Creating a Windows 7 system repair disk or system image to a USB flash drive

Here what I did on my Win 10 machine.

I wonder if the same thing might work for you.

I used a 4GB USB 2.0 flash drive.
Before starting the creation process, I performed a full format of the USB 2.0 flash drive just to be sure it had no bad sectors on it.
Of note: 
The creation process will format the target USB flash drive but I don’t believe it will perform a                      “full” format before copying files to it.
The creation process will make the target USB flash drive bootable.

Now, on to the creation process !
Insert the target USB flash drive
Start \ run \ Control Panel
Click “Recovery”
Click “Create a recovery drive”
Click “Yes” to the “User Account Control” dialog, is you get one.
Uncheck the box that reads “Back up system files to the recovery drive.”
Click on the “Next” button.
On the next dialog, select the USB drive you want to become the recovery drive.
Click the "Next" button.
You should now see a dialog that warns you this procedure will delete any files on the target USB flash drive that was chosen.
Click “Create”.
Click the “Finish” button,
Of note:
Be sure to eject the newly created recovery drive properly, so as to get a “Safe to Remove” message from the OS.
This PC / right click on the newly created recovery USB flash drive \ click on “Eject”.

Why do't you just make a CD/DVD and a flash drive that has an entire Windows SP1 installation on it instead of just a repair disk?

If your system becomes afflicted some day (won't boot, etc.) do you think a repair disk (on CD/DVD or USB) will help you more than a genuine Windows SP1 installation CD/DVD or USB?  Which do you think will be more valuable and useful?  Do you think you will never have a need for some genuine Windows SP1 installation media?

I've never made a repair CD/DVD or USB - I just make a bootable Windows SP1 installation DVD and a Windows SP1 installation USB and stick them in that box o' computer stuff.

For images, I use Macrium to make one a week keeping 5 weeks worth on an external USB drive (never a flash drive) and have a small USB thumb drive for booting Macrium also in that box o' computer stuff.  When Macrium has an update, I refresh that bootable thumb drive and test it to be sure it boots and I can at least find/access my images.

I purchased a new flash drive thinking that I could create either a system repair disk or a system image onto it.  When I try the system repair disk option, it will only allow me to create to my the file to my DVD drive.  It does not recognize my flash drive at all.  When I try the system image option, it recognizes my flash drive, but Windows says that it is not a valid destination.  It keeps pushing me to my DVD drive as the only valid choice.  I have hardly anything on my hard drive, and I made sure to get a flash drive that was twice the size of my Windows system files and personal files.  Is there any way to get either a system repair disk file onto my flash drive in a Windows 7 environment?  What is better: A system repair disk or a system image? I really don't understand what the difference is between the two.  I have previously tried making repair disks using my DVD drive, but they would never complete without error.  I was hoping the flash drive would solve my problem, but it has only created a new one for me.  Could somebody please help me to figure this out?

A System Repair disk is for basic repair options (Startup Repair, Command Prompt, etc.) for your operating system and is nothing to do with backing up your data or creating an existing System Image.

This explains what it is and does:

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

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A System Image is just that; an image of the installed operating system, the installed programs, your data, etc. etc. and should be saved to an external hard drive.

It makes an easy way to reinstall everything is you ever need to after file corruption or hard drive failure

I don't use Windows 7 System Image Backup; too unreliable:

These are quite good programs to use for Complete PC Backup and are free:

"EaseUS Todo Backup Free"

http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/free-backup-software.htm

"Welcome to EaseUS Todo Backup Manual"

http://www.todo-backup.com/support/help/

http://www.todo-backup.com/download/docs/User\_Guide.pdf

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"AOMEI Backupper Standard"

http://www.backup-utility.com/free-backup-software.html

"Configure and automate AOMEI Backupper in Windows"

https://www.winhelp.us/configure-aomei-backupper-in-windows.html

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"Macrium Reflect Free"

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

"Macrium Reflect Tutorial"

http://www.macrium.com/webtutorial/tutorial.asp

Cheers.

A couple of comments.  Please do answer Fredrik's question.

Thumb drive is bad place to do a backup.  Just not nearly as reliable as an external drive.  And, the ext drive is much faster.

You can use a CD or DVD for a System repair disk.  I recommend a CD because CDs are much more standard.  I use them frequently and they rarely fail.  If your system repair disk is not successful, it is likely that either your system is too corrupted or the hard drive is failing.

I do not believe Win7 will make a repair disk on a USB.

If your system is one that does not have a DVD/CD drive, that is another story.  In that case buy yourself an external DVD drive.  About $30.

It would be useful for you to report your actual aim in this exercise.

Under Windows 10 you could use the command RecoveryDrive.exe. Nice and simple. No such luck with Windows 7. Here it is a three step process. It goes like this:

1. Create a Windows Repair CD via the Control Panel / Backup and Restore.
2. Copy the CD's contents to a flash disk.
3. Make the flash disk bootable.

If you are unable to make a Repair CD on your own PC then you should ask a friend to do it for you on his Windows 7 PC. Please report back here when successful.