Hi to everyone here at msfn! I am new in town and even newer to working with windows at the command level!

I have promissed my girlfriend that I will fix her computer - which I am sure I can with your help!

I have been using Linux for some time and am quite familiar with working from the command line in Linux. My girlfriends computer keeps crashing and and she appears to have lost her Vista Ultimate DVD, so I can't even do a reinstall for her!!

I had had the sense to create a second partition on her computer - where I copied the contents of her Vista Ultimate!! So I have the files to recreate the boot dvd!

The other little problem is that her dvd burner is on the blink, so I need to create a bootable iso and transfer it to my computer and burn it under Linux.

The files are at present in a directory called Vista on her second partition which is designated with the letter E.

Can anyone lead me through the process of creating the iso image which I can burn with nero or K3b in Linux.

Sorry to start a new thread, just wanted to get this sorted out as soon as possible - she is driving me crazy!!


Thanks for listening!

bookie32

Use vLite to create bootable ISO
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=153

Hi etso, thanks for the tip but it didn't work! Tried both versions, burned several different copies but had the same fault on booting from dvd:



Tried the different versions on different computers - had same result!1

Thanks for trying.

bookie32

Run this cmd

if you have WAIK or replace oscdimg.exe with CDIMAGE.EXE and use the etfsboot.com from your vistaDVDx86\boot\ folder

For more look here

Hi Mercury_22, I appreciate you stopping by!! Sorry to say I can't really follow your instructions?

I haven't installed WAIK but I can! About running the code, how will that help. I do work from the command line with Linux but not at a very high level - still learning!

Like I said - my girlfriend's computer is playing up and it definitely calls for the easy route of doing a reinstall. I have a copy of Vista's files on her computer and on my Linux. I thought it would be a case of using nero and making a bootable iso that way! Unfortunately, nero complains about the size?

I don't mind following your advice if you could explain in a little more detail what I should do.

Please don't give up on me - just need it in black and white and id*** proof ( me being the id*** of course).

bookie32

OK ! but just to be clear please tell me:
1 - on which OS / computer are you planning to create and burn the ISO file ? linux or windows?
2 - when you're saying "Vista's files" you mean the files from vista's dvd or the files from C:\ drive of your girlfriend's computer ?

If it's a copy of the installed Vista and since your a Linux guy how about booting a Linux live CD, wiping the first drive and copying the backup files to the first drive.

Hi jaws75, thanks for stopping by! I do appreciate what your saying - just want to create the bootable iso first.

I can then transfer the iso to may server for safe keeping.

bookie32

Hi Mercury_22, I owe you an apology!! I missed your second post! I saw what jaws75 had written but not yours?!

I do, however, appreciate you taking the time to help me!

OK when my girlfriend got Vista Ultimate I was worried about how careless she is, so I put her original disk in the cd rom drive and copied the contents to the second partition E and just saved them in a directory called Vista. I can create the bootable .iso on Linux or Vista. I have the same copy on my linux computer.

I have found the info on creating a bootable Windows DVD .iso or UDF on Linux to be a bit over complicated!

My girlfriend's computer has some sort of bug which is causing all sorts of problems. I suspect spyware! To top it all there came a blue up a blue screen!

I have managed to save all her important files and thought a clean install would be the best bet!

I can copy the Vista directory to the C drive if necessary. Just want to get this done before Vista gives up on me!

I would really like to create a bootable Vista Ultimate from the copy I have!

I could have copied the Vista Ultimate in the beginning with MagicIso directly from the DVD keeping it as a bootable DVD!! Didn't know about such programs as MagicIso, so I just did a normal copy!!

Can't burn the bootable image on the Windows computer (dvd burner on the blink), but can transfer to my Linux computer through my home networkand burn it form Linux.

Sorry, just one more thing! I have installed WAIK but found it quite daunting!

bookie32

Ok! So you're gone do this on your girlfriend computer where as i understend you have installed WAIK and all the files from vista's DVD it's on E:\ Vista ! Right ? Also, it's vista x86 ?

