Installing Windows 7 From USB Drive: Correct BCD.exe File Not Found Error

This post deals with a common issue faced by almost everyone trying to install Windows 7 using a USB drive/ Flash drive/ Pen drive.

The BCD.exe file not found error that pops up while installing the Windows 7 Operating System on your computer is due to the fact that in Windows 7 USB installation disks created using some software programs, the file BCD.exe is renamed as:
BCD_(something here, usually a number).exe
If you compare the file sizes, you will observe that the sizes of the BCD.exe file on the original DVD or .iso image file and the renamed file on the USB installation disk are same.

Now, to correct the error all you need to do is:

METHOD 1: RENAME THE FILE TO “BCD.exe”:

1.Go to the following path:
USB Drive:\Boot\

2.You will find the renamed file as : BCD_(something here, usually a number).exe

3.There would usually be a very small file with the name BCD.exe. Delete it.

4.Just change the name of the larger renamed file to : BCD.exe

That should solve your problem.

METHOD 2: COPY AND PASTE THE BCD.EXE FILE FROM ANOTHER SOURCE:
1.Copy the BCD.exe file from the DVD or the .iso image file
Path: File or Drive:\Boot\BCD.exe

2.Paste the file at the corresponding location on the USB installation disk:
USB Drive:\Boot\

Now your USB drive wouldn’t show the BCD.exe file not found error again!

PS: In some cases the DVD or .iso file may show the same error. To correct that you may use the same method. Either rename the file to BCD.exe or paste the BCD.exe file from another DVD or image.

Samir Saurav Majhi

I’m a Generalist Researcher working on a Theory of Reality, Horticulturist, Blogger, Natural Systems Analyst and Amateur Architect