Today I downloaded Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 U (media refresh) - X17-59465.iso from the Digital River links at applied the eicfg removal tool and checked with 7zip... it was still there. I then downloaded UltraISO which when opening the iso ei.cfg had disappeared. I then downloaded Power ISO which could see the file but in trial mode couldn't do anything about it due to a 300mb limit. I've been trawling on here for a good while with no joy. I read here that the file doesn't get deleted as such, just changed by the removal utility. I also read that only the retail iso is useful for allowing a choice of windows 7 at boot. I have no idea whether the ISO I downloaded is 'Retail' or not. All I know is that I'm not given a choice at boot time. I would like to get this sorted as I don't want to download 10 different versions when 1 will do! I'm sure I'm doing something stupid and obvious here but don't know what it is
It is an retail ISO since only w7 enterprise and professional are available as VL....remove ei.cfg and you can choose any retail version @ setup...
I have tried.... Extracted with 7zip, deleted ei.cfg, used 'Windows Bootable ISO maker' to recreate the ISO (i didn't want a malware infested keylogger on here to get some proper ISO tool), then Microsoft ISO to USB tool. It did let me choose the version but failed a bit further on saying some file/files were corrupt. Now now sure as to whether its the iso that's corrupt or my way of extracting/creating another iso. ho hum..
Check the hashes of your ISO. If they are not matching you have had a corrupt download, that easy. The digital river links provide genuine ISOs only. Download the ISO, verify the hashes, use ei.cfg remove tool, burn it, install it. Or extract the verified ISO to a bootable USB pen drive (you can use diskpart to make it bootable), remove ei.cfg there... Never had any issues...you are fiddling too much IMHO... x64 Part- X17-59465 en_windows_7_ultimate_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_677332.iso SHA1: 36AE90DEFBAD9D9539E649B193AE573B77A71C83 ISO/CRC: 992B8FCD
From what I know ei.cfg Removal util does not actually remove the file, it just flips a bit that will hide the file in the ISO filesystem(s). Advanced ISO utilities will still detect the file, but as Hidden.
ugh if so then what the hell. Ive tried using that application several times and seen that the file still appears there and sometimes still was called by the setup. So I switched to doing it by hand.
Why would you Recreate An ISO with a ISO maker ? It is not needed. You can also extract the ISO with Win rar .Extract folder will look like This: D:\Win7Sp1x64 \boot \efi \sources \support \upgrade \bootmgr \bootmgr.efi \setup.exe \autorun.inf Just go to \Sources folder and delete the ei.cfg file . then copy the contents to a USB stick formatted with FAT 32 . done , if Bios allows USB Boot , you can boot with it. To make boot able Dvd , You can use Image burn to Burn the dvd , telling it to make it Boot able . It will ask for a Boot Image file , which you can download from this Forum or extract from another Boot able Dvd . Image Burn will extract it for you and use it. Absolutely no need to make ISO and Burn it . This is what I do . Don't have a ISO Utility , just win rar to extract ISO. Hope it helps
@Kamar This procedure is applicable for UEFI booting. For MBR booting, you need to write the bootsector to the USB stick.
Not necessarily the w7 bootsector. You can mostly MBR boot from USB already when the primary partition of the thumb drive is set as active.
Thank you both Yen and Tito , I have old board , new boards but with old chip sets . I only have MBR and not new Bioses. My asrock board does not even have AHCI controller , which my gigabyte board had ! thank you.
I have a query on this utility related to windows 7 N editions. I have a windows 7 ultimate N with sp1 x64 iso. I earlier had pro n ISO too but deleted it because I did not need it. However, with the recent changes of allowing 7 N to upgrade free to 10, I would like to have an AIO of win 7 n with sp1 x64. My technet win 7 Pro N keys have suddenly become somewhat useful to me. Does the ei.cfg removal utility work with N versions too.
I know, but suddenly all my old Technet win 7 keys which were not in use since late 2012 have become useful to me again. Cannot see possible use anyway since I have a 8.1 key and have already upgraded/clean installed to 10. For the same hardware, do you see any point in registering a different upgrade path with MS (eg 8.1 N to 10, 7 to 10, 7N to 10, etc). I already have a 8.1 Pro to 10 path with MS.
@acyuta From any N SKU, you'll be upgraded to corresponding N SKU of Windows 10. So Windows 7 Ultimate N => Windows 10 Pro N. No, I haven't tested different upgrade paths on same hardware.
I have and so far been able to do successfully for 8.1 pro to 10 pro, and 8.1 N pro to 10 pro N. Only doubt is whether it makes sense to register multiple paths for the same hardware. Helps though if you format your system everyday and go online for activation everyday. Hardly males much sense and seems like a waste of time??