Bootable ISO - Create from Installation Files

How to Create a Bootable ISO from Windows 7 Installation Files​

   Information

How to EASILY make a bootable .iso file from Windows 7 or Vista Installation files with the FREE vlite.

Vlite can be installed on 32 and 64 bit versions of XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Homepage and Information:

• vLite - Windows Vista configuration tool
• Create a stream-lined Vista install - Operating Systems - Build - Features - Atomic MPC

   Tip

If you got the student d/l and have 3 files :

* Windows 7-HP-Retail-en-us-x64.exe
* setup1.box * setup2.box

1. Rt click each file, Properties > Unblock>Apply>OK. NOTE: Make sure read only boxes are clear

2. Rt click and run as admin on the .exe. You will get a folder called expandedSetup on your dektop.

If you receive this error:
We are unable to create or save new files in the folder in which this application was downloaded. Please check the folder properties to make sure that you have security permission on the folder to write files and that the folder is not read-only.

Continue with the tutorial to make the .iso

Here's How:

1. Download and Install vlite.

   Note

vlite v1.1.6 is self contained and needs no additional applications.

vlite v1.2 requires the large WAIK download from MS.

It is possible to install v1.2 over the top of v1.1.6 if you wish

2. Rt click vlite shortcut and Run as Admin. Click Install Wimfilter.

3. Click Browse and browse to Windows Installation Files folder:

4. Select your Edition:

It takes a few seconds to load the files - then click Next.

5. Tick Bootable .iso and click Next:

6. Make sure it says Create Image - and type a label if you wish. Then Click Make .iso:

7. Select where to Save the .iso

After you click the Save button, vlite starts making the .iso

When done, click Next

8. EITHER - TO MAKE A BOOTABLE DVD - put an unformatted recordable dvd inthe drive and select Burn Image.

OR-TO MAKE A BOOTABLE FLASH DRIVE- click Exit and confirm - the .iso will be in the location you selected in Step 7.

   Tip

The iso can be used to create a bootable flash drive with the Windows 7 DVD/USB Download Tool below.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html#post328729

Info:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

Related Tutorials

---

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/30470-make-bootable-iso-student-d-l.html
• Windows 7 DVD/USB Download Tool
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/17453-custom-windows-installations-windows-7-a.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/16917-bootable-iso-create-older-iso.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html
• How to Burn a "ISO" or "IMG" Disc Image file to a CD/DVD in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to make Windows Boot Manager Boot an ISO from your Hard Drive
• How to Extract an ISO File to the Desktop

 

[SIW2]

Technically it may be possible to use the key off the side of the laptop to activate any installation. However, it is only supposed to be used on that machine.

 

[drak]

so what do you mean by technically? do i have to call microsoft or something? what im trying to do is make installation cd from the recovery partition files. or the pqservice files.

 

[SIW2]

A pre installed oem license is only good for the machine it came with.

You may need to ring MS - they are quite good about that sort of thing.

What is in the oem partitions ? - can you post a screenshot ?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-how-post-screenshot-seven-forums.html



If you have trouble accessing them with Windows Explorer , Freecommander should be able to do it:

FreeCommander Portable - FreeCommander - freeware file manager

 

[drak]

hey, thanks for all the help. i uploaded two screensshots one for each of the hidden partitions on the laptop. you wouldnt happen to know what the deal is witrh the pq service part? that sucker is 12G.

 

[SIW2]

Pqservice contains all the files needed for recovery to factory condition.

Have a look in folder called ACERBOOT\sources you should find "install.wim".

This is what the regular installation dvd looks like:

 

[drak]

cant thank you enough, +rep!

 

[SIW2]

What have you done so far?

Is the Acerboot folder the same as the regular install dvd ?

You will need boot .wim as well , of course, - is there one in Acerboot\sources ?

 

[drak]

no install.wim so far have seen boot.wim. posting screens in a bit.

 

[gregrocker]

Found another SIW2 method that works faster to create ISO from files: Boot to CD/DVD

 

[niceguy75]

We can make a bootable DVD with nero as well, if its ok with you guys I can make a tutorial as well.

 

[paul1149]

Hi all,

Thanks SIW2 for this tutorial. I am very interested in getting this working, but haven't figured out how to translate this to the lenovo recovery scheme. There is a OS.okr file (One Key Recovery, which is a port of Power Recover by CyberLink), which is a zip file of the Win7 install, but all it has is the end result Windows folder structure. It seems all the installation is handled extrinsically by the OKR engine. I'm attaching a screen shot of the OKR source folder.

