This article will describe ways on how to create an ISO from files and folders. For this purpose, free programs will be used that can be easily found in the search.
Creating an ISO file that is basically Windows software files is not a difficult procedure at all. It is enough to have the program and the files themselves.
Creating an image on Windows 10/8/7/xp
There is a convenient program “Ashampoo Burning Studio Free”. With its help you can record images and create images from files. This software works on all modern Windows operating systems.
Ashampoo Burning has a convenient and simple user interface in Russian.
If you click on the “Disk Image” item, three items appear:
- Burn the image (you can burn an existing iso file).
- Create an image (you can remove and create an image from an existing disk).
- Create an image from files (the files of the future ISO are selected and created).
We need to select the third item. The following window will appear.
Select ISO format. Next comes directly adding folders and files for the future ISO file. 
You can select the path to save and you can clearly see how much folders and files weigh. Everything is simple and this is not all the functions of this software.
You can download from the official website: https://www.ashampoo.com/ru/rub/fdl
Another good program is CDBurnerXP
It can run on Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista/2008/Win7/Win8/Win10 (x86/x64).
It has a Russian language and a user-friendly interface, and is also supported by the old Windows XP OS.
A few steps to create an image.
This way, the project will be saved and an ICO file will be created.
You can download from the official website: https://cdburnerxp.se/ru/download
I’ll say right away that install programs carefully, because you can install various unnecessary toolbars and others along with the program... To do this, you need to select items like “Advanced options”, “More download options” during installation or download. These steps apply to all free programs. The same Adobe Flash player, when updating or downloading, there is a checkmark on the installation of google chrome, which is why it is updated so often. Of course, you can install additional toolbars, browsers and other elements, this is your right, but no matter how many times I installed them, I did not find any practical use for them, they just clog up the computer.
How to create an ISO image using UltraISO
It’s also good software, it’s the most popular for working with images. The steps are as follows:
- After launching, select the required files at the bottom and by right-clicking you can select “Add”.
- After selecting "File" menu, click "Save"
You can easily find it in the search; unfortunately, I did not find the official website.
That's all, I think these programs are enough to create an ISO image.
Technical level: Basic
Summary
In this article, I will show you how you can prepare to install or reinstall Windows 10 on your tablet or computer using official images of this OS that are provided by Microsoft.
By performing these actions, you agree to the following terms of use. When installing Windows 10, you will also need to accept the license agreement, otherwise you will have to abort the installation and remove the OS from your device.
Summary:
1) What is needed to perform these actions.
2) Create bootable media with a Windows 10 image using the Media Creation Tool.
3) Create bootable media with a Windows 10 image using official images from the Microsoft website.
Note: Before performing these operations on your device, you should contact your device manufacturer's technical support. It may use special images for your device, and you will not be able to install the system correctly using "clean" images from Microsoft. Please clarify the possibility and legality of using this instruction.
Note 2: Enterprise/Education editions are not mentioned in this article, however, most of the steps for installing Windows 10 of these types are the same as described in this article.
Details
What is needed to perform these actions.
- Internet connection (you will need to download from 4 to 7 GB of data).
- Disk space on your computer/tablet to store downloaded files.
- A flash drive or disk with a capacity of 8 GB (in some cases, 4 GB will be enough). You can also use SD cards (for example, this will be much more convenient for a tablet).
- For tablets without a full USB port - a USB-OTG adapter.
- Operating system Windows 7 or later (Windows 10 recommended).
Make sure you have all of this.
Create bootable media with a Windows 10 image using the Media Creation Tool.
This method is the simplest and is suitable for most Windows users.
1) Download the Media Creation Tool program and run it.
You can download the program from the official Microsoft website by clicking on the button Download the tool now on this page . You can also use the direct link.
Run the downloaded file. The following window will open:
2) Read and accept the license agreement.
Review the license agreement. If you agree with it, which is necessary for further operation of the program, click Accept.
3) Select "Create bootable media for another PC."
After some time (usually up to 1 minute), the program window will update and look like this:
Click on the button Create bootable media for another PC. Then click Further.
4) Select the desired options for the Windows 10 you are going to install.
After the previous operations, a window will open where you will be asked to select the parameters of the Windows you are installing. Initially, as you can see in the next screenshot, they are inactive.
