Windows 7 Question about making your own Widows Disk?

[OldTimer]

Abacus?
I learned to count, add and subtract on one of those when I was five.
My mom was great at tricking me into actually learning something from my toys.

There is one drawback to having a backup copy of your windows install, like a Ghost Backup and not an Install CD......
That is, that it will only work on that one PC. But for most of us, that's ok.

Ghost on CD or DVD? That must be a pretty late version. From the original release, in ~1997, to version 11.5 Ghost has been a DOS version which can be run from floppies and/or a Flash Drive. Ghost 11.5 is the oldest version that will backup and Restore Vista or W-7.
Actually, Ghost 11.5 is just a little too big to fit on a single floppy disk. There is also an 11.5 version "Ghost32.exe" that runs in Windows and a Ghost Explorer 11.5 which allows you to open up any Ghost backup to restore a single file or folder.
One Symantec expert that assisted in the original Ghost version, denies that Ghost 11.5 even exists. Go figure.

My friend and Computer Guru tells me that Ghost 11.5 backs up and restores Linux just fine. I've had no way to test that.

To Clifford and NMSUK,
There is a DVD, in the wild, that has all the Windows 7 versions on it, + SP1 and it does provide a menu from which you can pick the version you want to install. You still need a key to legitimize it though.
JFYI

 

[nmsuk]

I do have such a disk for every 64 bit edition and another for every 32 bit edition. This however requires editing the install media and removing a file that tells the DVD which edition to install. After removing the file, Windows will then ask which edition you want installed.

I dare not say anymore until I know, it will not be against forum policy to edit Windows install disk. You still need an activation code so its not as if you are pirating Windows. And you still need to install the correct edition for the activation code that you have.

I'm not positive, but non SP1 codes may require non SP1 installs in order to activate. I have not had a chance to verify a SP1 install and a non SP1 key for activation.

A legitimate Windows 7 RTM Key will work with a SP1 retail disc. For awhile now I've been creating custom windows 7 discs with all the latest updates pre installed. You can use an app call RT7Lite to modify your disc to include service packs, updates and drivers. You can also use it to create unattended installs. You can also use the windows automated installation Kit to achieve the same result. RT7 is just easier as it gives you a gui to play with and does all the hard work for you.

NmsUK

 

[Joe S]

I've experimented with the RT7Lite also. I like to have an up to date disk in case I need to do a repair install. XP was picky if your disk was very far out of date with Windows updates. The one thing to be careful with using RT7Lite is removing Windows features. A lot of people had problems with that in XP using NLite. Things are more interconnected than people realize. It's always a good idea to test the disk on a VM before actually using it for a real install.
Joe

 

[Elmer]

Thanks to some mentoring from nmsuk (cheers Rich!) I now have an install .iso disc/usb of my Home Premium x64 set up, upgraded to SP1 and fully updated to the end of August '11, and where all these small, but important, programs that I always install (but which are a pain to do so!) are now pre-installed.

Adobe Reader 64bit Fixes
Alternative Flash Player Auto-Updater
Attribute Manager
Auto Clicker v1.1
Better File Rename
Beyond Compare
CCleaner
Classic Shell
ColorCache
Debugging Tools for Windows
Desktop Restore
Duplicate Finder
DVDFab Virtual Drive
HDDled Indicator
IconViewer
ImgBurn
Installed Program Printer 1.5.0
JGsoft EditPad Pro 6
Locate 32
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
Microsoft .Net Framework 4 Client Profile
Microsoft .Net Framework 4 Extended
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x86
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x64
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x64 Redistributable
MysticThumbs v1.98
PNGOUTWin 1.0
Quick SFV
Remove Empty Directories 2.1
Restorator 2007
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile (KB2478663)
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile (KB2518870)
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile (KB2539636)
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended (KB2416472)
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended (KB2487367)
SK Time Stamp
SpeedFan
Total Uninstall
Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile (KB2468871)
Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile (KB2473228)
Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile (KB2533523)
Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended (KB2468871)
Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended (KB2533523)
Windows Style Builder
WinPatrol
WinRAR 4.00 64bit

I found with some programs I couldn't install them as the passwords are "user specific" but all the above have been installed for all users and are showing up and running just fine in a test Virtual Machine after setting up an account with my user name. This lot will just about fit on a standard DVD although I'm using a usb flash drive (quicker installation!).

Truth will tell when I load it up for real!!

 

[Joe S]

Elmer
Did you test the finished disk on a VM? VMware Player is free VMware Player: Run Windows 7, Chrome OS - Free Download for a Virtual PC . And now you can create the VM with it earlier versions wouldn't create it just play it.
Joe

 

[Elmer]

@Joe, Yes, tested in a VM (Well, VirtualBox really), only issue I have found is many of my reg hacks don't seem to have taken hold. That's no hardship with the command I've written to run them all at first boot though. Time to update the WIM file!! (Or just manually run the command first time machine runs)

 

[Elmer]

As an update to my post with the long list of extras added.

In a fit of boredom, I thought I'd try it out for real. All went well except (for me I'll add) when the install completed, I had an error that dotNET 4 had not installed properly and to not turn off my PC until the situation was remedied.

Well, to be honest, the time I waited for the situation to be remedied was about as long as actually installing dotNET 4, so I think I'll be removing that from the All-In-One install iso. Just a heads up, but it could well be just me!!

 

[Joe S]

That is a problem with adding and removing things in these customized disks. I settle for a clean up to date disk with just the Windows updates. I tinkered with this for several years in XP. The people that had the most problems were the ones adding and removing a lot of things. Maybe the VMware Player would be better for testing. I used to use VirtualBox and I think it did skip some things not supported. Where did you get your MS updates? I found a link on MSFN forums for software that will download the critical updates instead of searching them out yourself.
Joe

 

[Elmer]

Where did you get your MS updates? I found a link on MSFN forums for software that will download the critical updates instead of searching them out yourself.
Joe

If you're talking about the Windows Update Downloader, then that's the tool I used . I actually used to use that a lot when on XP and just assumed it would no longer be current. How (luckily) wrong I was! A cracking little prog!

I did also make an "initial" iso file, as you say, with just the important Windows updates added. Think that will be the way to go, but I enjoyed tinkering about!

 

[cliffordcooley]

If you're talking about the Windows Update Downloader, then that's the tool I used .

I'm checking that tool out now and don't see a Windows 7 ULs file.

 

[Joe S]

I think this what you are looking for Post-SP1 updates for Windows 7 (Updated 02/09/2011) - MSFN Forum These are the updated files.
Joe