So I got this error message "unable to run bootsect to make the device bootable"
I can't boot to the UEFI installer either. Even if the USB installer is made successfully on a different machine. This is only happening for Windows 7 64 bit. I've tried this with Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 and they have had no issues. I'm currently running Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit. So it seems like a system issue, the Microsoft software doesn't seem to be the one to blame here since it can do the exact same thing successfully on a different machine. I'm thinking maybe it's a motherboard issue with the settings in BIOS, but I have no idea for sure.
Yeah I came to the conclusion that the Microsoft tool is just not as good as the Rufus tool. The Microsoft tool should not be giving the error and it should create the bootable installer. Sticking with Rufus.
32-bit UEFI booting and UEFI booting on consumer-level editions was not supported until Windows 8.
Windows Vista and 7Sp1 both support UEFI but with some limitations. Only 64-bit UEFIs are supported and only on Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions. All 32-bit editions, 64-bit Home Basic and 64-bit Home Premium do not support UEFI booting natively (without any hacks).
But actually it's been a while since I tested it so my memory could be faulty on the Pro edition use case. It might not support it after all but the rest definitely do.
Essentially the issue is that BCDBoot.exe (MS's program that says "make this bootable" to a Windows file system) looks for the UEFI boot loader and related files in some sub-folder under C:\Windows\System32. Certain editions do not natively copy the UEFI boot files there because Microsoft.
To fix this, it should be possible to copy the boot files from a Windows Vista-7 64-bit UEFI Ent/Pro/Ult install to that folder on a Windows Vista-7 64-bit Home Basic/Premium(/Pro?) edition and then subsequent attempts to make bootable usb media should operate normally using MS's native tools or third party tools that rely on those files.
But like why. Just use Rufus instead. >.> Seriously.