In order to select the necessary parameters manually, uncheck the box circled in the screenshot. It will be signed as Use recommended settings for this computer.
Select the options you need. In the first drop-down list, select Windows language. In the second - the editorial staff. In the third - bit depth, 32-bit or 64-bit.
Learn more about languages.
The language you select will be the default Windows language. The selected language also determines the region and format of time, currency, etc. in Windows, as well as the available editions of Windows 10. In the standard editions of Windows 10 - Home or Professional (Pro) - you can change the language. However, I recommend initially choosing the one you need.
More about the editions.
The editions available depend on the language you select. There are 4 of them in total. If you are going to reinstall Windows on your current computer/tablet, you can leave this option unchanged - the program automatically selects what you need. Otherwise, you need to select exactly the edition for which you purchased the license.
1) Windows 10. This edition is available for all languages. It includes Windows 10 Home and Professional. When installing Windows from such an image, you will be asked to select the desired OS type.
2) Windows 10 Home for one language (Home Single Language). This edition is also available for all languages.
3) Windows 10 N. This edition is available for a limited number of languages. There is no Russian or Ukrainian among them. It has a different set of built-in programs.
4) Windows 10 KN. This edition is only available for the Korean language.
Read more about bit depth.
The system capacity directly depends on the processor architecture. It comes in two types - 32-bit and 64-bit. Moreover, a 32-bit system can be installed on 64-bit processors, but a 64-bit system cannot be installed on 32-bit processors.
If you are going to reinstall Windows on your current computer/tablet, I recommend leaving this setting unchanged. Otherwise, make sure that the processor of the device you need supports one or another bit depth. In addition, the manufacturer of this PC must provide drivers for this bitness.
Moreover, keep in mind that a 32-bit system will only work with 4 GB or less of RAM, even if you have 6 GB or more installed, and a 64-bit system is only worth installing if you have more than 4 GB of RAM.
You can also select the "Both" option. In this case, when installing the OS, you can select the bit depth you need.
After selecting the required options, click Further:
If you have changed any settings, you will be warned that the Windows activation you will install using this image may require a different license to activate.
Click OK.
5) Select to create bootable media based on a flash drive.
A window will open asking you where to save the system image. The program can simply download and save an ISO file on your computer for future use, or it can immediately write the system image to a flash drive. If you need to use a disk, I recommend using the instructions from Part 2 of this article (creating bootable media using official images from the Microsoft website). In this part of the article we will choose a flash drive.
Depending on the parameters you selected earlier, flash drives of different sizes will be needed. The required volume is displayed directly under the first item - “USB flash memory devices”.
Select 1st item - USB flash memory device and press Further.
6) Insert the flash drive and select it in the program.
A window will open in front of you with a list of all flash drives connected to your computer/tablet. If you connect a new flash drive, you will need to press a button Refresh disk list so that the program can detect it.
Insert the flash drive to which you will burn the image, refresh the list of drives and select the appropriate device. Please note that this flash drive will be formatted. After that click Further.
7) Wait for the image to download.
After selecting the flash drive, the program will begin downloading the image. During this time, you can freely use the computer.
8) After downloading, the image verification process will begin.
9) After this, the program will begin writing the image to the flash drive.
10) The bootable flash drive is ready!
You can close the program.
Creating a download private media with a Windows 10 image using official images from the Microsoft website.
Let's assume:
- Media Creation Tool is not working correctly for you;
- You wanted to download the OS image yourself;
- You wanted to burn the image to disk;
- You want to burn an image of one of the Windows Insider Program builds to a disk or flash drive.
Then this instruction will help you.
I note that This method works on all the most popular operating systems, including Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
1) Download the desired image from the Microsoft website.
1.1) You need an image of the official, stable version of Windows 10.
Follow the following link: https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10ISO/. The website that opens should look like this:
It is possible that your browser will redirect you to the site https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10. In this case, use it to still enter the image download site.
Scroll down the page. You will see the following:
Here you are asked to select an edition of Windows 10. You can read more about editions in paragraph 4 of part 1 of this article. Open the drop-down list and select one of 4 editions. After that, click the button Confirm.
