How To Make A Bootable Iso Image Of A Windows 7 Disc

I have a windows 7 ultimate retail DVD that I have installed on my pc. About a week back, I felt that my pc was very buggy and fixing the registry and other common repairs didn't help so I thought its best to make a fresh install of the windows. I normally use my laptop's dvd drive to install windows but unfortunately, the drive on my laptop stopped working. Maybe it was because I haven't used it for quite a long time. The solution that directly came into my mind was: installtion from usb...I know how the procedure works, but I had never done it previously. The theory was that I would use my friend's computer to make an iso image of the windows 7 disk. Then I would use the "microsft windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool" to create a USB intaller. And then I would install the OS from USB.However, the procedure failed in its first step. When I created the ISO image, it was a non-bootable image. I used Power ISO for the purpose. I tried to do find some way of fixing this but was unable to...So how does one create a bootable iso image of a windows 7 disc.

I have a windows 7 ultimate retail DVD that I have installed on my pc. About a week back, I felt that my pc was very buggy and fixing the registry and other common repairs didn't help so I thought its best to make a fresh install of the windows. I normally use my laptop's dvd drive to install windows but unfortunately, the drive on my laptop stopped working. Maybe it was because I haven't used it for quite a long time. The solution that directly came into my mind was: installtion from usb...
I know how the procedure works, but I had never done it previously. The theory was that I would use my friend's computer to make an iso image of the windows 7 disk. Then I would use the "microsft windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool" to create a USB intaller. And then I would install the OS from USB.

However, the procedure failed in its first step. When I created the ISO image, it was a non-bootable image. I used Power ISO for the purpose. I tried to do find some way of fixing this but was unable to...

So how does one create a bootable iso image of a windows 7 disc.

have you tried wintoflash? I've used it for Windows XP but maybe it will work on Win7 as well

http://wintoflash.com/download/en/

have you tried wintoflash? I've used it for Windows XP but maybe it will work on Win7 as well
http://wintoflash.com/download/en/

Yes I gave it a try. Unlike "Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool", it did successfully create the usb, but the USB was not bootable. I couldn't start the setup process using it. So the solution wasn't functional...

ok... i've read some positive outcomes online on a lot of attempts

ok... i've read some positive outcomes online on a lot of attempts

So do you have any suggestion for me?

When I use the "Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool" to create a usb from a downloaded (pirated) .iso image of windows 7, it works. However when I create an iso of my original windows 7 disk, it doesn't work... The question I have in mind is how are these .iso images created. There must be something I am doing wrong while creating the iso image...

I don't want to install a pirated OS on my computer and I badly need to get this to work..
Edited September 12, 2012 by Ahsaniqbal111 (see edit history)

So do you have any suggestion for me?When I use the "Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool" to create a usb from a downloaded (pirated) .iso image of windows 7, it works. However when I create an iso of my original windows 7 disk, it doesn't work... The question I have in mind is how are these .iso images created. There must be something I am doing wrong while creating the iso image...
I don't want to install a pirated OS on my computer and I badly need to get this to work..

That's probably the main problem.
The "Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool" is given to work with the iso file downloaded from the Microsoft Store.
If you didn't obtain the iso file from Microsoft, that's another problem.
A third problem is : how to create a working iso file from a DVD.
Some softwares on the market work correctly, and some other ones don't work. And of course, a working software can fail if used on a faulty DVD reader.
You can do a very simple test.
The iso file you obtained from your original CD, try burning it on rewritable DVD, and look if your PC can boot on it.
If the iso file you made is not able to create a bootable DVD, it will not be able to create a bootable USB!

By the way, there is another option : creating your bootable USB directly from the Microsoft DVD you purchased.

Wintoflash seems to do the job correctly, see http://wintoflash.com/home/en/

People here (http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ ) say that it works fine from a real DVD to a USB flashdisk.

