Using EFI to boot a Win7 from a hard disk (USB drive)

Only 64-bit systems behind Vista are currently supported

Most of the tutorials that use EFI boot installation Win7 are made with CD-ROM boot installation, although CD-ROM installation is relatively simple, but for a friend without optical drive is still quite inconvenient, not to mention the two major shortcomings of CD-ROM installation, one slow, two inflexible. So this tutorial will explain the use of EFI boot. Install Win7 from the hard drive (USB stick) tutorial.

Prerequisites for this tutorial:

First, the motherboard BIOS supports EFI.

In general, the BIOS that supports EFI has an option similar to the EFI boot, which can be turned on.

Second, the original 64-bit Win7 image.

Most of the modified version of the Win7 image, there is no EFI boot function, need the original image.

Ps:windows 7 32 bits are not supported by EFI boot.

Chapter I preparatory work

First, make the installation partition

1, first in the mobile hard disk (USB drive) to prepare a FAT32 partition

Be sure to FAT32 the partition because the EFI BIOS only recognizes the FAT32 partition

Free space-Recommended 5G. Minimum requirements. Can put down all the files extracted from the Win7 image

The primary partition is also OK. Logical partitioning is also OK. There is no need to have a boot function. For the convenience of narration, this partition is called the Install partition.

2. Copy all the files in the Win7 x64 image to the Install Partition root folder

3. Unzip the EFI SHELL (x64). zip to the Install Partition root folder.

Ps:efi SHELL (x64). zip already includes the DiskPart tool

4. Copy the Bootmgfw.efi to the Install Partition root folder

Chapter II Installation of the Win7 64-bit system

First, boot from EFI to EFI shell

1. Press F2 to enter BIOS settings, in the last item exit there is an option launch EFI shell from filesystem device.

2. After starting the EFI shell,

After you start the EFI shell, you will be prompted

Fs0: ........ ...............

FS1: ........ ...............

FS number-refers to the FAT32 partition on the hard disk, similar to the c:,d: drive letter under Windows.

After shell> the cursor, enter FS0: Carriage return to enter the partition.

Command LS to list the files under the current folder, assuming you can see the Win7 installation files. That's right. If not, switch to a different partition until you see the win7 installation file.

3, type the command Bootmgfw.efi, you can start the Win7 Setup program

Second, installation system

Focus on the use of the DiskPart command to create a GPT disk, as well as the method of creating partitions, for the sake of narrative convenience. Win7 the disk that will be installed, called the target disk.

Here are just a few instructions on how to use the DiskPart command to build GPT disks and partitions. At the same time. This method erases all data on the disk.

For non-destructive conversions, please refer to other methods.

When you install the program to select a partition. Possible scenarios:

When Windows Setup steps to select a partition,

One, the target disk is a blank disk case.

Select the target disk directly, and the installer will help you build the various partitions of EFI.

Second, this may occur for example, as seen in the case where the target disk is an MBR disk

To establish a GPT partition using the DiskPart tool:

1. Convert MBR disk to GPT disk

In the Select partition interface. Press SHIFT+F10 to bring up the command prompt

Type

DiskPart

Open the DiskPart tool

★ Select Target Disk

List disk--------------------list system-owned disks

Select Disk 0--------------Choose number No. 0, and infer your target disk according to the size of the disk

★ Empty the target disk and convert to GPT format

Clean-------------------------Erase the disk, which erases all data on the disk

Convert GPT------------------converting a disk to GPT format

List partition-----------------lists the partitions on the disk. Since we just converted to GPT format. So. Partition is empty

★ Set up EFI partition and system installation partition

create partition EFI size=100---------------build the EFI partition. Size is 100M, assuming that you intend to use the partition to boot the MAC system, the recommended size 200M or more

create partition MSR size=128--------------set up MSR partition, Microsoft default, size is 128M

Create partition primary size=50000-------establish the primary partition. Size is 50000M, please adjust according to your own needs, this partition is used to install Win7

List partition---------------------------------list the partitions on the disk

PS: In fact. A DiskPart tool that could almost replace other third-party disk tools. For example, the famous Diskgenius cannot change the partition ID of a GPT-formatted disk. But DiskPart can.

PS: When installing the MAC system, you need to change the partition ID.

PS: About the specific use of DiskPart, to be able to type help view in DiskPart

2, Complete installation

In the Windows Installer, select the partition interface. Click "Refresh". The partitions established above are listed, and the corresponding partitions are selected. Complete the installation.

The above is a graphic tutorial that uses EFI to boot the installation of Win7, this tutorial is more complex. It is therefore recommended that the novice take this action under the guidance of an experienced friend, or read this article carefully. In addition, EFI-guided Win7 is not software-activated and can only be activated by the BIOS, so a friend using BIOS activation is recommended to install Win7 using the above method.

Using EFI to boot a Win7 from a hard disk (USB drive)