HOWTO: Windows Vista x86 and x64 in the same DVD

[chon_]

Well, seeing how little information is around in the net about this topic and seeing there's some interest in this topic I decided to write this little guide to accomplish this task. Hope it helps.

chon's guide to Windows Vista x86 and x64 Versions in one DVD

NOTE: I'll be using my x64 and x86 MSDN DVDs, you can use the ones you have (retail, etc.), the procedure is the same.

1. Please download and install the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) from here

2. Please create a working folder with a structure similar to this. Obviously you can change folder names according to your needs In this case, i'll be using the following folder: D:\VistaAIO. My folder structure is as follows:

3. Now, copy all the contents of your x86 DVD to the distribuition folder, in this case D:\VistaAIO\Distribucion

4. Move the file named “install.wim†from D:\VistaAIO\Distribucion\Sources to D:\VistaAIO\x86

5. Copy the file named “install.wim†from the Sources folder of your x64 DVD to the folder D:\VistaAIO\x64

6. Delete al .clg files from your distribution folder (D:\VistaAIO\Distribucion)

7. Now, with admin rights, open the Windows PE Tools Command prompt (click in Start/All programs/Microsoft Windows AIK)

8. We change directory to our working folder:

 

CD D:\VistaAIO\Distribucion\Sources

9. OK, here's the tricky part. We are now about to export the images of each windows version to a single .WIM image file. The command to do this is IMAGEX.EXE. The syntax is as follows:

 

imagex /export SourceImageToExport.wim SourceNumber DestinationImageFile.wim "Name of the Operating System"

For example:

 

imagex /export D:\VistaAIO\x86\install.wim 1 .\install.wim "Windows Vista Business x86"
imagex /export D:\VistaAIO\x64\install.wim 1 .\install.wim "Windows Vista Business x64"

This is what the first line of code does: export Version 1 of the source image file named Install.wim located in the folder D:\VistaAIO\x86 to the destination image file named Install.wim located in D:\VistaAIO\Distribucion. The number 1 corresponds to the Business edition of Windows, take a look at the following table, for the SourceNumber and its corresponding Windows Edition:

 

Number	Windows Edition
1		   Business
2		   Home Basic
3		   Home Premium
4		   Ultimate
5		   Home Basic N
6		   Business N
7		   Starter

Thus, for example if we wanted to add the 64bit Ultimate version of Windows Vista to our newly created image we type the following command:

 

imagex /export D:\VistaAIO\x64\install.wim 4 .\install.wim "Windows Vista Ultimate x64"

Please note that we only changed the number 1 for the number 4 (wich corresponds to the Ultimate version) and the name we give to the Windows Edition, for this name you can type whatever you coinsider a descriptive name of the windows version, everything else in the syntax remains the same. You can add as many Windows Editions as you want this way.

If you have any doubts regarding the imagex command, you can type the following line in the command prompt at any time:

 

imagex /export /?

10. Now that we've created our .WIM image file, let's create our ISO image file to make it ready to burn it to a DVD. To do this, still in the Windows PE Tools command prompt window, we type:

 

oscdimg -n -bD:\VistaAIO\distribucion\boot\etfsboot.com D:\VistaAIO\distribucion D:\VISTA_AIO.iso -m

This will create an ISO file named VISTA_AIO.iso in D:\

11. We're almost done! We can now burn this image with our favorite burning software (Nero, alcohol. Etc).

That's all!!!

Hope you find it useful!

Let me know any comments/doubts

[batson0974]

I noticed the only file you say to export from the x64 dvd is the install.wim file. Is there a reason why you do not extract the x64 files to the AIO DVD, or was this an accident.

[chon_]

@batson0974

Yes, the procedure is correct.

All the files needed for setup are inside the .WIM files, remember that WIM stands for Windows Imaging Format, this is why you only need this file.

So, if you export from your x86 install.WIM file, you're exporting all the files needed for the x86 setup.

In the other hand, if you export from your install.wim file located in your x64 DVD, you are exporting the x64 needed files.

As for the other files on the DVD, (like boot sector, etc) are common in both DVDs.

Remember: what we're doing here is exporting from two image files(x86 and x64 Install.wim) to only one "big" install.wim file.

[orbit30]

Thanks chon_

Edited April 22, 2007 by orbit30

[chon_]

@orbit30

sorry, my mistake

There's an "extra" space in the code line, is now corrected, the correct syntax should be:

oscdimg -n -bD:\VistaAIO\distribucion\boot\etfsboot.com D:\VistaAIO\distribucion D:\VISTA_AIO.iso -m

Sorry for the inconvinience

[orbit30]

Thanks again orbit..

Edited April 24, 2007 by orbit30

[prtec]

can this support multi-language Vista in one DVD?

like: Vista 32/64 en and cht in 1 dvd

[prtec]

Windows could not set the offline locale information. Error Code: 0x80000001

when i do multi-language vista in 1 dvd ,it was got the fail

[tim427]

can this support multi-language Vista in one DVD?

like: Vista 32/64 en and cht in 1 dvd

I have made my custom install dvd .... I'm a dutch man, working in a computer shop... we build the computer self to sell... but some times a custommer wants a english version of vista and the most of the times a dutch version... and the 32 bit and then 64 bit...

7 editions x 2 BIT architecturs.. x2 languages... so i try to make a install dvd with 28 !!! versions !!! on DVD-9 or a install share at the server...

PS. Sorry for my bad english...

Edited May 26, 2007 by tim427

[gjs1992]

Hello,

I'm currently confused on:

1. What's the number for Enterprise Edition x86 and x64 of Vista

2. What does "N" mean?

Thanks.

~gjs1992

[Thauzar]

Look here for informations I just googled about the different vista builds.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/...ns/default.mspx

The N stands for the "light" version of vista which doesnt have WMP and maybe some other stuff. You don't want that, nobody want's it, they were just forced to do it by the EU else they would have [more] fines to pay.

[gjs1992]

Hello again,

Thanks for your help on the second question, but yet I can't gigure out the "Number" for the "Windows Edition" Enterprise.

Could you please help me?

And btw, how can I make them automatically activated when Windows is being Installed?

Thanks.

~gjs1992

[steviewonder]

Thanks, i wondered ho Winbeta did it.

[gjs1992]

BUMP!

Please answer my questions. Thanks.

~gjs1992

[gjs1992]

For god's sake, would anyone mind answering my questions?

~gjs1992