How to Create and Make Bootable Windows 7 ISO from EXE Plus Setup1.Box and Setup2.Box Files

For many people who order Windows 7 through online store such as Digital River, the download of Windows 7 ESD installation files (or 64bit Windows download links) is not in a single ISO image format, but as electronic digital distribution files. Instead, users will download and get an executable (.EXE) which name differs depending on the edition of Windows 7 ordered, plus Setup1.Box and Setup2.Box.

For example, the 3 files may be as follow:

Windows 7-HP-Retail-en-us-x86.exe or Windows 7-HP-Retail-en-us-x64.exe or Windows 7-P-Retail-en-us-x86.exe or Windows 7-P-Retail-en-us-x64.exe
setup1.box
setup2.box

For people who wants the ISO images (Windows 7 ISO can also be downloaded directly) instead, just follow the easy instructions below to create and make a bootable ISO image out of the downloaded files, which can be burned to a DVD disc for a bootable Windows 7 DVD disc.

1. Put all 3 downloaded files (the .exe, setup1.box and setup2.box) in the same folder (for this tutorial, let’s assume the files are put on C:\ else you need to modify the path accordingly).
2. Right click on each of three files, select Properties, and then click on Unblock button to prevent files from unable to be accessed. Click OK when done.

   

3. Run the .exe executable as administrator. It starts to unload the box (extract and unpack the installation content), and will create a new folder called expandedSetup, and will populate the folder with all necessary Windows 7 setup files, as shown in figure below.

   

4. Exit from Install Windows wizard dialog.
5. Download Oscdimg CD/DVD Premastering Utility: oscdimg.exe

   Put the downloaded oscdimg.exe into %SystemDrive%\Windows\System32 folder.

   Note: oscdimg is included in Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) as part of WinPE. So if you have that installed, there is no need to download the file again.

6. Open an elevated command prompt as administrator, and run the following command:

   oscdimg.exe –bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com –u2 –h -m -lWIN_EN_DVD C:\expandedSetup\ C:\Win7.iso

   

   Above command assumes that expandedSetup folder is located at C:\ root directory. If it’s not, change accordingly. The -llabelname (note: it’s a small L, not 1) specify volume label, which can be changed, so do the output ISO file. Also remember that if the path contains space, use quotation mark (”) to enclose the full path.

7. A bootable Windows 7 DVD ISO image in UDF format will be created as Win7.iso in C:\ or any folder you specified above. Burn the newly created ISO with a CD/DVD burning software such as Nero, Ashampoo Burning Studio or Alcohol 120%. In Windows 7, burn the ISO direct from Windows 7 Explorer without third-party software. It’s also possible to create bootable Windows 7 USB flash drive with Windows 7 DVD/USB ISO Tool.

The created ISO is identical to official Windows 7 ISO for both full and retail version, and can be used to clean install Windows 7 with a upgrade license.

Update: Digital River is now also offering direct download of Windows 7 ISO.

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 2:52 am and is filed under Windows 7. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.