How to make an external USB drive bootable with an older OS ( Win 7)


My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 3000
    CPU
    12 Gen Intel core i5-12500 3,00 Ghz
    Memory
    16 GB

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
SIW2 said:
where it says releases

Click to expand...
I have downloaded it. The instructions at GitHub - manatails/uefiseven: An EFI loader that emulates int10h interrupts needed for booting Windows 7 under UEFI Class 3 systems. say I have to prepare the USB drive( step 1) and rename the bootx64.efi to bootx64.original.efi.( step 2) There is no such file because the USB drive is currently empty. How do I proceed?

Tks

Gundo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 3000
    CPU
    12 Gen Intel core i5-12500 3,00 Ghz
    Memory
    16 GB
  1. Prepare Windows 7 installation USB Drive
  2. Rename bootx64.efi at (UsbDrive)\EFI\Boot\ to bootx64.original.efi
  3. Unpack bootx64.efi from UefiSeven archive and copy it to (UsbDrive)\EFI\Boot\
  4. Finish initial installation and wait for reboot prompt
  5. Power off computer
  6. Rename bootmgfw.efi at (HDD)\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ to bootmgfw.original.efi
  7. Copy UefiSeven bootx64.efi to (HDD)\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi using EFI shell
the above assumes the usual scenario of installing win7 FROM a usb stick TO an hdd or an ssd

In your situation you have to apply the win 7 image TO the usb stick first'.
It must have the 2 .msu files and the usb3 drivers integrated. And it must have the reg changes made.

The 2 .msu files are
Windows6.1-KB2864202-x64.msu ( driverframework update )
Windows6.1-KB4474419-v3-x64.msu ( provides sha2 support)

In addition and only because your bios does not have csm support there is an extra complication:
  • Rename bootmgfw.efi at (usbdrive)\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ to bootmgfw.original.efi
  • Copy UefiSeven bootx64.efi to (usbdrive)\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
so the efi\microsoft\boot folder on the usb stick contains

the original bootmgfw.efi which has been renamed to bootmgfw.original.efi

AND

bootx64.efi from uefiseven which has been renamed to bootmgfw.efi


**********************************************************************************
Another way could be to use a windows to go program ( aomei has it in their part assistant) which will partition the usb stick and apply the image from the wim.
Then use something like dism++ to integrate the 2 .msu files and the usb3 drivers.
Then run the .cmd file to adjust the reg entries.
Then rename bootmgfw.efi to bootmgfw.original.efi .
Then copy in uefiseven bootx64.efi and rename it to bootmgfw.efi

finally attempt to boot into the win7 installation on the usb stick
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
I'll pause on all this because I don't want to format the current USB 3 Ultra Touch Seagate to install a bootable Windows PE on it. I'll buy a new USB stick for this. I'll get back to you
Until then, thanks you all for your help.

Gundo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 3000
    CPU
    12 Gen Intel core i5-12500 3,00 Ghz
    Memory
    16 GB
I pick up the thread again after pausing to take the bearings. Vast improvement, I am almost there, but not quite.
I have been able to (almost ) finalize the bootable USB drive from the Windows 11 ISO. with RUFUS . The BIOS now sees it . I have put it as a 1st priority boot.
After restarting the PC, the install process kicks in on a kind of unusual bluish full screen listing the info found by the system during the boot process, except the very last item which gives an error message that a file ( bootx64.efi ) has not been found.
I seem to recall that in order for the drive to boot there is an efi file that needs to be renamed precisely" bootx64.efi" . Unfortunately, I no longer recall the name of this file to be renamed.
Can anybody help, please?

Thanks
Gundobaldo66....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 3000
    CPU
    12 Gen Intel core i5-12500 3,00 Ghz
    Memory
    16 GB
@gundobaldo66
@SIW2
@Bree

Forget any 3rd party stuff -- it can be done simply via "Bog standard Windows" commands :

One way is to create a vhd file (boot W7 install media, create a vhd file (from install media choose repair system->command prompt get into diskpart, create an efi file via diskpart, clean, convert gpt, create partition efi size=100, format fs=fat32, list vol, assign letter=S.

Now create a vhd virtual disk disk and attach it -- Win 7 does not support vhdx so you have to use a vhd file)

still within diskpart create a vdisk (assume your target disk is E)

create vdisk file=e:\win7sys.vhd maximum=<size you want> type=fixed
when it's done still in diskpart) attach vdisk.

now do list disk again and select the new disk shown -- should be the size of the vdisk created (when making the vdisk you should select a size a bit bigger than the windows partition we are about to create ). create partition primary size=<size> format fs=ntfs quick.Select volume and say assign it as letter=W.

exit diskpart. stay though in the command prompt Assume the iso /dvd is letter D
cd d:\sources
d:
install W7 via dism (examples all over the forum)
e.g
dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:D:\sources\install.wim /Index:1 /ApplyDirW:\ (remember our target disk is W)

Now simply install the bootloader :

cd W:\windows\system32
w:
bcdboot w:\windows /s S: /f UEFI

exit, now reboot -- use the firmware to boot from the USB drive. Finish the OOBE setup , job done !