Well if all of above are correct then all you have to do it's to copy the code below to notepad and then save that notepad as Vista.bat anywhere you like and execute it !



Then transfer Image.iso to yor linux and burn it!

Let me know if you succeed !

Hi Mercury_22, thanks for getting back to me! Wish I could say problem solved - but as you might have guessed by my tone - nada!

OK! I installed notepad and saved you code as a bat file and called it Vista.bat. I tried to execute it and there was a flash on the screen and - nada!

I then copied the code and ran it my self. The following is a print out of the "run":





I hope that makes sense to you?

Think you should set an example!! Babies shouldn't smoke! It could seriously stunt their development


bookie32

It's E:\Vista not E:\ Vista There is no space between E:\ and Vista
Where E:\Vista it's the path to your vista files (I hope )

Sorry! It was my fault, when i've modified the code above i've typed a space by mistake

No problems, we all make mistakes !!

Still getting an error code although a little different now!




Just not going our way is it!!


Probably not important? I checked the Vista file for size and it was 4 664 107 512, 1882 files, and 264 directories - which doesn't tally with the above?

bookie32

Bookie- Did you make sure you have more than 4.5GB on C to store the image on. I usuall get the above message when there is not enough space to creat the image.

Hi phkninja, do you know what - as you say that, I am wondering myself if I have over stretched that hard drive. I don't think that is the case because I have a 250 GB hard drive for Windows and I only divided it up into 2 partitions. I will check later today when my girlfriend is about.

Thanks for the suggestion! Wouldn't be the first time one has made that mistake!!

bookie32

Hi again, just a little update to say that I have about 50GB spare on that hard drive, so I think I have enough room!



bookie

You need to run Vista.bat as administrator !

Please use the built-in ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT ! (Linux root account ) to avoid any problems !

That was my next port of call after the space requirement.

As mercury said check you are in admin mode before trying to create the image, as you know from Linux if you dont have the right permissions you cant do anything. The same is also true for Vista, MS has made it d**n impossible to do anything without logging into the admin account on vista.

Hi guys, thanks for the info! I have been a little busy of late - but promise to update you as soon as I get the time to read about how one works as administrator in Vista.

I don't want to run the risk of locking myself out - that's if I want to live that is!!

Be in touch soon!

bookie32

Just Right click on Vista.bat and select Run as Administrator ! (= sudo )
Or to enable the built-in ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT right click on computer select "manage" then select "Local Users and Groups" then "Users" double click "Administrator" or right click on it and select "Properties" then uncheck "Account is disabled"
And now you can log off and log in as "built-in ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT" (= root )

Hi again, sorry to take so long to get back to you.!! Been a little out of it the last couple of days.

Thanks for the info on becoming Administrator. I really was going to read up about it!! Didn't expect you to tell me that as well.

Very grateful!

Well, I am glad to say that a bootable Dvd was created and it works!

I am very impressed with the service here at msfn

I would like a little advice on reading matter on Vista, XP etc. I would really like to get into this from the ground level and work my way up. Not saying I will ever get to knowing what you guys do - but I can familiarize myself a little more!

I would like to understand the WAIK tool a little better. Perhaps you know of good reading material on that as well? Tried to follow the general instructions and got a bit lost. Are there online books etc?

I can't promise that I will be here often, but I know I will have some questions from time to time.

Thinking of which - can you make a boot copy of XP in the same way as Vista?


Here's a funny thing! I was copying the iso image to another computer with Winscp and all of a sudden it hung itself?! Never done that before. Thanks to the reminder from phkninja about having enough space - I checked my work computer (play computer) and you've guessed it - not enough room!

I cleared a little space and restarted Winscp - which resumed transfer!

Thanks again for all your help!

Think I'm going to enjoy it here

bookie32

I'm glad it's solved !

If you "really like to get into this from" a MUST READ before anything else it's this !

Thanks for the link Mercury_22. I will definitely give that a read. Not saying I will understand everything - but one has to start some where doesn't one?

Thanks again for all your help


bookie32