After a few seconds, the following drop-down list will appear. It asks you to select a Windows language. Scroll through the list and select Russian, if you need Russian, Ukrainian, if you need Ukrainian or any other language. After this, press the button again Confirm.
After this, two buttons will appear in front of you that contain download links. The first button is a link to download a 32-bit image, the second is a link to download a 64-bit image. Read more about bit depth in paragraph 4 of part 1 of this article.
1.2) You need an image of one of the preliminary OS builds.
Go to the following site: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewadvanced
If it says you're not an Insider even though you are, try changing your Microsoft account name to something in Latin rather than Cyrillic.
The process of setting parameters and obtaining the corresponding link is similar to the process described in paragraph 1.1 of this part of this article. True, the Insider Program website is in English, but you can use a translator.
The only thing that will change is the available editions of Windows 10. Different builds, corporate editions, etc. will be available. However, most will need the Windows 10 Insider Preview edition, which contains Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview and Windows 10 Home Insider Preview . These editions are activated by licenses from Windows 10 Professional and Windows 10 Home, respectively.
Also, not all languages available for the stable version of Windows 10 may be available!
2) Download the Windows USB/DVD Tool program.
This program from Microsoft is designed for burning ISO images to flash drives or discs. You can download it from this page, owned by Microsoft. Go to it and press the purple button Download on the right side of the site.
3) Install the Windows USB/DVD Tool program.
To do this, run the downloaded file.
Click Install("Install").
Click Finish("Complete").
Now the program is installed, its shortcut is on the desktop. It can also be found in the Start menu.
ATTENTION! During installation, the program may require you to install a system component - .NET Framework 2.0. The installation will most likely happen automatically; you will just need to confirm the download and installation of this component.
4) Launch the program and select the ISO file you downloaded earlier.
In the window that opens, click the gray button Browse(1). Explorer will open. Find and open the ISO file you downloaded earlier there. Let it appear in line (2). After that, press the green button Next (3).
5) Select the media on which you will burn the image.
Click on the blue button USB device(1), if you write the image to a flash drive, use the blue button DVD(2) if you burn the image to disk or gray button Start Over(3) if you selected the wrong image in the previous step and want to return to the beginning of the recording process.
6) Insert the desired flash drive/disk to which you want to burn the image.
Select the desired device from the drop-down list (1). If you have just inserted a disk/flash drive, press the blue button (2) to refresh the list of available devices. After that, press the green button Begin copying(“Start Recording”, 3). If you messed something up in the previous steps, the gray button Start Over(4) to return to the beginning of the process at your service.
7) Agree to format the flash drive if you are writing the image to it.
The flash drive must be formatted before the recording process. If it contains information that is important to you, copy it to a computer or other flash drive before burning the image.
To format, click the button Erase USB Device. After that, another window will pop up, “Are you sure you want to do this?” Click Yes("Yes").
Creating a Windows 10 OS image
Creating an installation image and burning it to a flash drive or disk is not that difficult. Moreover, this can be done (in some cases) even using standard operating system capabilities. Of course, you can use third-party software, but Windows will cope with this task much better, since the OS itself knows how to correctly record the image so that there are no installation problems in the future. There are several ways to create a Windows 10 image. Some of them are even approved by Microsoft itself. However, to install the OS in the official way, you will need a license key.
Ways to create an image
Read also:
The vast majority of users are accustomed to downloading various OS builds from torrent trackers and writing them to a drive or disk using third-party programs. But this method is by no means the only one.
- Using Windows 10 Installation Media Creation Tool. This is an official utility from Microsoft that helps you create bootable media with “ten” on board. The company's specialists recommend using this method.
- Simple copying (if there is UEFI mode in the BIOS). This option is suitable for new PCs and laptops. If there is UEFI mode and the partition table is of GPT type, then the user will not need any special utilities to create the installation image
- Use of third party programs. Today, many utilities can create the “correct” flash drives or disks with Windows installation images. As a rule, this option is much simpler than all previous ones
- Creating an image using the Archive Wizard. This utility helps to create an image of an already running operating system and write it to media. A sort of “life preserver” in case the OS suddenly refuses to boot
You can also simply update your version of Windows to the latest one. But it is worth considering that in this case system failures are possible. They can be so severe that the user may lose all of their data. Therefore, it is better to perform the installation from scratch.
