# Solved: Install Windows 7 from Bootable USB drive - GPT Partition issue



## DexterDave (May 10, 2011)

Hi All

I have made a bootable USB drive on my Windows 7 machine using a Windows 7 x64 ISO file (4.6GB) and Power ISO.

When I want to boot from the USB drive on my new Windows 8 x64 laptop, it does not pick up the bootable USB drice. However, I changed the Boot Mode to Legacy with UEFI as 1st option, so now it picks up the USB drive in the Boot menu

All fine, but when I want to install Windows 7 on a new formatted Partition, it tell me that it cannot install windows on a GPT Partitioned Drive.

How can I fix this? I cannot format the partition to MBR scheme, it does not give me the option, not even from diskmgmt.msc

Thank you


----------



## ETech7 (Aug 30, 2012)

Google how to create a UEFI bootable usb flash drive. To boot from GPT you need UEFI mode.


----------



## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Windows setup gives you an option to delete partitions, choose the Custom Install option then select the drive and you should see an option to delete the existing partitions. 

Make sure to create Windows 8 recovery media if you or another person ever wants to return the computer to Windows 8.


----------



## DexterDave (May 10, 2011)

OK cool. I just used a bootable linux CD, formatted the drive with a MBR Partition table, and then made partitions with NTFS file systems.

Seems like you cannot format a disk with only one partition table such as GPT or MBR, not both on different partitions


----------



## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Of course you can only use one partition type per disk, that has always been the case. You may be confusing a partition type with a file system. MBR and GPT are partition types, NTFS and FAT32 are file systems. You cannot format a drive into an MBR, you have to delete the partition and create new one. 

Either way, glad you found an alternate solution :up:


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

The reason as well is that the UEFI - firmware - the BIOS as such and the GPT partition table, must boot from a FAT32 file , they can read an NTFS but they cannot boot from it
Therefore if you wish to make a bootable USB drive for a UEFI and GPT partitioned disc, you must use a utility that enables the system to see it as a bootable device
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/matt-harrin...drive-from-an-iso-image-for-uefi-systems.aspx

of course now you have changed the disc to MBR it is only for information.
You could have kept the UEFI and GPT as 64 bit Windows 7 can be installed on GPT whereas 
32-bit Windows 7 will not install to a UEFI controlled computer. It can read from GPT but cannot boot from it.


----------

