Windows 7 RTM ISO Image Edition Switcher


Recommended Posts

This is a little thing for people who download images from MSDN or TechNet. Let's say that you've downloaded the 32-bit Ultimate ISO from MSDN. For some reason, you also want the 32-bit Professional ISO. You can either sit through another download from MSDN (takes time and wastes bandwidth), or you could make a copy of your Ultimate ISO and convert that into a Professional ISO, because, except for a handful of bytes, the two are virtually identical.

This is a set of binary patches (and a tool to apply these patches) that does this conversion between RTM disc images. The converted ISO will be exactly the same as what you download from MSDN/TechNet, and the SHA-1 hashes should match those officially posted by Microsoft. And obviously, you will need to already have one of the official disc images in order to use this. It's just something to prevent unnecessary downloads and let you back up these ISO images with far less duplication of data.

Update: There is now a second, alternate utility available that "deletes" ei.cfg from the ISO image, thus converting any Windows 7 disc into a "universal" disc. It works by directly modifying the ISO's file table, so there is no need for a time-consuming extraction and rebuild (it will be done in less than a second), and the process is completely reversible. Both utilities can be found at the download link below.

Download

Edited by code.kliu.org

Good for people that don't want to manually edit the ISOs themselves (by deleting ei.cfg). Nice stuff. A lot of people has been asking how to change the iso to specific editions.

However, deleting ei.cfg has its benefit: It will allow you to choose the edition you want to install during the installations. I'd imagine that would be more desirable and easier.

Good for people that don't want to manually edit the ISOs themselves (by deleting ei.cfg). Nice stuff. A lot of people has been asking how to change the iso to specific editions.

However, deleting ei.cfg has its benefit: It will allow you to choose the edition you want to install during the installations. I'd imagine that would be more desirable and easier.

+1, deleting the ei.cfg is just easier and allows you to select any edition from a list.. just like the RC version did.

+1, deleting the ei.cfg is just easier and allows you to select any edition from a list.. just like the RC version did.

The Beta and RC were version-locked, too. And yea, getting rid of ei.cfg will let you select an edition, and that's one alternative way, but for people who don't want to wrestle with rebuilding the ISO or for people who want the resulting image to be bit-for-bit identical to the official ISO images (with matching SHA-1 hash), then this is the way to go. ;)

...why bother? if you already downloaded the ultimate ISO, why download another ISO with LESS features?
The ISO of each editions are pretty much identical with the exception of ei.cfg.

Read the entire thread, sherlock >_>. In other words. the ISOs of all the editions are the same thing. only the ei.cfg is different.

Why doesnt this tool just delete the ei.cfg and thats it?

This. Much easier for people to pick the edition during the installation, rather than convert the iso, burn it to DVD, and then do the installation.

Why doesnt this tool just delete the ei.cfg and thats it?

Because anyone can do that (I already have a batch file that uses 7zip to extract the ISO and then OSCDIMG to rebuild the ISO with ei.cfg removed, and I've been using this with the Beta, RC, and now RTM ISOs). But that's not the point; the point of this is to get an end-result that is identical to the official image posted by MSFT without expending the extra bandwidth.

Building a universal disc that asks for the edition during install is one thing. Creating something that matches the original ISO is another. There are cases where the former is preferred, just as there are certain use cases where the latter is preferred. This tool is designed for the latter.

...why bother? if you already downloaded the ultimate ISO, why download another ISO with LESS features?

Well, then why does MSFT offer Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, and Professional downloads at MSDN and TechNet when people who have MSDN and TechNet subscriptions can get Ultimate keys? People have their reasons. For many, the answer is, "there's no reason", and that's fine. But there are people who, for one reason or another, may have a need for it, which is why the lower editions are offered by MSDN, and that's why this thing exists. In any case, whether or not anyone would care about Professional if they have Ultimate is a subject of its own let's not get sidetracked with that particular line of discussion.

Because anyone can do that

No they can't.

Sure they can open the ISO in WinRAR and delete the file but how do you make the ISO again? You need another program.

2 programs (at least)

With this supposed tool that would just remove the ei.cfg file, you need ONLY 2 programs.

This supposed tool.

Something to burn the ISO.

Now THAT anyone can do :)

Point is, you can use the software to allow anyone to make sort of the "Windows 7 Master Copy" of their own. They can use that copy they burned to the DVD, and be able to install any editions of windows 7 to their machines.

If you use the software to change it to the edition, then they are stuck with that edition, and if they need, for any reason, another edition. They'd have to make another copy.

That said, I think it'd be good way for people that don't want to do the ISO editing manually.

though i would personally delete ei.cfg as it gives more control, but your utility works great, & the biggest advantage is you do not need to build a new iso again if you modify it manually. the hashes matches is another advantage. it would be better if you could create a decent gui for it.

Since a lot of people are interested in removing ei.cfg, I've included a new tool for that (it's in the same download package; if you've already downloaded it, just redownload it).

This will patch the ISO to disable ei.cfg. Since it's directly modifying the ISO, there is no lengthy unpacking and rebuilding, and it takes only a fraction of a second. As a bonus, if you run the utility on an ISO that had already been patched by it, it can restore the ei.cfg and return the disc image to its original state.

