Create ISO from ISO with One File Removed

[Jnew1213]

I have a Windows bootable ISO (from Microsoft). I wish to remove a single file from that ISO and re-create the ISO. The ISO is a bootable image.

I've tried extracting the original ISO, deleting the file and rebuilding the ISO, but it won't boot. I am not certain which of the files needs to be set as the bootable file and any other parameters that need to be appropriately set. Please assist me.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

There are guides for Windows OS installation discs in the Guides section.

That would be the best place to start

https://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?/forum/4-guides/

[dbminter]

Honestly, I never had any luck making any bootable discs using the guides or doing what the OP is attempting.  What I do in a situation like this is use something that can inject or remove files from an ISO, like UltraISO, my choice.  Then, I use ImgBurn to write the ISO UltraISO makes.  UltraISO, however, is not freeware.

 

[Jnew1213]

I found the guide. Not sure how I missed it last night when was looking.

I followed the easy directions to a T other than selecting ISO as output. Unfortunately, the ISO doesn't seem to be bootable. At least the VMware (ESXi) Remote Console is unable to boot a new VM from it.

Edited November 21, 2021 by Jnew1213

[dbminter]

As I said, I followed the guides a long time ago and never could get a bootable Windows disc.  The ISO's when burnt to optical discs would never boot.  Tried to get the same with Acronis True Image bootable discs.  Attempting to build new discs never worked, which is why I resorted to UltraISO to inject/remove new files into bootable disc ISO's.  I'd use ImgBurn to read the bootable discs to ISO and then UltraISO to edit the ISO's and ImgBurn to then, again, burn the UltraISO ISO's. to disc.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Do you use bios boot or uefi? The iso you build needs to match what your vm is expecting.

[Jnew1213]

As far as I am aware, Windows 11 requires UEFI boot. The VM is configured for UEFI. That's actually the default these days.

Regarding UltraISO, it looks like it makes it easy to just delete a file from an ISO and save the ISO back, but the trial has a limit of 300MB, so I can't verify that it actually works. I am on the fence for the $20. I might never use it again except for this one time.

 

[dbminter]

It's up to the user.  You get lifetime, as far as I'm aware, upgrades for $20, but if you never use the software again, it can be pretty hard to justify the $20 for a one time use.  I use it every time an update to Macrium Reflect comes out, as well as at the start of each new year when I move the monthly file backups to bootable Reflect recovery media with the image files on them.  So, for me it was worth it.

[Jnew1213]

Haven't read or created a disc in years. Tossed out my unopened DVD writables a few months ago. Probably too old to be useful, even if I needed them.

Backup is to a pair of Synology NASes (full backup --10.1TB -- every six hours) and to CrashPlan and Google Drive (in near-real time).

[LIGHTNING UK!]

2 hours ago, Jnew1213 said:

As far as I am aware, Windows 11 requires UEFI boot. The VM is configured for UEFI. That's actually the default these days.

Regarding UltraISO, it looks like it makes it easy to just delete a file from an ISO and save the ISO back, but the trial has a limit of 300MB, so I can't verify that it actually works. I am on the fence for the $20. I might never use it again except for this one time.

 

The reason I asked is that those guides predate uefi (mainstream at least) and are meant for bios boot.

[Jnew1213]

Ah! Does the product need an update or does the guide need an update (or both)?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

The guide.

Try with platform ID set to UEFI and for the boot image, select \efi\microsoft\boot\efisys.bin

Sectors to load is 1 I think.

[dbminter]

That may have been the reason I couldn't get it to work all those years ago.  I knew the Guide was a tad bit out of date and didn't think it might be a UEFI thing.

[Jnew1213]

Tried those parameters (sectors to load =4 before I tried your suggestion of 1). It worked, with your suggestion of 1 sector to load. Of course, installation failed, but I think that I can handle (vTPM VM encryption, etc.)

Thank you!

[ianymaty]

If you just try to circumvert Win 11 restrictions, use this tool to rebuild the ISO https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/win-11-boot-and-upgrade-fix-kit.83724/

[LIGHTNING UK!]

You can also make a little registry change during the installation. That’s what I did the other day when making a VMware workstation vm of it.

[Jnew1213]

Thanks for all the assistance. I've been able to create a bootable ISO using ImgBurn.

Now I have to try it again with the Enterprise edition of Windows 11.