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How to make a DVD of that student-only Windows 7 you bought for $29.99
To start with, make sure your downloaded Windows 7 files (the 'expandedSetup' directory) is unzipped into C:\ -- it'll make things easier later.
1. Download this tool -- alternatively you can obtain the official pack from Microsoft, but that's a whole darn gigabyte.
2. Unzip and move oscdimg.exe to your System32 directory (likely to be C:\Windows\System32)
3. Open an elevated command prompt. In Vista you do this by typing 'cmd' into your 'Start Menu' and hitting ctrl+shift+enter. In XP, just type 'cmd' into the Run dialogue (Windows Key+R or from your Start Menu).
4. Type (or copy and paste) the following into your command prompt (this will vary a little, depending on where you've put your expandedSetup folder):
oscdimg.exe -u2 -b"C:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com" -h "C:\expandedSetup" C:\WIN7.ISO
5. Ta'da! You've got a burnable ISO!
All you need to finish the job is a good burning application like ImgBurn, CDBurnerXP, or InfraRecorder. For this particular task I'd recommend ImgBurn - then just right click the ISO file and start the burn from your context menu. Or launch ImgBurn and choose "write image file to disc" -- your choice!
No DVD burner? If you have a 4GB USB flash drive handy, check out this app!
Big thanks to Brian Wasylkoski, who was kind enough to let me harass him while he went through this process at the University of Manitoba. --Lee.
Comments
134
Subscribe to commentsAndrew MOct 23rd 2009 8:02PM
I did the same thing for my friend last night who managed to win the Win7 house party. Her dad took the Ultimate copy though, but we had the DVDs laying around so I just copied the boot image from the DVD with ImgBurn and added the files to an ISO, burnt it off, and install went just fine.
speedsterOct 23rd 2009 7:39PM
How do I make a boot CD for 64-bit. It's 5.91 gb
PerryOct 25th 2009 10:44AM
Those trying to install it from within Windows 7, RC (build 7100) get an epic fail, like myself. You will need to acquire the oscdimg from the Windows 7 version, and run it that way.
I copied the files to the C:drive of my server (windows2003) and used the following string SUCCESSFULLY:
oscdimg -bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h -u2 -m -lWIN_EN_DVD C:\expandedSetup\ C:\7.iso
Andrew MerskinOct 23rd 2009 8:33PM
Suggested addition to the article:
Burn the ISO at 2x in case of errors. I can't count how many times I have burned my MSDN images and had install errors due to fast burning.
Sebastian AnthonyOct 23rd 2009 8:38PM
Cheers for the tip :)
I think that's more likely something to do with your burner/buffer than the image itself though!
VictorOct 23rd 2009 9:43PM
I am getting
C:\>oscdimg.exe -bC:\expandedSetup\boot\bootsect.exe -u2 -h -m C:\expandedSetup C:\Win7.iso
OSCDIMG 2.54 CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Premastering Utility
Copyright (C) Microsoft, 1993-2007. All rights reserved.
Licensed only for producing Microsoft authorized content.
Scanning source tree
ERROR: Failure enumerating files in directory "C:\ûBC:\EXPANDEDSETUP\BOOT\BOOTSE
CT.EXE\"
Error 123: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
I've tried messing with the folders and stuff, nothing seems to work....
Sebastian AnthonyOct 23rd 2009 9:49PM
Check the guide. Does it say bootsect.exe...?
LouOct 23rd 2009 9:48PM
Finally got it working.
tobyOct 23rd 2009 11:28PM
People, People...Stop all the Madness, the weeping and gnashing of teeth trying to get oscdimg to do it's thing. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. Derek, in post #47 suggested simply using ImgBurn to make an iso of the ExpandedSetup files and provided the following link ( http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=11194&s=6491863e84b38aa3002dec5d65da5084 ). I followed the instructions in the link and had my iso in 10 minutes. I'll sleep better tonight, thanks Derek
KatieOct 23rd 2009 11:41PM
Thanks so much for this, I'd been trying to figure out how to do this for hours and I was getting frustrated, this was very helpful. The only thing that held me back was that even though the file was named extendedSetup, it's path was listed under EXTENDED~1 and that's what I ended up having to change to get this procedure to work (just in case any one else has had similar problems with windows system32 telling you the pathway is incorrect).
Thanks again!!
KatieOct 24th 2009 7:14AM
***correction, sorry expandedSetup and EXPANDED~1 Haha, sorry, long day of trying to figure all of this out!
ClockworkOct 24th 2009 1:05AM
Could someone please tell me how to use the app linked in the article to create a bootable USB drive of Windows 7 using just the iso? I'm incredibly lost.
JamesSOct 24th 2009 1:23AM
I got this to work WITH windows 7 already installed
used this command line--
oscdimg -bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h -u2 -m -lWIN_EN_DVD C:\expandedSetup\ C:\7.iso
worked great.. Thank
Ed GuzmanOct 24th 2009 2:17AM
JamesS you are a genius. I have been trying for a couple of hours. Your command line is the best. The other alternative is to make it with ImgBurn, but I wanted to make an iso via these instructions. The command line provided in the instructions do not work, but your version does.
Thanks again!
JaredhOct 24th 2009 10:14AM
I downloaded the home premium version, made the ISO (with a few hiccups, but got it working).
I used the ISO on my disk to install a virtual machine on my mac with VMware fusion, and it gave me the option to install any version from home wimpy to ultimate. Nice!
AnthonyOct 24th 2009 1:27PM
Many thanks! Most useful.
JoelOct 25th 2009 2:06AM
This is really absurd. I have spent hours and hours trying to get win7 to install. I tried to run it as they wanted through vista, and now my vista drive won't even boot in safe mode. I downloaded it again on another pc, and burned it per these instructions. First time running the DVD, it failed saying that it couldn't read from sources/install.wim. Tried another DVD and it got stuck at 70% expanding windows files then said that the media may be corrupt. Tried the same disc again, same problem. I burned a 3rd DVD and am about to try that, then I will try the flash drive idea. After that, i'm giving up on Windows 7. Nice way to screw students over, microsoft.
JoelOct 25th 2009 2:09AM
I finally got it installed! I guess I just had a couple of bad burns. Take a lesson, when you burn the ISO go at the lowest speed you can!
NicOct 24th 2009 11:04PM
my iso is burning to dvd as we speak .. once done, do i run the iso off the dvd? or how do i go about installing this...
Sebastian AnthonyOct 24th 2009 11:05PM
Come on, read the complete article :P