Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc - Create

How to Create a Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc​

Introduction

For Windows users who installed or upgraded Windows Vista, there is one big difference that will be immediately noticed when installing or upgrading to Windows 7: The Windows 7 installation wizard no longer prompts, or asks, for the user to select which edition of the operating system to install. Instead, each Windows 7 DVD disc will automatically install the specific edition which it’s limited to. So a Windows 7 Home Premium disc will only install Windows 7 HP, a Pro disc will only install Pro, etc.

Although Microsoft does not provide any such universal Windows 7 installation media, the function is indeed feasible. (see Screenshot below) A disc such as this can be especially helpful to PC technicians, IT staff, and the like who need to reinstall Win7 frequently. Remember you will still need a valid license key specific to the version you are installing. In addition, Microsoft has eliminated the differences between the retail and OEM install discs with Windows 7, so this disc can be used to reinstall Win7 on PC’s where the owner has lost, or is unable to find, the OEM restore discs. In order to create such a disc; just delete and remove the ei.cfg from any Windows 7 ISO to convert that image into a universal disc for all editions of Windows 7.






STAGE 1 UNIVERSAL DVD - ALL 32 OR 64 BIT ON 1 DVD

For any user who has the Windows 7 install DVD or ISO and wishes to make a universal installer disc now there is an easier way to modify the ISO. Normally this was accomplished by manually unpacking and extracting the contents of the ISO image (or copying files from DVD to HDD), deleting the ei.cfg and then repacking the installation files back into an ISO to burn. Users can now eliminate these tedious procedures by making use of the “ei.cfg Removal Utility”.

The ei.cfg Removal Utility is a simple tool that will disable the ei.cfg from any Windows 7 ISO disc image, thereby converting the image into a “universal disc” that will prompt the user to select their preferred edition during setup. The ei.cfg Removal Utility works directly to patch the ISO image, by toggling the deletion bit in the UDF file table to instruct the operating system to ignore and remove ei.cfg, or treat it as if it does not exist. Best of all, the ei.cfg Removal Utility can reverse the patching to restore the ISO disc image to its original state when the tool is been used to apply on a disc image that previously been patched by the utility.

The ei.cfg Removal Utility is a standalone portable app, and requires no installation. In fact, the program does not have much of a user interface at all. Simply selecting the target Windows 7 ISO, and the disc image (ISO) will be patched right away. So make sure a backup copy of your ISO is created beforehand.

Download the ei.cfg Removal Utility here:eicfg_removal_utility.zip


STAGE 2 UNIVERSAL DVD - ALL 32 AND ALL 64 BIT ON 1 DVD

I was amazed at how easy it is to merge Win7 x86 and Win7 x64 editions (DVDs) in a single DVD or 4GB USB. The process is pretty simple, you need a copy of both any 32 bit and any 64 bit Windows 7 install DVD or ISO. Either copy the DVD's contents to a folder on a HDD, or extract the ISO's contents to a folder. Run 4 commands from the prompt, then create and burn your new Universal install DVD/USB.


Requirements:

1. WAIK (Windows Automation Installation Kit) Download WAIK
2. Windows Win7 x86 and Windows Win7 x64 DVDs.
3. An application that can extract the files from an ISO (if using a downloaded ISO). I use WinRAR, but many apps can do this extraction.
4. An application that allows you to build a new iso or create a bootable DVD/USB. I use UltraISO for this.
5. Single Layer DVD, compatible DVD Burner and, of course DVD burning software… or a 4GB USB flash drive.

We will merge the four Windows 7 x64 editions into the Win7 x86 DVD contents, because Win7 x64 DVD has 64-bit content that can’t run some of the Win32 installation components.


Getting Started


1. Install WAIK in your Windows (doesn’t matter you are running Win7 or Windows XP)

2. Make two folders, in my examples I use Win7_64 and Win7_32. Now copy both Windows 7 x64 and x86 DVDs contents into their respective folders. Or extract your downloaded ISO’s into their respective folder.

   Note

If copying files over from a DVD to the above folders, you actually only need the Sources\install.wim file from the Windows 7 x64 DVD.

3. Run WAIK command prompt (Run as Administrator if UAC enabled):
Start à All Programs àWindows AIK àWindows AIK and PE Command Prompt

4. Each and every Win7 edition has an index no. in the install.wim (WIM file), you can check using the following command:

Imagex/info G:\Win7_32\Sources\install.wim

   Note

Where G:\Win7_32 represents the location of your 32 bit DVD files

The results will look something like above.
This shows that INDEX=1 denotes Windows 7 Starter and so on… (you may have to scroll down to observe these entries)

5. We will use the Imagex /export command to move our x64 WIM entries into the x86 wim file.

   Note

The syntax for this command is:

   Note

imagex /export src_file src_number src_name dest_file dest_name

Now execute the following commands with appropriate INDEX no. to export a copy of the specified image to the Windows 7 32bit (x86) WIM file.

For Win7 Home Basic x64:

Imagex/export G:\Win7_64\Sources\install.wim 1 G:\Win7_32\Sources\install.wim "Windows 7 Home Basic (x64)"

For Win7 Home Premium x64:

Imagex/export G:\Win7_64\Sources\install.wim 2 G:\Win7_32\Sources\install.wim "Windows 7 Home Premium (x64)"

For Win7 Professional x64:

Imagex/export G:\Win7_64\Sources\install.wim 3 G:\Win7_32\Sources\install.wim "Windows 7 Professional (x64)"

For Win7 Ultimate x64:

Imagex /export G:\Win7_64\Sources\install.wim 4 G:\Win7_32\Sources\install.wim "Windows 7 Ultimate (x64)"

6. After execution of above commands Win7_32's WIM file will be the universal WIM file that contains all version of Win7. You can export only desired versions into the image. For example you could make a Win7 DVD, which includes Win7 Ultimate x86 and x64 version only.

