USB ports, or you will demand to 'slipstream' the USB 3.0 drivers into your Windows Install Image.

Wink Bulldoze Isn't Using All Available Space

This was mentioned previously in the Windows 10 section, only if you are creating a USB boot drive for Windows 10 and your 64GB bulldoze is merely showing 32GB available, then y'all need to recreate your boot drive with Rufus. The Media Cosmos Tool (MCT) only supports drives upwardly to 32GB, and anything larger volition have a second partition made, which Windows can not detect normally (but is nonetheless available if you plug information technology into a Linux motorcar for example). So download the ISO with MCT, then flash it with Rufus.

Windows 10 'Something Happened'

Generic and oh-then-helpful error. If you are using the Media Cosmos Tool to create the bootable USB flash drive, and information technology'south declining on the last stride, endeavor the alternative (and recommended) method of using the tool to download the ISO prototype and so use Rufus to create the kick media. If the Media Creation Tool is declining to download the ISO, then this is likely a network issue with either your local machine or Microsoft's server. Effort using a wired/Ethernet connection instead of wireless, or but wait a while and try again later. Failing that, try to download from a different machine if possible.

If you lot have any questions well-nigh whatever of the steps, delight leave a comment below and we'll assist you as best we can.

Update: This commodity was updated May 2018 by Jamie Fletcher, to include Windows 10 and additional data regarding XP and USB size issues. Originally published December 2013.

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Source: https://techgage.com/article/creating-bootable-windows-xp-7-8-flash-drive-installers/

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