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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Exit from Install Windows wizard dialog.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Related Articles
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- Workaround to Fix Windows 7 Unable To Create or Save New Files in the Folder Error When Unloading Box
- Windows 7 ISO x86 and x64 Official Direct Download Links (Ultimate, Professional and Home Premium)
- Workaround to Upgrade from 32-Bit (x86) to 64-Bit (x64) Windows 7 Operating System
- UltraISO Premium Edition 9.3.0.2600 Available
- How To Make Vista Bootable DVD with WIM Downloaded Files
- Make 64-bit Windows Vista Bootable DVD from Microsoft WIM with vLite Guide
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Entries (RSS)
October 24th, 2009 03:41
It Worked!! Thanks to everyone with instructions, updates to instructions, hosting missing files, etc, etc….
October 24th, 2009 02:21
Okay I am downloading but, why the links have “msvista” in them?
http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-79643/Win7-P-Retail-en-us-x86.exe
http://msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net/msvista/pub/X15-79643/setup1.box
Is someone there who downloaded and verified them to be genuine Windows 7?
October 24th, 2009 01:59
Help …
ERROR: Could not open boot sector file “C:\expandedSetup\boot\bootsect.exe”
Error 3
I try all syntaxis … same error for all.
October 24th, 2009 01:38
For those having issues (particularly when already running Win7), make sure that the command you are copying and pasting has only plain text. To do that, open Notepad and paste – you will see rectangles where there are weird characters (which the dashes seem to be). Replace any of those dashes with just a plain text dash (-) and try again. It worked for me on Win 7 Ultimate Eval. Below is the output:
C:\Users\me>oscdimg.exe -bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -u2 -h -m -lWIN7 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 (500 files in 48 directories)
Scanning source tree complete (874 files in 201 directories)
Computing directory information complete
Image file is 2520809472 bytes
Writing 874 files in 201 directories to C:\Win7.iso
100% complete
Final image file is 2523011072 bytes
Done.
C:\Users\me>
October 24th, 2009 01:18
Here’s the syntax I used: oscdimg -bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h -u2 -m -lWIN_EN_DVD C:\expandedSetup\ C:\win7.iso
but changed etfsboot.com to bootsect.exe and it worked. Loaded up the ISO into daemon tools and it boots.
October 24th, 2009 01:07
Worked awesome for my Win741 student email purchase. Really saved me like $17 from having to buy from Microsoft.
October 24th, 2009 00:32
are these windows 7 links working or just fake
October 24th, 2009 00:14
For those who are requesting the oscdimg.exe file, download link below:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XG1G9J79
October 23rd, 2009 23:54
The procedure documented in this post (as of the evening of 10/22 PST) worked perfectly for me. I did this from the Win7 Beta (build 7100). Thanks!
October 23rd, 2009 22:56
The link to OSCDImage.exe is broken. Please upload it again.
October 23rd, 2009 22:13
Hi,
do not use “oscdimg.exe” but “cdimage.exe” instead (version 2.52). The second works better. I use it as follow:
cdimage -lWIN7P_EN_DVD -m -u2 -bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com c:\expandedSetup\ c:\win7pro-x86.iso
Hope it help.
P.S.
Sorry for my baaaaad english.
October 23rd, 2009 20:46
Once you have the expanded files, would it not be possible to use something like ImgBurn and create a bootable DVD direct from the files (rather than creating an ISO using oscdimg)?
October 23rd, 2009 19:03
Hi, unfortunately, the oscdimg.exe file is not reachable by the link above.Could smb give a nrew one? And also, what about the crack/activator?
Thank you in a advance.
October 23rd, 2009 14:59
I did all that but nothing happens, it just start a new command line. and no iso file is created. I could not run under admin cuz I never setup an admin password and it would not let me run under admin without one.
Thanks
October 23rd, 2009 12:23
Thanks, Brian! That got it to work. This has been the most frustrating ordeal.
October 23rd, 2009 12:11
If you just buy from Microsoft Store directly (http://store.microsoft.com) they offer ISOs as a download option. No ridiculous hoops to jump through… they even have a tool to create bootable DVD or USB Keys from the ISO.
October 23rd, 2009 12:04
[...] in order to fix the Windows 7 installation issue, users can make a bootable Windows 7 ISO image with the “expandedSetup” folder. The installation of Windows 7, either upgrade or custom, can be started by mounting the ISO image [...]
October 23rd, 2009 11:51
To ALL,
Here is the CORRECT SYNTAX:
oscdimg -bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h -u2 -m -lWIN_EN_DVD C:\expandedSetup\ C:\win7.iso
The following page may also be of interest:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itproinstall/thread/62675a69-2a19-4695-8c8d-8a83be589708
October 23rd, 2009 11:37
The oscdimg instructions seem to be lying – it only works for me when I put the options AFTER the source and destination. I also had to add the “-m” option and move the “-u2″ option to the end.
October 23rd, 2009 06:15
im getting this error message
Scanning source tree
ERROR: Failure enumerating files in directory “C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ûBC:\USERS\username\DESKTOP\WIN7\EXPANDEDSETUP\BOOT\ETFSBOOT.COM\”
Error 123: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
i did it just like above but didnt copy it to c:\ but i changed the places in the command line appropriately
please help
October 23rd, 2009 05:40
I don’t even get a choice to unblock the file in my version of XP. I wish someone would just put up a link to the finished ISO.
October 23rd, 2009 04:49
What worked for me:
oscdimg.exe –bC:\expandedSetup\boot\bootsect.exe –u2 –h C:\expandedSetup C:\Win7.iso
October 23rd, 2009 04:44
That command line did not work for me with Windows 7 64bit. The etfsboot.com file is not present so I replaced it with what was – bootsect.exe and it worked. I have not tried booting on my new ISO but when I open it in UltraISO it does say ‘Bootable UDF’.
October 23rd, 2009 03:30
What build version is this Win7 Final? Is it the same as RTM or not?
October 23rd, 2009 02:53
[...] there is hack to create or make bootable Windows 7 DVD ISO images out of downloaded [...]