7. Now to make bootable DVD image...

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc
• How to Create a Windows 7 Installation USB Key
• How to Install Windows 7 from USB Pen Drive Using Grub4Dos
• How to Slipstream Windows 7 SP1 and Updates to Create a Bootable USB, Installation DVD, or ISO File

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks Ted, I'll do that.

Be sure and keep me informaed as to how you get on.

 

[Britton30]

Ted you put me on to a good idea. I ended up burning my unversal .iso file to DVD, opened it and copied all the files to the USB drive from the same DVD. Odd the .iso wouldn't work when burned to the USB drive.
Thanks!
..and here is how it looks...
View attachment 150112

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Ted you put me on to a good idea. I ended up burning my unversal .iso file to DVD, opened it and copied all the files to the USB drive from the same DVD. Odd the .iso wouldn't work when burned to the USB drive.
Thanks!
..and here is how it looks...
View attachment 150112

Well done and thanks for the update.

 

[Redhouse]

...or you should be able to just run the setup.exe from the folder....

I just used the new disc to install from, all the versions were in the menu box and it worked great, thanks all.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

...or you should be able to just run the setup.exe from the folder....

I just used the new disc to install from, all the versions were in the menu box and it worked great, thanks all.

Good to see you got it running and thanks for the update.

 

[The1nonly1]

Hello.


As SIW suggests, you have to click through a few windows/dialog boxes to get to this selection window, when you get here you can just remove the disk and X out of the install in you were just testing.

click to enlarge

Dumb question here, how do i test it to make sure all versions are on the .iso file like the image above? Thanks.

 

[derekimo]

Hello.


As SIW suggests, you have to click through a few windows/dialog boxes to get to this selection window, when you get here you can just remove the disk and X out of the install in you were just testing.
click to enlarge

Dumb question here, how do i test it to make sure all versions are on the .iso file like the image above? Thanks.

I used a VM, but you can just cancel the install if you want to stop it after you get to that screen.

 

[The1nonly1]

Hello.


As SIW suggests, you have to click through a few windows/dialog boxes to get to this selection window, when you get here you can just remove the disk and X out of the install in you were just testing.click to enlarge

Dumb question here, how do i test it to make sure all versions are on the .iso file like the image above? Thanks.

I used a VM, but you can just cancel the install if you want to stop it after you get to that screen.

Thanks, i followed the guide so it should work

 

[derekimo]

Dumb question here, how do i test it to make sure all versions are on the .iso file like the image above? Thanks.

I used a VM, but you can just cancel the install if you want to stop it after you get to that screen.

Thanks, i followed the guide so it should work

You're welcome, doesn't hurt to test it though.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello.


As SIW suggests, you have to click through a few windows/dialog boxes to get to this selection window, when you get here you can just remove the disk and X out of the install in you were just testing.
click to enlarge

Dumb question here, how do i test it to make sure all versions are on the .iso file like the image above? Thanks.

Hello mate.

Just run it from the desktop and don't go any further than this dialog box, just remove the disk amd X out.

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Hi Guys

I thought I would update my universal usb stick to a universal sp1 usb but cant seem to get it to work.Does the ei.cfg remover work ok on sp1 isos from technet as mine says it removed but when i run the usb only one version is available.

Thanks

Danny

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Danny.


You would be better off extracting the ISO and re-naming the ei.cfg file to ei.cfg.old and then re-creating the ISO, it's very easy, some have had issues with that tool.

One thing though to make it easier, don't extract the ISO to the desktop, use 7-Zip to create a file to do the extract to, you'll see the option when selecting where to extract to in 7-Zip.

Have a look at these tutorial linked below.


How to create a Windows Vista / 7 installation disc using ImgBurn

ISO - Disk Image File : Extract to the Desktop

ImgBurn Free ISO Burning Software

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Thanks BFK will have a go at this tonight.

Ive got both the win7 HP and win7 HP sp1 Isos on the machine already and have been at this all day.Neither will now create a Universal usb or dvd using the ei.cfg removal tool but I did it before because I have a Universal dvd without Sp1, so not sure what the problem is with that tool.
Have to pop out on an errand so will have a bash when I get back and let you know how it goes

Thanks For Your Help

Danny

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

My pleasure Danny, be sure to keep me informed.

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Hi BFK

Im struggling to create the iso using imgburn. Never used it before is there a Tut anywhere for creating the Iso rather than stright to a dvd as I want it on my usb eventually.

Thanks

Danny

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Here you go mate, use this instead of the "to disk" method.

How to create a Windows Vista / 7 installation disc using ImgBurn

click to enlarge

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Sorry if im missing something here BFK

I add the source,add the destination press go and get "you havent told me to make the disk bootable" dont want to make a disk lol

Danny

EDIT sorry im making this harder than it is creating iso now lol

Argg no im not still getting the above message so I tick the box for bootable but what other options do I need to select.

Sorry

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Ok mate got it in the end all done and on my USB

Thanks again BFK

Danny

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Good to see you got it sorted Danny .

 

[Sakura33]

Hi All,

I'm new here and I discovered this tutorial from a Google search. I've been trying for the last couple of days to create a working AIO Universal Disc with both x86 and x64 versions. So far, I haven't had any luck though. I believe I'm following the procedure here precisely, but all 3 discs I've made only have a single installation available. And I've confirmed that ei.cfg does not exist in the folders of the extracted ISO images.

I'm attaching the the information I receive when using Imagex to check the info of the source.wim file. If anyone might have some tips about what I'm doing wrong, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks so much.