For those who have bought a student copy of Windows 7

Here is a little guide on how to extract an ISO image of Windows 7 that you purchased on the student offer. This will be bootable and finally you can install 7 64-bit.

1 - Download Windows 7, it should give you 3 files. (Win7etc.exe, setup1.box, and setup2.box)

2 - Put the files (the 2 .box files and the .exe file) onto the desktop.

3 - Run the .exe file and a new folder should appear on the desktop called "expandedSetup"

4 - Download and unzip oscdimg.exe (I have now uploaded it at the bottom) and put it in C:\Windows\system32.

5 - Run command prompt.

6 - Type in :-
"Oscdimg.exe -u2 -bC:\Users\*your user name*\Desktop\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h C:\Users\*your user name*\Desktop\expandedSetup C:\WIN7.ISO"
Don't type the speech marks and do NOT copy and paste this, TYPE IT!

7 -It should make an ISO image of Windows 7.

8 - Download ImgBurn (you can use whatever software you like) and burn it to a disc.

Done!

Hope this helps!

Benjamin.

P.S. +Rep if this helped you!

.

 

what? i thought it was an iso to start with...

 

That's is the whole point of this thread. The download is not an iso. Look at other threads regarding this. MS does something stupid to prevent unauthorized copying again.

 

I typed this damn cmd so many time and it wont work, it keeps saying "error could not open boot sector file"

 

what exactly have you typed in cmd, copy it and post it here...

also put up a screenshot for me to see.

 

You mean I could have saved $15 bucks?

EDIT: This process turns the ISO into a "Full version" it seems.

 

I changed oscdimg.exe to oscdimg and it worked like a charm

 

Ok heres a screen shoot, all typed in like the above.

Oscdimg.exe -u2 -bC:\Users\James B*****\Desktop\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h C:\Users\James B****\Desktop\expandedSetup C:\WIN7.ISO

 

If you have a space in your user name, that's a problem. Putting the file paths in quotes might work:
-b"C:\Users\Spaces Bad\Desktop\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com" etc

 

Can anyone upload the file for the ISO instructions somewhere else? Windows7forums is not loading up here. Thank you.

 

The complete ISO instructions are in Post 1 of this thread. If there is something you don't understand let us know.

 

This:

The site is down so I can't download the "this" above.

 

Cant get the downloadable file either from windows7forums. can someone either upload it or post another link for it? Thanks!

 

If you have a USB drive (4GB) installing from the USB drive is the way to go. Just copy the files in the "expandedsetup" folder to the USB and add boot sector (explained in my thread).

 

Alright. Let me go hunt that thread down then. Btw, I have read that installing via USB is faster, haven't tried though.

 

As brianstretch said, its the space in your user name.
Change your command as follows (pay attention to the quote marks and enter them):

Oscdimg.exe -u2 -b"C:\Users\James B*****\Desktop\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com" -h "C:\Users\James B****\Desktop\expandedSetup" C:\WIN7.ISO

 

I uploaded another copy of oscdimg.zip. I'm pretty sure it's the same one. My copy of W7 upgrade is downloading right now, so I can't verify it myself yet. It did come from another forum discussing the same topic for another edition of Windows, so it should be right.

 

You can also download the oscdimg.exe file from here:

Link deleted, I discovered it was a very old version of the oscdimg.exe file.

Use the attached version in post 17 above.

 

Hey nice guide ! Ill try that! I just got windows 7 from my university! I paid $400 pesos that translates to: $30 dollars Im more than happy!.

 

I keep getting the same error no matter how I type it, Access not valid, here's a pic of what I'm typing.

 

thank you fattail95! it worked excellent. the only thing I changed was instead of C:WIN7.ISO at the end I changed it to C:\Users\*user name*\Desktop\WIN7.ISO so the image file would be placed on my desktop at the end.

 

Although it may not make a difference, download the Oscdimg.exe file from post 1 or post 17. The link I posted had a very old version of the file, sorry. I recognized it when your image showed oscdimg 2.45, the other file is 2.54.

Also make sure you open and run the command prompt as administrator, it may make a difference in case you didn't. Other than that I can't see why it won't create the c:\win7.iso file, everything else is as it should be.

 

bro to fix that you have to run cmd prompt as administrator
thats what was happening to me

 

I have exactly the same issue. Access denied, and I am running it as Adminsitrator.
But my access denied is to do with deleting existing file.

 

It is not the same issue then. Explain in more detail.

 

Yeah sorry, I typed that before I looked at his image. Then when I edited it, forgot to remove the beginning sentence.

I'm going to try using the USB to boot.

It gave me an error about being unable to delete existing file, and I wondered perhaps if that was to do with the folder being read-only. However, everytime I tried to make it non-read-only, it just re configured itself straight after.

 

I will confirm that the quotation marks will fix your problem (if you have space in the username).

Just want to confirm:

The process is writing 874 files in 201 directories (as indicated in cmd) to the iso file?

