How to create a prepared source folder for making a bootable copy of Windows 7 DVD using Original DVD for personal backup

[strummin]

In short, I'm using my windows 8.1 laptop to try to make a single backup copy of Windows 7 Home Premium using an official copy I purchased when my HD crashed on my Win 7 laptop and it died. I just recently switched to ImgBurn and have used it successfully to create ISO's of other collections of data backups, etc with no problem.  I have read the guide on copying DVDs which I don't think would be relevant to a bootable Windows disk (wouldn't it just write the ISO file over to the new disk without any boot info/files?).  I have also read the guide for creating a bootable copy of Windows listing "the steps in burning a pre-prepared Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8 installation source directory to a disc" (great step-by-step guide, btw).  This is where my question comes in; How to create that pre-prepared source directory using the Original DVD's. I haven't been able to find information by searching the forums or anywhere else on the web that tells me specifically how to create the pre-prepared source directory by using the original purchased retail DVDs (although I'm running the 64bit version on my other laptop, I'd like to make a backup copy of both the 32 and 64 bit disks, just for my personal backup--which I know I'm allowed to make one copy of for personal use as per MS licensing).

 

I can successfully create an ISO image from the DVD to a folder on my 8.1 laptop.  Here is the log file for successfully doing that:

 

I 09:22:57 Initialising SPTI...

I 09:22:57 Searching for SCSI / ATAPI devices...

I 09:22:57 -> Drive 1 - Info: MATSHITADVD-RAM (D:) (SATA)

I 09:22:57 Found 1 DVD±RW/RAM!

I 09:52:22 Operation Started!

I 09:52:22 Source Device: [0:0:0] MATSHITADVD-RAM (D:) (SATA)

I 09:52:22 Source Media Type: DVD-ROM (Book Type: DVD-ROM)

I 09:52:22 Source Media Supported Read Speeds: 2.2x, 3.5x, 5.2x, 7x

I 09:52:22 Source Media Sectors: 1,621,696 (Track Path: PTP)

I 09:52:22 Source Media Size: 3,321,233,408 bytes

I 09:52:22 Source Media Volume Identifier: GSP1RMCHPXFRER_EN_DVD

I 09:52:22 Source Media Volume Set Identifier: 7263a500MS UDFBridge

I 09:52:22 Source Media Application Identifier: CDIMAGE 2.54 (01/01/2005 TM)

I 09:52:22 Source Media Implementation Identifier: Microsoft CDIMAGE UDF

I 09:52:22 Source Media File System(s): ISO9660 (Bootable), UDF (1.02)

I 09:52:22 Read Speed (Data/Audio): MAX / 8x

I 09:52:22 Destination File: C:\Users\Ted\Desktop\windows 7 home premium DVD 64 bit version ISO file created with imgburn\GSP1RMCHPXFRER_EN_DVD.ISO

I 09:52:22 Destination Free Space: 3,959,062,528 Bytes (3,866,272.00 KiB) (3,775.66 MiB) (3.69 GiB)

I 09:52:22 Destination File System: NTFS

I 09:52:22 File Splitting: Auto

I 09:52:23 Read Speed - Effective: 3.3x - 7x

I 09:52:29 Reading Session 1 of 1... (1 Track, LBA: 0 - 1621695)

I 09:52:29 Reading Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 0 - 1621695)

I 10:00:15 Exporting Graph Data...

I 10:00:15 Graph Data File: C:\Users\Ted\AppData\Roaming\ImgBurn\Graph Data Files\MATSHITADVD-RAM_SUNDAY-MARCH-1-2015_9-52_AM_N-A.ibg

I 10:00:15 Export Successfully Completed!

I 10:00:15 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:07:52

I 10:00:15 Average Read Rate: 6,871 KiB/s (5.1x) - Maximum Read Rate: 12,652 KiB/s (9.4x)

 

 

So I now have an ISO of the Windows 7 DVD on my laptop that can be written now to another DVD, but I'm not certain how to finish putting the rest of the files into this pre-prepared source folder (I think a step-by-step guide on this topic, like your others, would really be helpful on the ImgBurn website as well).  Do I just use explorer to physically copy some or all the files from the original Win 7 DVD to that folder?  If so, do I need to copy all of them or just certain ones? Or, are all the files I need currently in that folder inside the ISO file and I now need to extract them from the ISO file somehow?  There are several youtube videos on how to make bootable copies of DVD's using ImgBurn, but most have different ways of getting that folder prepared to write to a DVD (some fairly complicated); some use third party utilities to mount the ISO, some extract them from somewhere, some download certain files from authorized MS sites, etc.  I am yet to find detailed instructions on how to fully create and prepare that folder if you already physically have the DVDs in hand.  I found a couple entries in the forum where they were trying to modify files in the directory after creating the folder with the ISO in it from souce DVDs, but I just want exactly what is on the original DVD and for it to be bootable on the new disks just like the originals.  Sorry if this is re-covering old ground, but I couldn't find anything that didn't either miss some steps in the folder's preparation or make alterations I don't need.  Am I missing something terribly obvious somewhere?  I also have an external DVD RW drive, plus the internal one, is there an easier way to do this than what I am trying.

 

Lastly, thanks for all the work on such a GREAT utility!!  And a shout out--albeit against today's trend of everybody wanting everything for free--for everyone that uses what has become such a de facto standard utility for so many to MAKE A DONATION!  If Richard has been able to create, distribute, and support such a great tool with hardly any user funding, imagine what he could do if everyone that used it threw in just a couple bucks! I made my $5 contribution and it's a steal at that! 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2015 by strummin

[LIGHTNING UK!]

If you have a disc you want to copy, you simply use read mode to make an ISO of it (as you have done) and then write it to a new disc using write mode.

 

The bootable bit is contained within the ISO so you don't need to worry about making it bootable, it already will be.

[strummin]

Wow!  Thanks for the really quick reply and that sure makes it easy for me--appreciate it.  I still think it would be a great topic for a guide...on how to create the staging folder.  Maybe one day I wont have the disks and need to resort to doing it as shown once the staging folder is ready!  Thx again and GREAT product!!!

[LIGHTNING UK!]

There's already a guide for creating a bootable Vista / Windows 7 install disc from a proper set of install files/folders (not an ISO) on your hdd in the Guides section.