Windows install DVD - how to create?

Forums › Microsoft Windows › Windows install DVD - how to create?

quickymart

13974 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#202089 16-Sep-2016 10:58

Morning,

I'm trying to reinstall my laptop with a new SSD. Previously it had Windows Vista on it (yes, I know, old school) but it worked just fine and all my applications worked well too.

Upon installing the SSD, I've found my DVD's created using the HP facility are not being read anymore and have probably died. I need to get Vista back on there, but how? The laptop was pre-installed with Vista. HP have said they don't have DVD's for it anymore.

I have an .iso file of 32 bit Vista (no other files) however and the full version of Nero 9. Is there any way I can use this to create a bootable DVD to allow reinstalling? Most of the documentation I've looked at says a .com file is required as the boot image file - but I don't have this.

Any help greatly appreciated, thanks.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

7304 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1631621 16-Sep-2016 11:02

Traditionally https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool

And enter your key. But as its an OEM you'll need to find a source for the OEM Vista prem/home install media ISO that the key will then work for and make a USB with that or how you please

gzt

17160 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1631623 16-Sep-2016 11:04

Yes if you have the iso it already contains the boot sector. Nero can use the iso image to create a DVD. Function will be called 'create DVD from iso' or 'burn DVD from iso'. Something like that.

quickymart

13974 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1631651 16-Sep-2016 11:47

I tried that in Nero but it wouldn't go any further without the .com file (I was following this tutorial):

http://www.windowsvalley.com/how-to-create-windows-7-bootable-dvd-using-nero/

As an aside, I found that just copying the .iso file to a blank DVD doesn't make it bootable :(

chillr

32 posts

Geek

#1631660 16-Sep-2016 11:55

Nero shouldn't be prompting for a .com file if you have a valid iso image. Are you using the 'Burn Image' option?

zespri

416 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1631700 16-Sep-2016 12:31

I'd like to re-iterate what Oblivian said, making a bootable USB is probably most practical. It's likely that you won't get it working the first time around, so burning through dvd feels wasteful.
I would not mess with DVDs and would try an USB install instead.

Microsoft started officially supporting bootable usb OS installers starting with Windows 7 and that was after Windows Vista, so the tool that Oblivian linked might not work for Vista (it will run on vista but might not be able to produce correct image).

However there are a number of other tools that claim to work. Here is the list of some of them that I used with success (note, I have not used Vista, so YMMV, but I do believe, that it could be quite possible to achieve what you want to achieve)

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ - Don't worry about this one, it's older and mostly for Linux, not for Windows, putting it here for future reference, not really applicable to you.
https://unetbootin.github.io/ - Same as above
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/ - This one claims to support Vista images. I used this one many times, and every time it did what it says on the tin
https://rufus.akeo.ie/ - another extremely stable and useful tool, also used it many times with success

Try the last two and see if you have any success - I think that should be quite doable.

Finally here is a link that I googled - it appears to be relevant to what you are trying to do

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/301852-vista-iso-download-create-installation-dvd-usb.html

Finally, the old nero tutorials, I would not rely upon them heavily. Back then making a bootable USB from an iso was not largely solved problem yet, that's why you see all this tweaking with the com file, etc.

Today, the tools above should "just work".

If you still prefer to go the Nero route, then mount your iso image and find the com file inside. Don't forget to unmount before burning it.

Oblivian

7304 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1631710 16-Sep-2016 12:43

Good point. I didn't think of that.

Pretty sure its just the name however. As a vista ISO is bootable for stamping to DVD, the tool usually just formats a USB stick with bootsector change to emulate USB-HDD (which you can manually do with rufus) and dumps the contents.

richms

28198 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1631762 16-Sep-2016 13:48

I remember having huge problems doing a vista reinstall back when I was still using optical discs - its one of the things that drove me to start using a USB stick for everything.

Richard rich.ms

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

quickymart

13974 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1631768 16-Sep-2016 13:54

chillr:

Nero shouldn't be prompting for a .com file if you have a valid iso image. Are you using the 'Burn Image' option?

This is the setting I was using:

quickymart

13974 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1631797 16-Sep-2016 14:30

Am I doing it wrong? I pointed it to the location of the ISO file and it burned it to the DVD, but it's not bootable.

yitz

2083 posts

Uber Geek

#1631800 16-Sep-2016 14:38

It might be easier to just click on Nero Express then choose this option

venomio

178 posts

Master Geek

#1631802 16-Sep-2016 14:39

That's a new compilation. That's not what you're looking for. You want to straight burn the .ISO to to a disc.

Just to make it easier, get ImgBurn (free) and use the 'Write image file to disc' option:

chillr

32 posts

Geek

#1631810 16-Sep-2016 14:48

If the iso is bootable then you are doing it wrong and should be using the 'Burn Image' option as per my previous post.

yitz

2083 posts

Uber Geek

#1631811 16-Sep-2016 14:50

If you do have a 4 GB USB flashdrive then as above I would highly recommend you use that option.

Just copy all the files over from your ISO to the flash drive (NTFS formatted), then run X:\boot\bootsect /force /nt60 Y:

where
X: is your ISO source
Y: is the volume letter for your USB flash drive.

....don't get the letter wrong (or exclude it) for your USB flash drive

richms

28198 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1631816 16-Sep-2016 15:05

Just be aware that a stick made that way will only legacy boot, Not sure if that was a problem with vista or not, but if your machine is set to UEFI boot only then it may be the source of the not booting problem.

Do computers from that era have UEFI only? I was really only worried about removing vista and putting XP on them when vista was on new computers.

Richard rich.ms

yitz

2083 posts

Uber Geek

#1631826 16-Sep-2016 15:24

On laptops you might have to tap 'F2 to select boot device' or similar.

Haven't come across Vista laptops configured for UEFI boot from factory myself.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4