 

Mine shows "Scanning source tree complete (874 files in 200 directories)"

I would assume that what you are getting is correct as long as it writes the ISO file.

 

just to clarify-- this procedure is so that we can create a bootable disc of windows 7?

 

Yes, a bootable disc of the Windows 7 Upgrade as downloaded and expanded from Microsoft.

 

i'm in the process of downloading my copy now, does this mean i have to go thru all those steps?

cant i just use a software to burn it onto a dvd like nero or alcohol?

or is it possible to copy all the files to a USB key and install from there?

 

Wow I was getting SO FRUSTRATED...thank God I found this thread. This forum is a life saver I swear!

It is says that it's "writing 874 files in 200 directories to C:\WIN7.ISO"

That sounds like it's working. Just wanted to make sure that I've got that all right

 

Wow that was quick...it says

100% Complete

Final Image File is 3244328960 bytes

Done.

 

Ok, here is my problem.

I type in:

Oscdimg.exe -u2 -bC:\Users\spencer\Desktop\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h C:\Users\spencer\Desktop\expandedSetup C:\WIN7.ISO

When I do this it says :

Error 3: The system cannot find the path specified.

I have made sure everything is where it should be and that it is all spelled correctly. Any Ideas?

 

^^^I was reading on another forum that some computers or something may not have the "etfsboot" command or something. Forgive me I'm not to literate on computer terminology but some other forum user was saying how that command may not work because it may not be found on all computers. He also mentioned something about compatibility with iso's but I really wasn't paying attention.

Mine worked though. Just working to get the wireless component up and running. And if that goes well I'll go ahead and install the Windows 7 Home Premium I got for my mom.

Hopefully you'll figure it out.

 

Added oscdimg.exe to the initial guide!

Thanks.

 

Did you perform steps 1 thru 3 in the first post? Do you have the expandedSetup folder on your desktop?

Are you trying to run from Vista or XP? The paths in the instructions were meant for Vista.

Do a properties on the expandedSetup folder and verify that the pathname is the same as you are entering including your username.

Does your expandedSetup folder contain the boot folder and etfsboot.com file?

 

Works perfectly. Just wanted to install Vista and then 7.

It saved me a lot of time.

Thanks.

 

Hey wanan post it here not to start aother new thread, hope it's ok:

K, can someone give me few answers here:

I run win XP 32bit before and bought 64 bit win7 using student program. I formated XP to get rid of all junk and installed it from scratch then followed the guide here to burn win7 onto a disk http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/30470-make-bootable-iso-student-d-l.html#post320334
So I got to this point in installer :

but since it's supposed to be upgrade I pressed on the upgrade and this came out:

so, i went back and clicked custom to get me to this window next:

I see 2 partition spaces one called primary, second called logical, well I thought primary for sure, but u can't do anything here and if u click on windows cannot be installed..below.....u get this message:

so I click the logical partition to get this message:

everything installs fine, works like a charm, here's my computer:



So now I restart computer and bam:

I'm suprised, I try to click Windows Vista to see what will happen and here's what I get:

I have to click win7 to go into windows that was just instlled.
Everything's fine and my question is did I take all the neccessary steps in install and why am I getting this choice on computer startup ? did I install some dual boot ?
sorry for long post, just wanna make it easy to read and show my steps.

 

Thanks for posting OP

QUESTION, is there any difference between your tutorial and this one? this one seems simpler to perform (just goto imgburn and create disk)

does the method posted here produce the same disk, or is there some sort of difference?

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=11194

 

yes, it is exactly the same, only windows 7 instead of vista!

hope this helps!

Benjamin

 

Does anyone know what to do when this happens?

I've read about it, I think I can still do a clean install, but I'm wondering if this error sort of misses out on files that needed to be extracted. Because I don't want to attempt to do the clean install and brick my laptop lol.

cheers.

EDIT: Okay well apparently it doesn't miss extracting a file, and you can continue with the steps the OP posted. Not sure but I guess I'll try.. o.o

 

For 64 bit version u need to change the path to c:\expandedSetup\boot\bootsect

32 version is c:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot

This aplies when u copied the expandedSetup folder into C:\ ofc

 

Also make sure that you guys are running the command prompt in administrator mode. (Right-click on it and run as Administrator)

The steps worked for me, I'm burning my ISO right now!

 

On a forum I'm a member it was posted this AM that they are giving a full refund to the students for this mess.

Cllick on link below

purchased Windows 7 from Digital River

 

That happened to me too, but I was still able to unpack the boxes and burn & create the bootable ISO. I don't know what's going on...

 

I didn't do this, and it worked for me... Haven't installed it yet though, will there be a problem?

Thanks

Ben

 

Don't have my copy yet, but has anyone made a USB bootable Win 7 disk? I found this in another thread, so I hope it works:

http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool

 

I just saw that, but I didn't use it to my an installable USB, I used the instructions from here: http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7vista-from-usb-drive-detailed-100-working-guide/
It worked well for me so far as installing.

 

Did anyone else get the email today? the one telling you of the refund?