Now to update etc you have to "poodlefake" windows into thinking it's not on an external drive so get into regedit and set the entry to '0' (or create the key if it doesn't exist).

Screenshot 2024-03-27 104952.webp


Change the '1' to '0'. If the entry doesn't exist create it to stop "nags" about don't remove the usb device when running Windows.

(For Windows 10 and 11 you can use vhdx files - better. You do need to set the portableoperatingsystem entry otherwise you can't update to newer releases or clone the system to an internal devive -- it will still think it's on a removable device even though cloned to a fixed one).

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
gundobaldo66 said:
I pick up the thread again after pausing to take the bearings. Vast improvement, I am almost there, but not quite.
I have been able to (almost ) finalize the bootable USB drive from the Windows 11 ISO. with RUFUS . The BIOS now sees it . I have put it as a 1st priority boot.
After restarting the PC, the install process kicks in on a kind of unusual bluish full screen listing the info found by the system during the boot process, except the very last item which gives an error message that a file ( bootx64.efi ) has not been found.
I seem to recall that in order for the drive to boot there is an efi file that needs to be renamed precisely" bootx64.efi" . Unfortunately, I no longer recall the name of this file to be renamed.
Can anybody help, please?

Thanks
Gundobaldo66....
Click to expand...
Why are you using rufus?

In normal circumstances bootx64.efi is used for booting a .wim file typically but not necessarily called boot.wim.

It is also in \efi\boot folder on the esp partition of a typical installation. It is not clear why, perhaps it is there as a fallback.

the usual layout is \EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi
and \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi

I seem to recall that in order for the drive to boot there is an efi file that needs to be renamed precisely" bootx64.efi"
Click to expand...


In normal cicumstances it is bootmgfw.efi with a different name

but if you are using uefiseven to boot win7 on class 3 efi follow the instructions

Code: 
UefiSeven installs a minimal Int10h handler in the memory before Windows boots up so that the boot process do not fail because of the missing interrupt.

the bootx64.efi supplied by uefiseven works as a kind of shim, it loads first then hands over to bootx64.original.efi
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
SIW2 said:
Why are you using rufus?

In normal circumstances bootx64.efi is used for booting a .wim file typically but not necessarily called boot.wim.

It is also in \efi\boot folder on the esp partition of a typical installation. It is not clear why, perhaps it is there as a fallback.

the usual layout is \EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi
and \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi




In normal cicumstances it is bootmgfw.efi with a different name

but if you are using uefiseven to boot win7 on class 3 efi follow the instructions

Code: 
UefiSeven installs a minimal Int10h handler in the memory before Windows boots up so that the boot process do not fail because of the missing interrupt.

the bootx64.efi supplied by uefiseven works as a kind of shim, it loads first then hands over to bootx64.original.efi
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input

I’m moving away from the Windows 7 installation issue because I find less complicated and less time consuming to just read the literature texts on the CD’s as PDF on MS Edge., rather than working with the original Windows 7-designed app.

What I have been trying to do is installing a bootable Windows 11 on the USB drive .. I am using RUFUS because I had problems with the other suggested mathods. Rufus went in like a charm and if it were not for this missing bootx64.efi file, (the very last step,) by now I would have a working USB bootable USB drive.

To come to the point, I understand from your reply that the file to be renamed bootx64.efi is bootmgfw.efi, but I cannot see it in the installation files/folders of the USB drive. The closest files are bootmgr ( no .efi ending) and bootmgr.efi. Is it the latter that has to be renamed bootx64.efi?

Thanks again

Gundobaldo66
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 3000
    CPU
    12 Gen Intel core i5-12500 3,00 Ghz
    Memory
    16 GB
I tried RUFUS again to make a bootable USB Flash drive.. The previous time it failed because the system was unable to find a bootx64.efi file
This time the Windows installation does start from the USB flash drive, but t stops shortly after with an error message that Windows 11 cannot be installed :oon devices on USB or IEEE 1394 ports. It seems that I am caught between two brick walls:,...

Thanks for whatever help you can provide.

Gundo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 3000
    CPU
    12 Gen Intel core i5-12500 3,00 Ghz
    Memory
    16 GB
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