 

And also here http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

is explained a very simple way how to do everything with standard Windows 7 commands : how to format your USB drive, make it bootable with the D:/BOOT/BOOTSECT.EXE utility on the DVD, and copy everything all files from your original DVD to the flashdrive

Of course, this uses very standard but also very dangerous commands. You know the "format" commands which is able to remove all your data, "diskpart" is another command you should be careful, "list disk" first and don't give the wrong disk when typing "select disk 1", "clean", "create partition" : if your USB is not "disk1", you lost a lot of useful things.

By the way, there is another option : creating your bootable USB directly from the Microsoft DVD you purchased.

Wintoflash seems to do the job correctly, see http://wintoflash.com/home/en/

People here (http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ ) say that it works fine from a real DVD to a USB flashdisk.

 

And also here http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

is explained a very simple way how to do everything with standard Windows 7 commands : how to format your USB drive, make it bootable with the D:/BOOT/BOOTSECT.EXE utility on the DVD, and copy everything all files from your original DVD to the flashdrive

Of course, this uses very standard but also very dangerous commands. You know the "format" commands which is able to remove all your data, "diskpart" is another command you should be careful, "list disk" first and don't give the wrong disk when typing "select disk 1", "clean", "create partition" : if your USB is not "disk1", you lost a lot of useful things.

 

Yip..... there's actually quite a lot of online threads on positive outcomes of attempting Win7 to USB using winflash... a quick google will reveal these...

Now I have started to figure out why the wintoflash utiltiy didn't work. Instead of providing the actual dvd as the source, I provided the faulty iso image (mounted onto a virtual drive) as the source. And as the image was faulty, there was no way it would have worked.I will try the wintoflash utility again correcting the above mistake and see what happens.However, my question of how to create bootable iso images of windows disk still remains unanswered. I certainly know that it is not impossible and there must be some way around.I haven't tried the more manual method posted by @yordan. The thing about these more manual methods is that they are difficult to start with but once you get yourself familiar with the procedure, it becomes super cool and super reliable. I would definitely give it a try but I am finding it very hard to find spare time these days............

However, my question of how to create bootable iso images of windows disk still remains unanswered.

Recently, I failed creating iso images several times.
Creating a bootable image is a good test for yor iso creating software. And also a test for your DVD reader. And also a test of the protections. Unfortunately, some manufacturers don't want you to dmuplate the DVD's you purchased, that's why sometimes they introduce in their DVD some features (like laser holes or precisely located bad tracs) which make the copy very difficult.
Only try/reject seems to be the best way. Now we have the starpoint info : seems that your version of Power ISO does not work on your hardware for creating bootable iso's off your Dodows7 DVD.

that's why sometimes they introduce in their DVD some features (like laser holes or precisely located bad tracs) which make the copy very difficult.

Thats new information for me. I did know that some companies try to make their dvds un-copyable but I didn't know how they do it...

Only try/reject seems to be the best way. Now we have the starpoint info : seems that your version of Power ISO does not work on your hardware for creating bootable iso's off your Dodows7 DVD.

What other options do I have other than powerISO. Can you name a good powerful software that has high chances of succeeding in my case....

You are inderctly asking how to copy a protected DVD.This kind of piracy how-to's are against our forum rules.If you need a Windows7 iso, you purchase it from Microsoft.If you want a new copy of the Windows7 DVD, you purchase it from Microsoft.Any other option is firbidden by international copyright conventions.

You are inderctly asking how to copy a protected DVD.This kind of piracy how-to's are against our forum rules.
If you need a Windows7 iso, you purchase it from Microsoft.
If you want a new copy of the Windows7 DVD, you purchase it from Microsoft.
Any other option is firbidden by international copyright conventions.

hmmmmm............

I was thinking that making an image of a DVD I paid for, for the sole purpose of installing onto my own system can never be illegal...

hmmmmm............
I was thinking that making an image of a DVD I paid for, for the sole purpose of installing onto my own system can never be illegal...

You buy one DVD for installing on one system.
If you want a spare copy, you ask Microsoft a spare copy.

i usually make a copy of my Windows DVDs as backup