VHD to ISO?

Cashis · 16 Jun 2009

Hi,

I was wondering how to turn a VHD into an ISO (or if we could get one) I've tried the net for a couple of days and have found one now since all of the VHD builds being leaked, and thought that this would be a wonderful idea for this site to have one in the tutorial section.I't would most likely make thing's alot easier for other fellow searchers to find one.
Personally I wouldn't want to mess up the area and all i would be doing is a copy and paste of someone elses hard work and would'nt want do that.So its just a query really and an idea.Forgive me if this is the wrong way to ask.

Regards

Orbital Shark · 16 Jun 2009

I've been thinking about the same thing for the last few hours

Here's what i think you can do....

1, load up the VHD file, Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD

2, Use imagex.zip to capture the entire contents of the VHD drive and save it as install.wim

3, Once finished, use an ISO editor like PowerISO or MagicISO and open the ISO for a previous build (e.g. 7229). Replace the original install.wmi with the newly created one.

4, Burn the new ISO to disk

Once you boot the DVD and install it should copy the new files as opposed to the old 7229 files.

Note

Read Here for an overview of the ImageX command options

Warning

You will need to backup your data or install on a seperate partition as i've not tested this yet. SoLoR may be the 1 to ask

SoLoR · 16 Jun 2009

you dont need to install anything, you just attach VHD as drive X in computer management, however i was also removing \Boot and few files in \ (like bootmgr) because, original image in install.wim does not have them, however should work with them as well. Also i removed ei.cfg and unused catalogue files for other then Ultimate SKUs from iso, altho this catalogue files doesnt matter, installation doesnt use them anyway, but to make things more "clean" :P

Orbital Shark · 16 Jun 2009

But will the above process work if you wish to create a new install.wmi to allow for installation of the new build?

Basically, install thinks it's 7229 but the files copied will be a new build

SoLoR · 16 Jun 2009

Orbital Shark said:

But will the above process work if you wish to create a new install.wmi to allow for installation of the new build?

yep i think command is (talking from memory) " imagex /capture x: install.wim "Windows 7 ULTIMATE" " (maybe you need to add image number 1 after install.wim, cant rememeber it will error out if something is wrong anyway :P) and it creates new install.wim from mounted VHD on drive X.

Orbital Shark · 16 Jun 2009

Cool, thanks mate

Cashis · 16 Jun 2009

Orbital Shark said:

Cool, thanks mate

Orbital Shark care to walk me through it I've got the whole Attach VHD file all done and thats easy dont know what to do now

Orbital Shark · 16 Jun 2009

I'll try LOL

Once you've got the VHD loaded and you can access the drive ( for example X: ), extract the ImageX file from the zip i posted above into C:\

Open an elevated command prompt, type cmd in the start menu then right-click the result & 'run as administrator'

Code:

c:
cd\
imagex /capture x: install.wim "Windows 7 ULTIMATE"

This should start capturing the whole VHD drive as install.wim

Open an ISO editor (You'll have to BING for a free 1) and open the Windows 7 7229 ISO file. Within the software, locate the install.wim file and delete it, then replace it with the new 1. Save the ISO, preferrably in a new location.

Burn the ISO file, then try booting from it.

Information

I have not tested it so cannot vouch on the validity, but as soon as i have a VHD file I can actually use (x86) i'll give it a try

Note

Unregistered versions can only save 300MB, so you'll difinately have to search for decent free app

Cashis · 16 Jun 2009

Orbital Shark said:

I'll try LOL

Once you've got the VHD loaded and you can access the drive ( for example X: ), extract the ImageX file from the zip i posted above into C:\

Open an elevated command prompt, type cmd in the start menu then right-click the result & 'run as administrator'

Code:

c:
cd\
imagex /capture x: install.wim "Windows 7 ULTIMATE"

This should start capturing the whole VHD drive as install.wim

Open an ISO editor (You'll have to BING for a free 1) and open the Windows 7 7229 ISO file. Within the software, locate the install.wim file and delete it, then replace it with the new 1. Save the ISO, preferrably in a new location.

Burn the ISO file, then try booting from it.

Information

I have not tested it so cannot vouch on the validity, but as soon as i have a VHD file I can actually use (x86) i'll give it a try

Note

Unregistered versions can only save 300MB, so you'll difinately have to search for decent free app

Thankyou very much mate I'm gonna give it a go and will report back after a successful installation and i say that with confidence :)

Cashis · 16 Jun 2009

Orbital Shark said:

I'll try LOL

Once you've got the VHD loaded and you can access the drive ( for example X: ), extract the ImageX file from the zip i posted above into C:\

Open an elevated command prompt, type cmd in the start menu then right-click the result & 'run as administrator'

Code:

c:
cd\
imagex /capture x: install.wim "Windows 7 ULTIMATE"

This should start capturing the whole VHD drive as install.wim

Open an ISO editor (You'll have to BING for a free 1) and open the Windows 7 7229 ISO file. Within the software, locate the install.wim file and delete it, then replace it with the new 1. Save the ISO, preferrably in a new location.

Burn the ISO file, then try booting from it.

Information

I have not tested it so cannot vouch on the validity, but as soon as i have a VHD file I can actually use (x86) i'll give it a try

Note

Unregistered versions can only save 300MB, so you'll difinately have to search for decent free app

Thanks again it worked very well and easy Thanks SoLaR and Orbital Shark much appreciated.