How to create a bootable Windows 8 installation DVD using the ESD folder

Step by Step series of instructions and screen shots on how to burn a bootable Windows 8 installation DVD. If you have a folder named C:\ESD on your disc drive you can use it to create a bootable Windows 8 installation or repair DVD.

This is especially useful if you forgot to choose the “Install by creating media option” when using the Upgrade Assistant to obtain Windows 8. One word of caution: If you are running a 32Bit version of Windows (XP, Vista or Windows 7) the Upgrade process will download the 32Bit version of the Windows 8 installation files as there is no means of selecting the 64Bit when using the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. The same is true if you running a 64Bit version as what you get is the 64Bit version of the installation files which are located in the ESD folder. Note: If you do not have an ESD folder you can re-download the upgrade using the Windows 8 product key you received in your Email confirmation. How to upgrade to Windows 8 with only a product key: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only Once the actual upgrade process starts you will be given the chance to select how you want the installation to proceed. 1) Install now 2) Install by creating media 3) Install later from your desktop Selecting either the "Install by creating media" or “Install later” option will create the necessary C:\ESD folder. At this point in time I’m not certain that the “Install now” option will create an ESD folder but it should. I will show you step by step how to use the contents of the ESD folder to create a bootable Windows 8 installation DVD. The screenshots below were taken from a computer running Windows 7 Professional 64Bit. Note that before starting I created an Image Backup of the entire disk drive and also disconnected the second drive in the computer. I then used option #3 “Install later from your desktop” as a means of creating the ESD folder and associated files and sub-folders.

1) Download and install ImgBurn:ImgBurn is a utility that can be used to create a bootable installation DVD from a specified source or to create an .ISO file from a specified source and later use the .ISO file to create a bootable installation DVD.
http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

2) Start ImgBurn and click on the ‘Write files/folders to disc’ option.

3) Click on the ‘Options’ tab and select the option shown in the screen shot. Warning: Do not select the ‘Preserve Full Pathnames’ or the ‘Include Archive Files Only’ options. Set the ‘File System’ to UDF.

4) Select the Source, use the Browse option: Navigate to C:\ESD\Windows\ Click on the ‘Windows’ subfolder and click on the ‘Select Folder’ button.

5) Select a Destination, which should default to your DVD burner: Note: The ‘Verify’ option should be checked.

6) Click on the ‘Advanced’ tab, click on the ‘Bootable Disc’ tab and place a checkmark in ‘Make Image Bootable’ option. Emulation should be set to ‘None’.

Next you need set the 'Boot Image' field to point to the 'etfsboot.com' file which is located in the C:\ESD\Windows\boot\ folder. Click on this file and then click on the ‘Open’ button.

In the Developer ID field enter: Microsoft Corporation. Finally change the ‘Sectors To Load’ value from 4 to 8.

Next, click on the ‘Restrictions’ tab and set the ‘Folder/File Name Length’ to ‘Level X – 219 characters’. Place check marks in the following: Allow more than 8 directories, Allow more than 255 Characters In Path, Allow files Without Extensions and Don’t Add -1 Version Number To Files’.

If you have not already done so, insert a blank high quality DVD+R media. Now select the ‘Device’ tab and set the ‘Write Speed’ to either 2 or 4x.

Start the process to burn the DVD

7) Start the process to burn the DVD. When you are warned “You’ve only selected 1 folder !” (C:\ESD\Windows\) click ‘Yes’ to continue.

8) Enter a meaningful “Volume Label” as shown below and click ‘Yes’.

9) ImgBurn will display the files and folders and other information about the DVD to be created. Note that the information displayed below may vary depending on which version of Windows you are upgrading from but should be an exact match of the properties for the contents of the C:\ESD\Windows folder.

Click ‘OK’ to start the process of burning a bootable Windows 8 installation DVD. 10) The progress bar is displayed. Time to create the DVD may vary based on the DVD write speed you selected. Using a 4x burn rate this should only take about 10 minutes (at 4x) to burn the DVD and another 4 minutes to verify the contents.

11) Completion status notice, also review the ImgBurn log for any errors, then exit ImgBurn.

12) Check the contents of the DVD that ImgBurn created.

That’s it, your done. Remember this is an “Upgrade” Windows 8 installation DVD and when using the product key (received via Email when you placed an order for the $40 upgrade offer), requires that you have a previous version of Windows (XP, Vista or Windows 7) is installed and activated. You can also use the DVD to ‘Repair’ Windows 8 by selecting the Troubleshoot option and selecting either ‘Refresh’ (without losing your files) or ‘Reset’ (removes all files and reset your PC completely) options.

Posted in: Hardware/OS