If only I could have used this program three days ago. I had to re-download the 32-bit edition of Windows 7 Ultimate from TechNet to install it on my laptop. I already downloaded the 64-bit edition and I didn't have an empty external hard drive to backup my data. Oh well! This might come in handy in the future. Thanks. :)

Since a lot of people are interested in removing ei.cfg, I've included a new tool for that (it's in the same download package; if you've already downloaded it, just redownload it).

This will patch the ISO to disable ei.cfg. Since it's directly modifying the ISO, there is no lengthy unpacking and rebuilding, and it takes only a fraction of a second. As a bonus, if you run the utility on an ISO that had already been patched by it, it can restore the ei.cfg and return the disc image to its original state.

Definitely very handy feature to add - thanks.

Thank you very much for these tools code.. They will come in very handy. I really didn't want the hassle of rebuilding the ISO. I can make my parents their Home Premium DVD now instead of waiting for their download from the pre-order.

Just checked out your tool (7Zip isn't working for me on Win7 so I'm at work using it right now) and it seems like a genius idea. Does everything I need to do with ISO images config wise without installing bloated software. I suggest you use zip instead of 7zip for the packages though for better reliability.

I suggest you use zip instead of 7zip for the packages though for better reliability.

Reliability? No, 7zip is perfectly reliable. But okay, I do recognize that (sadly) many people do not have 7zip on their systems, so I've changed it to zip...

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Louis Rossmann suing Samsung over "990 Pro SSD warranty scam" by Sayan Sen Back in 2023, if you recall, Neowin reviewer Robbie Khan had a dispute with Samsung over his 990 Pro SSD, which was rapidly losing its health. After significant back and forth, the tech giant had finally released firmware to "stop" the issue. Interestingly, its previous flagship at the time, the 980 Pro was also facing problems leading to two consecutive sets of firmware fixes. Three years later, it looks like a similar conflict has now broken out between tech repair entrepreneur YouTuber Louis Rossmann and Samsung, as it has escalated into a threatened lawsuit after the company allegedly refused to appropriately replace a failing 990 Pro SSD that remained under warranty. According to Rossmann, a 4TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe SSD purchased for approximately $330 less than two years ago, began experiencing major hiccups and issues, even though he claims it had been operated under ideal cooling conditions. It was installed in a RAID 1 array and cooled by a heatsink and dual high-speed fans. However the drive reportedly started dropping out of the array, exhibiting controller-level failures that eventually became not useable in any meaningful way. Rossmann said Samsung’s support process was marked by delays and confusion from the very start. After initially contacting the wrong regional support channel, he was redirected to Samsung’s memory support division where he submitted detailed diagnostics, logs, and proof of purchase. Rossmann runs a repair company and owns an ACE Lab PC-3000 machine, which is a professional-grade data recovery equipment. As such, he had been confident in his diagnostics. Samsung even seemingly acknowledged that later. Regardless, Rossmann claims that his initial support ticket was automatically closed before a full 24-hour response window had elapsed, forcing him to reopen the case and resubmit documentation. The controversy however intensified further from here after Samsung accepted the drive for warranty evaluation but later returned it with a repair report stating that the drive had passed its testing and that the SSD had been verified as functional. Rossmann strongly disputed those claims citing that his own independent testing on PC-3000 showed write speeds reducing to as low as 40–60 MB/s before the drive failed entirely. Samsung subsequently informed him that the SSD had been reset and reflashed, passing internal stress tests. However, the company also stated that replacement units were unavailable due to an industry-wide memory shortage and suggested that a refund process could be initiated if further testing confirmed the fault. Thus, to settle, the company offered a refund of $330, the amount that was initially paid by him to make the purchase. Here, Rossmann pointed out the seeming hypocrisy of the tech giant as in how no Samsung drive was apparently allocated for warranty replacements, but they were abundantly available for retail sales especially when using business accounts. As you can see, Rossmann is indeed right, there are Samsung 990 Pro 4TB SSDs on Amazon currently for $950 (shipped and sold by first-party Amazon US itself), and they are also available on Samsung's own store too, albeit for an even higher price of $1100. Thus Rossmann argues that Samsung’s inability or unwillingness to provide a replacement while the same model remains available for purchase at significantly higher market prices reflects a failure to honor its warranty obligations. He has issued a formal 60-day notice and says he intends to file suit in Texas small claims court, asserting that companies should face greater costs for denying legitimate warranty claims than for fulfilling them. You can check out the full video titled "Samsung's 990 Pro SSD warranty policy is a scam; I'm taking them to court," at the link below. Source and image: Louis Rossmann (YouTube) As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
    • Was it too much to ask to show the icon in this article?
    • Frankly, I blame whoever is writing such articles. "A big improvement/update and/or new feature is now available to everyone! Also, use this unofficial tweak tool to enable it because it actually isn't available to you yet officially and might not in fact even be entirely ready or whatever, hence why it is perhaps not enabled for you*. But it's great and you should enable it!" I mean there's nothing wrong with sharing info about some feature you might need to enable via unofficial means, of course. It's just that these articles tend to essentially end up being two news pieces in one, and one of them tends to be a bit misleading. (*Yes, yes, the "it's a controlled rollout!" thing. Not a fan of that one either. The argument, not the actual rollout.)
    • Thank you. Will do. I read in the release notes that editor config might be at play here.
    • Actually, I think even Microsoft doesn't know how to control it
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      davidbazooked earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Jamswaz earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Jamswaz earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rookie
      Marzoid went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Community Regular
      coch went up a rank
      Community Regular
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      508
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      185
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      158
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      83
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!