Windows 7 / Getting Started

Creating a Bootable ISO Image and Bootable Media

Use the Oscdimg utility to create an ISO image that can be burned to a DVD. With single boot entry images, you can use the following options:

  • -bBootFile, where BootFile specifies the file that will be written in the boot sectors of the disk.
  • -pPlatformID, where PlatformID is either 0 for BIOS-based platforms or EF for EFI-based platforms. The default is 0 for BIOS-based platforms.
  • -e specifies not to use floppy-disk emulation, generally needed if you also specify the -p option.

The following command creates an ISO image for the build staged previously:

oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com
c:\winpe_x86\iso c:\winpe_x86\winpe.iso

Here, C:\Winpe_x86\Etfsboot.com is the path to the boot file that will be written to the boot sector, C:\Winpe_x86\ISO is the path to the folders for the ISO image, and C:\Winpe_x86\Winpe.iso is where the ISO image will be created. After you create the ISO image, you can burn the ISO image to a DVD by using a CD/DVD burning application such as Roxio Media Creator or Nero Media Burner.

To generate multiboot entry images, such as those required for EFI-based systems, you use the -bootdata option. The basic syntax is:

-bootdata:NumberOfEntries#Defaultbootentry#Bootentry2#...#BootentryN

Here, NumberOfEntries specifies the number of boot entries, where each multiboot entry is separated by a number sign (#) and options within a boot entry are separated using a comma (,). Boot entry options in the order they are used are:

  • pPlatformID, where PlatformID is either 0 for BIOS-based platforms or EF for EFI-based platforms.
  • e specifies not to use floppy-disk emulation.
  • bBootFile, where BootFile is the path to the file that will be written in the boot sectors of the disk.

Knowing this, you can build a Windows PE x64 ISO image that supports both EFI and BIOS firmware by entering the following command:

oscdimg "-bootdata:2#p0,e,betfsboot.com#pEF,e,befisys.bin -u2 -udfver102
-o c:\winpe_x64\ISO c:\winpe_x64\winpe_2X.iso"

Here, -bootdata sets the boot information for EFI and BIOS, and -UDFVer sets the required UDF version. You set C:\Winpe_x64\ISO as the path to the folders for the ISO image, and C:\Winpe_x64\Winpe_2X.iso is where the ISO image will be created. After you create the ISO image, you can burn the ISO image to a DVD using a CD/DVD burning application.

Note the default UDF version is 1.50. the setting -udfver102 writes UDF revision 1.02, which is supported on Windows 98 and later; -udfver150 writes UDF revision 1.50, which is supported on Windows 2000 and later; and -udfver200 writes UDF revision 2.00, which is supported on Windows Xp and later.

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