How do I convert multiple CD/dvd install to USB?

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  1. Posts : 178
    Windows 7 Professional 64bit
       #1

    How do I convert multiple CD/dvd install to USB?


    Hi everyone.

    I wonder if you can help me.

    I have some applications which are spread over 2 or sometimes 3 CD's DVD's.

    After using the excellent tutorials on the site to create an install USB memory stick for my copy of Windows7, I was wondering how do I do about creating the same thing but for a multipart cd or dvd based application?

    Often the disc installer asks for disc 2 / 3 etc so I take it that it's not as easy as dragging everything onto the one pen drive.

    Some of them take a long time to install using traditional optical media, and if I could put them all onto a single pen drive it would be great.

    Thanks in advance.
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  2. Posts : 8,398
    ultimate 64 sp1
       #2

    you could format a pen drive using ntfs, which will allow you to store large iso files.

    you could then use an iso mounting app like daemon tools or virtual clone drive to mount the iso's as virtual drives.

    ... but do you really need them on the pen drive? haven't you got lots of room on a separate hard-drive partition somewhere? hard-drive space is cheap compared to pen drive...
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  3. Posts : 8,375
    W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
       #3

    Any program that will write an iso image to a flash drive will reserve the entire drive for the first image which is no better then having 2 or 3 cds and being prompted for flash drive #2? That won't work while unpacking all files for one 2 or 3 program install cds onto a flash drive may or may not work either.

    For those older programs where several disks are used the newer versions since should be seeing a single dvd at this time. As far as trying to run a muti cd installer from a flash drive that depends on how the installer was written to start with since many older programs will require a disk swapping in the optical drive and not see Disk #2 when everything is unpacked to one location like a folder on a flash drive.
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  4. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #4

    saverio,

    If you have the complete program available as an ISO file then there will probably not be a problem.

    Contact the mfg of the software and ask them if the program is available as an ISO file for installation from a USB.
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  5. Posts : 8,398
    ultimate 64 sp1
       #5

    nighthawk - i meant saving several iso files as iso files onto the one drive - or better save them on a hard-drive partition.

    you could quite easily make your own iso, using free software like daemon tools.
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  6. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #6

    Mickey,

    I like UltraIso, primarily because its free for nearly all types of applications. Can't remember what the plus is for buying it.

    Another popular program is PowerIso but if I remember right it's free version is rather limited.
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  7. Posts : 5,056
    Windows 7 x64 pro/ Windows 7 x86 Pro/ XP SP3 x86
       #7

    I suppose you could combine all the disks into a single iso but the process would probably need to be tailored to each program you want to combine. But most programs look for the specific name of the next disk, not just the name of the next file. It may not be easy, or even possible for many applications. If you want to do this with games, you can usualy find programs to do this on gamers sites. Though If the programs operate fine as ISOs, one could just save all the actual ISOs to hard disk and jut run them using Daemon Tools.
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  8. Posts : 4,466
    Windows 10 Education 64 bit
       #8

    Create a folder for each CD on your thumb drive and match the folder name to the volume label of the CD. Then copy the contents of each CD to the respective folder. Run the setup file for the first CD and see what happens. Depending on how the installer was written you might get lucky.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #9

    Here is a link to comparison of iso image software.

    Comparison of ISO image software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  10. Posts : 8,375
    W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
       #10

    mickey megabyte said:
    nighthawk - i meant saving several iso files as iso files onto the one drive - or better save them on a hard-drive partition.

    you could quite easily make your own iso, using free software like daemon tools.
    You can make iso images and store them on one drive. The main problem with many mulitiple disk games and apps however is the encryption you don't see placed on each disk that signifies it as disk #2, disk #3, etc. that the installer looks for when prompting you to place the next disk in the drive.

    Most multiple cd games will require the first be placed back in the drive if the disk is required or to prompt about seeing quick launch and desktop shortcuts created. For desktop apps try seeing Windows 3.1 which came on 6 floppies to install on a VM when trying to make a single iso up. Some installers simply won't work without having separate disks.

    Mounting iso images from a flash drive for a particular program using VirtualCloneDisk could work out for several. The thing to know however is that once a game or app is installed by other means it will still look back to the exact same drive for running off of cd or for any other files or options.

    Run from disk type games where one cd is required to be in the drive while running the game itself rules out any substitutions from the start. For the other install direct to drive only type games and apps it will trial and error to see which ones you can get to run.
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