How to Install Windows 7 on a Computer or Laptop

Read this article to find out how to make a clean installation of Windows 7 on a desktop computer or laptop. Although this operating system is becoming less relevant every day, the army of its fans it still large enough, and this article is intended for those who wouldn’t like to part with the version of Windows they have got used to.

How to Install Windows 7 on a Computer or Laptop
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How to create a boot disk with Windows 7

To install the operating system, you will need a Windows 7 installation disk which can be bought – or created on your own.

I don’t see any point in describing how to create an installation CD/DVD. Installing Windows with a USB pen drive is much easier.

To create a bootable drive, you can use an official tool by Microsoft – Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. It is free of charge and you can download it from the Microsoft official website. This app is also good for Windows 8 and 10.

Now,

  • download and run it.

    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
  • Select a suitable system image file and click Next.

    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
  • Now choose the media type, in this case USB device.

    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
  • Select the necessary flash drive from the list of all devices in your computer (in my case, it is disk J) and click Begin copying.

    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
  • You will see a warning that all data in this flash drive will be deleted. If you don’t have any important files on this drive, click Erase USB Device.

    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
  • Confirm your decision to delete all files and wait until the files are copied to your USB drive.

    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
  • When it is over, you will see a message saying Backup completed, which means the bootable pen drive is ready to use.

    Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

How to start a computer with a bootable pen drive

To start the installation, plug the bootable drive into the computer where you want to install the operating system, and make it boot from that pen drive.

The boot sequence – that is, the command for your computer to boot from a USB device is configured in BIOS or UEFI.

If you need advice on how to enter BIOS / UEFI and boot a computer from a USB drive or DVD, watch our video on this topic:

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How to Enter BIOS or UEFI in a Computer or Laptop and Boot from a Flash Drive or a CD, DVD 💽🛠️💻

How to Enter BIOS or UEFI in a Computer or Laptop and Boot from a Flash Drive or a CD, DVD 💽🛠️💻

Installing Windows 7 step by step

When the computer boots from the installation USB drive, this is what you are going to see.

Windows 7
  • Select preferred language and click Next.

  • In the following window, hit Install now.

    Windows 7
  • Accept the license terms.

    Windows 7
  • Select the installation type. If you mean clean installation like in my case, select Custom….

    Windows 7
  • Specify, where exactly you want to install Windows. That is, select a disk for installation. If your computer has several disks, choose the one you wan to be the system drive. If your computer is limited to using one disk (like mine), just select it.

    Please remember that all data from the disk where the operating system is installed will be erased.

    Windows 7
  • The installation wizard will copy required files to the computer and launch the installation.

    Windows 7
  • In the process, the computer will reboot several times. It is absolutely natural and supposed to be that way.

    Windows 7
  • Select user name for your account as well as the computer’s name in network.

    Windows 7
  • Set the password to protect your account. If you just click Next and don’t enter the password, the operating system will always boot directly to desktop, without asking for a password.

    Windows 7
  • Enter the product key for Windows 7. If you do not have the product key at hand you can still click Next and proceed with the installation. You will be asked to enter the product key after Windows is installed.

    Windows 7
  • The system will offer you to deal with additional settings. You can postpone it and change settings later or use the recommended settings (if you are a beginner).

    Windows 7
  • Select the time zone and click Next.

    Windows 7
  • If your computer is connected to a network, Windows will also suggest selecting network settings. Select Home network.

    Windows 7
  • After that, the operating system will apply the settings and finish the installation.

    Windows 7

As a result, the computer will reboot and Windows 7 desktop will appear in the screen.

Windows 7
Windows 7

How to recover data you have lost as a result of reinstallation

If you lost some files as a result of installing, reinstalling, updating or resetting Windows, you can bring them back with Hetman Partition Recovery.

Hetman Partition Recovery
The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

If you have any problems, errors or question during the installation, feel free to ask us in comments.

Vladimir Artiukh

Author: , Technical Writer

Vladimir Artiukh is a technical writer for Hetman Software, as well as the voice and face of their English-speaking YouTube channel, Hetman Software: Data Recovery for Windows. He handles tutorials, how-tos, and detailed reviews on how the company’s tools work with all kinds of data storage devices.

Oleg Afonin

Editor: , Technical Writer

Oleg Afonin is an expert in mobile forensics, data recovery and computer systems. He often attends large data security conferences, and writes several blogs for such resources as xaker.ru, Elcomsoft and Habr. In addition to his online activities, Oleg’s articles are also published in professional magazines. Also, Oleg Afonin is the co-author of a well-known book, Mobile Forensics - Advanced Investigative Strategies.

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