[PROBLEM] Can't Boot Windows 7 From USB

[MintJam]

Hello fellow MMO-Champs. I've lurked this area for quite some time, and you guys seem to be quite reliable when it comes to PCs.

So my old rig finally decided it was time for it to sleep the deep sleep. I'm not going to bother upgrading it as the thing was like 6 years old and way too outdated. I had a friend who sent me a bunch of spare PC parts, and he assured me that this set up would work once I bought myself a PSU and a harddrive. I bought both.

I obtained a Windows 7 ISO and put it into a USB stick. I'm pretty sure I did it wrong the first time (hurdur drag and drop), so this time around I used the official Microsoft Win7 USB/DVD image burner. I ran it and "burned" the ISO into my flash drive without any problems.

With much hope, I entered the BIOS and made sure the CMOS had an option to boot via USB. Luckily for me, I could. USB FDD, USB ZIP, USB HDD, and USB CD-ROM. I wasn't too sure which one to go with, so I chose USB HDD.

Here's where the problem arose.

I slap in my USB stick, turn on the power, and let it boot. Priority-wise, it should boot from the stick. Thing is, it doesn't progress any further than "Verifying DMI pool data........." no matter what order I boot in. If I try to boot from the HDD, it just says "DISK BOOT FAILURE, PLEASE INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER" I even tried leaving the USB stick off and then plugging it in and hitting enter, but it just stays there and doesn't progress like before. Hell, I left to go get myself some dinner and go to the bank and it was still stuck at verifying. ._.

I have no idea if I've done something wrong or if the Win7 ISO is corrupted. There's the off chance that the HDD I bought sucks, but then that doesn't really explain how it doesn't matter if I boot from something else first. I wish I could test to see if the flash drive works on another PC, but all the other PCs in the household are old as hell and I doubt they can boot via USB.

If it matters, the mobo is a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R.

Hope I can get some help with this. I'm being really stubborn and don't want to give up. But I'm tired of having this not work, and I don't reaaally want to buy a new PC just yet if I can just get this to work. Oh and I can't try this via a DVD burn since my rig doesn't have a DVD drive. ;x

[Fuzzykins]

Maybe you shouldn't pirate windows 7?

[Uggorthaholy]

Maybe you shouldn't pirate windows 7?

I would simply like to second this.

[Deleted]

The proper way to setup temporary booting is -not- to go and fiddle around in BIOS. I have no idea why this keeps on being suggested everywhere, as its a pretty stupid and backwards way to install operating systems.

Anyway, to make sure that BIOS actually sees and properly selects your USB - you should be able to hit a key such as F12 in order to bring up a 'Boot Menu'.

On this menu, select the USB device and it will begin booting from it.

If you have defect items in the purchase, theres no need to go out and buy new ones. The parts you have will either be covered by warranty, or even other laws dictating that the devices should work. (Which means free replacements or reimbursements if they don't)

[shaw0050]

I don't see where it he says he pirated it.. I was under the impression that the source you use to install doesn't matter. I could download Windows 7, I could borrow a friend's disc, I could use a different computer's disc.. all that matters is the version and the key I own for it.

[Deleted]

I don't see where it he says he pirated it

I obtained a Windows 7 ISO and put it into a USB stick

Windows 7 has official ISO installation sources (thats what the tool he used is for, and what I use for all of my machines) - but the phrasing is 'suspicious'.

Pirated windows versions very often have altered bootsectors.

[MintJam]

@DarkXale: Yeah, I did that a couple of times to try to get some kind of succesful attempt. The flash drive does indeed pop up on the Harddisk submenu, but that just gives me my DMI issue (even if I select it via the USB option).

@Shaw: That's exactly what I'm doing heh. I'm trying to get my install going and then buy my key as soon as I can get to that part of the Windows install. Not having luck with that though... I don't want to risk buying the key up until I get to that part due to not wanting to find out that I have a faulty rig. :l

[Fuzzykins]

@DarkXale: Yeah, I did that a couple of times to try to get some kind of succesful attempt. The flash drive does indeed pop up on the Harddisk submenu, but that just gives me my DMI issue (even if I select it via the USB option).

@Shaw: That's exactly what I'm doing heh. I'm trying to get my install going and then buy my key as soon as I can get to that part of the Windows install. Not having luck with that though... :l

Just buy a Windows 7 OEM copy, since you have to pay any way, and boot from the disc. I'd assume you have an ODD. Even if it's slower, it's the easiest solution to your issue.

[Visioned]

Follow this guide. It is laid out really simple.

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-in...working-guide/

[MintJam]

@Visioned: Yep, followed that guide before trying the official MS image burner.

Just buy a Windows 7 OEM copy, since you have to pay any way, and boot from the disc. I'd assume you have an ODD. Even if it's slower, it's the easiest solution to your issue.

I'd have to get myself a DVD drive, but I guess I don't really have much of a choice. I'll see if I can just borrow my friend's DVD copy and see if it boots. Hoping it does, otherwise it means giving up and just getting a new machine. D:

Well, thanks for the suggestions so far guys. I'll see if it works if I try a disc boot.

[Fuzzykins]

@Visioned: Yep, followed that guide before trying the official MS image burner.



I'd have to get myself a DVD drive, but I guess I don't really have much of a choice. I'll see if I can just borrow my friend's DVD copy and see if it boots. Hoping it does, otherwise it means giving up and just getting a new machine. D:

Well, thanks for the suggestions so far guys. I'll see if it works if I try a disc boot.

Try borrowing a friends dvd drive.

[ispano]

Open a Command prompt on a working Windows 7 Insallation.
Make sure to have said Flash drive plugged in.
Run "diskpart"
Run "list disk"
Find your drive, run "Select Disk X" Where X is the number for your drive. MAKE SURE OF THIS
Run "clean"
Run "create partition primary"
Run "select partition 1"
Run "format fs=fat32" Let it finish
Run "active"
Run "assign"
Run "exit"
Now copy the Windows 7 files from the disc in their entirety to the Flash drive.

That's how i've always done it, never failed to work.