An ISO file (often also known under the name of ISO image ) consists of a file that contains a copy or image identical to the data that we can find on an optimal disc, as for example it could be the case of a CD or a DVD . This is often a useful option for backing up optical discs, or for distributing large sets of files intended to be later burned to an optical disc.
We could even define it as a complete copy of everything that is stored on a CD, DVD or Blu-Ray , including the file system itself. In fact, it is a sector-by-sector copy of the disk, not performing any type of compression. The idea is basically that it is an exact digital copy of a disc, in order to later be able to use that image in order to record a new disc, which in turn is an exact copy of the original content.
Most operating systems also allow us the ability to mount an ISO image as a virtual disk, in which case all applications will be treated as if a real optical disk had been inserted.
In case our computer came installed with Windows XP a few years ago, but did not come with a physical installation disk, it is possible that at some point or other you have wondered how to perform a reinstallation of the operating system in case of any incidence. Luckily, it is perfectly possible to create a Windows XP installation disc from the files on your computer’s hard drive .
Creating a Windows XP installation ISO image from a folder
First of all, we must create a new folder . To simplify the process, we can assign the folder the name WINXP, and place it in the root directory of our hard drive. The Windows installation will be temporarily housed in this folder.
Now we must copy the installation files . To create a bootable disc from this folder you need an i386 folder on your computer. It can be found at the root of the Windows installation hard drive, its most typical location being C: i386 . Once we have found it, we must copy this folder to the folder that we have named WINXP. Of course, we must copy the files, never cut or move them .
After doing that, we should have a folder called i386 in the WINXP folder. In other words, it would look something like this: C: WINXP i386 .
Now we need to create the Windows text file . To do this, we go to the WINXP folder and right-click on the window. We select New and then Text Document, whose accesses we will find in the drop-down menu that has just appeared.
In the text document we simply write the word “Windows” (without the quotes), and add a single space afterwards. We will only have to press Enter once. Click on Save and configure the file name as “WIN51” (in this case with the quotation marks, to make sure that the file will be saved without any type of extension).
Now we must add the latest Service Pack update . For this we only have to download the installation file of the Service Pack provided by Microsoft, downloading only the package that was installed for the last time. If, for example, we have installed SP3, then we must rename the downloaded file to XPSP3.exe, and place it in the root of our main C: drive.
We open the command prompt application, type the following command and press Enter: C: XPSP3.EXE / integr: C: XPSETUP.
Once this is done, it is necessary to download the Windows boot sector , being able to easily download it from a reliable, legal and free source. Of course, it is essential to make sure that we download the version with the correct language. After finding and downloading it, we put a boot image at the root of our C: drive. It is usually called w2ksect.bin.
Now we must proceed to burn our CD , which will serve as a copy as a Windows XP installation disc. The ImgBurn application becomes an interesting option, mainly because it is a useful free program for creating bootable discs.
How to use? It’s very simple: We must open the program and switch to Build mode. Once this is done, in the output menu, we must choose that we are creating an image on our hard drive, or recording the data on a blank disc. Now we have to drag and drop the WINXP folder into ImgBurn, select the Options tab, change the file system to ISO9660, and make sure the Recurse Subdirectories box is checked.
Now we select the Advanced tab and then the Boot Disk tab. Here we choose the option Make the image bootable, click on the folder icon and select the w2ksect.bin file that we downloaded earlier. Finally we change the value of Sectors from 1 to 4, and click on the Write or Generate button.
When the process is complete, the CD will function as a bootable installation CD for Windows XP.