Thanks,
p.

 

[SIW2]

From the look of it - you need to capture the parent folder as a wim file.

You will have to extract it first - 7-zip will probably do that.

Use something easy like Gimagex, select the Capture tab, browse to the extracted \OKRBackup\Factory\OS.okr\1 folder and capture it.

Select maximum compression and create wim file called install.wim

We can the create the necessary folder structure and a small bootable wim of some kind - (the recovery wim somewhere on your drive will do )

Then create an iso.

download zip GImageX


It's worth taking allok inside those folders in your screenie and see if you think everything is there.

Oem'ss sometimes have their own proprietary stored elsewhere , often in split wim format.

 

[SIW2]

This is what Install.wim looks like:




Your.okr file might actually be a .wim already - you could try changing the extension to .wim and see if 7-zip recognizes it -if so- you already have that.

Becuase your directories are larger the oem software is likely already in there.

Sometimes the proprietary file is a .wim under a different name - unfortunately, oem's will sometimes change the headers - doesn't seem they have here because 7-zip is picking it up fine.

 

[SIW2]

Is this making any sense so far?

 

[paul1149]

Yes - thanks very much. It has to be in .wim format so the file can be processed correctly?

Those first directions made conceptual sense, but actually executing them probably would have been another matter.

I've now changed .okr to .wim, and 7 zip is reading it fine. I guess the next step is to see if vlite will process the file.

BTW, the original vlite link seems to have been hijacked. It's now found at vLite - Windows Vista configuration tool.

I'll get back with the vlite results. I'm thinking that if it works I would like to reduce the iso size, to get it on a dvd. Goodness knows there's a bunch of bloat that could be thrown out. But I don't want to introduce fatal installation errors. Is there a script that I could edit while doing the folder deletions?

I also am checking out an HP machine to see if working with it would be any easier. I've got a folder with maybe two dozen .wim files. The first one, named A1NAv6PrA1, has the Windows folder structure in it, so i guess that's it. It's also larger than your Win7 disk pic here.

Thanks,
p.

 

[SIW2]

Yes, the other wim's on the HP are probabaly trial software and the like.

To make an iso for dvd ( or to put the files on a usb stick ), you need a bootable wim as well.

The bootable wim ( usually called boot.wim ) loads into memory and from there you run the installation program - which extracts the image from the install.wim onto your selected partition. It also creates the necessary boot critical files.

You will already have boot.wim somewhere about 165-170mb probabaly- it might be called something else.

You can always use winre.wim instead - you will find that in windows\system32 recovery folder - or on your Win7 partition in a hidden folder called Recovery. Have a look and let me know where it is.


You can use vlite for windows 7 - to remove components - usually stuff like parental controls and speech support if you don't ned them.

Getting rid of the oem bloatware is something else.

EDIT - From memory, vlite won't pick up just an install.wim -it expects the entire dvd structure - which you don't have.

 

[paul1149]

Amazing gift you have for this stuff.

I found the recovery folder and the winRE.wim, at 164MB, in the Win7 installation.

I've switched to the HP machine, as it seems it might be easier to deal with. I'm able to browse the recovery partition using 7zip, with kudos to them.

The .wim I mentioned that seems to be the prime candidate only weighs about 100MB in .wim form. That couldn't be it, could it? I'm attaching a screen cap.

And if vlite won't make sense of all this, how does one proceed? That's where I thought this whole thing was going.

Thanks,
p.

 

[SIW2]

Install.wim will be close to 3gb.

I would make the correct folder structure for an iso - into that you put your bootable.wim ( you can use winre.wim you found for that ) and your install.wim.

You would need to add an installer program into winre.wim.

I have a little app. somewhere I made a little while that will do the whole job for you - I just need to find it.

 

[paul1149]

That would be great. I frankly don't know how to put this whole package together.

 

[SIW2]

D/L these two zip files.


Inside each is a 7-zip file.

Extract the zip files intro the same directory.

Then extract the 7-zip files directly onto your C drive.

You will have a folder C:\EASYPE-31x64

Inside that is a folder called ISO - in there is another folder called sources.

Copy your Install.wim into the sources folder.

Then rt click and run as admin on RunMeAsAdminPE3v3x64.exe

It will do the whole job for you.

( It asks if you want to include Macrium v5 - if you don't have it, just say no )