1. Use a utility from Microsoft
Read also:How to speed up Windows 10? TOP 6 Main ways to overclock an operating system
This is the “official” method approved by Microsoft. Its essence is that the user downloads the operating system image itself and a utility for creating bootable media from the company’s official website.
It is worth noting that the download speed from the company’s servers is quite decent, so the whole process happens quite quickly. To complete the process, the user will need a USB drive with 8 or 10 gigabytes of free space. It's impossible to do less.
DOWNLOADAfter the download process is complete, open Windows Explorer, go to the downloads directory and run the file "MediaCreationToolexe".
The installation wizard will immediately launch and ask you to accept the terms of the license agreement. Click on the button "Accept".
At the next stage, check the box "Create installation media" and press the button "Further".
Now we select the OS language, edition and architecture (32 bit or 64). After this, click on the button "Further".
At the next stage, it is proposed to create a bootable drive immediately or create an ISO image for subsequent recording on flash driveorDVD. It is better to choose the first option, since the installation image will require at least 8 gigabytes of space. And this is already a two-layer DVD. So select the first option and click "Further". But before that, you need to insert the USB flash drive into the appropriate port.
The recording process will begin immediately. It is worth considering that the wizard downloads the necessary files from Microsoft servers and writes them to the drive. Therefore, the operation can take quite a long time. Will have to wait. Progress will be displayed as a percentage.
After the media creation process completes, the wizard will run an image integrity check. You must wait for it to complete.
As soon as the check is completed, the program will display a corresponding message indicating that image creation is complete. All you have to do is press the button "Ready".
This method allows you to be sure that the installation process will go as expected. Creating a Windows 10 image using the official Microsoft utility is the most preferable option.
Before starting the image creation process using the official utility, you need to close all programs. Otherwise, recording may be interrupted due to an unknown error. Some utilities may block the Image Creation Wizard. So it's better not to take risks.
2. Copy the necessary data to the flash drive
Read also:3 ways to install Windows XP from a USB flash drive
As mentioned above, this method is available to owners of new PCs and laptops that have UEFI mode enabled and the partition table on the hard drive is GPT. Other users should not even try this method.
A similar method is sometimes used in Linux operating systems. There you can simply unpack the image and copy all the files to the flash drive, having previously made it bootable in the partition editor. However, on Windows the latter is not required.
Let's assume that the official Windows 10 image has already been downloaded from Microsoft servers. Now you need to mount the image using some program. Utilities such as Daemon Tools or Alcohol 120% are capable of this. But even regular Total Commander can open ISO. We will use it. Let's open the program, find the desired image and simply click on it 2 times.
Now in the second panel we will switch to the flash drive.
Now select all the files located in the Windows 10 image and press the copy button (or press "F5").
The copying process will begin immediately. Once it is completed, you can restart your computer or laptop and select boot media in UEFI. Everything should work. But only in UEFI on a GPT table.
3. We use third-party programs
Read also:9 Easy Ways to Open Command Prompt in Windows 7-10
There are now many utilities that allow you to efficiently burn a Windows 10 image to a USB drive or DVD. As a rule, these programs are easy to use and have a Russian language in the interface. Let's look at the most popular ones.
Rufus
A small utility from independent developers. It is completely free and does not require installation. You can download it on the official website. And it's very easy to use. The program easily copes with recording Windows and Linux distributions.
DOWNLOADWe go to the directory with the downloaded program and run the executable file with EXE permission.
The main program window will open immediately. If a USB drive is already inserted into the port, the utility will detect it. Next, you need to select the desired image to record by clicking on the button "Choose".
Now select the previously downloaded Windows 10 image and click "Open".
The next step is to select recording options. You must set the UEFI or BIOS options, and also select the partition table type (MBR or GPT).
All is ready. All you have to do is press the button "Start" and wait for the operation to complete.
The image is now written to the USB drive. You can restart your PC or laptop and begin installing the operating system on your hard drive. It is worth noting that for correct recording "tens" Requires the latest version of Rufus.
Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
Another very popular program for burning an image to a USB drive. Initially, it was created for recording on a Windows 7 flash drive. But also with "ten" The utility does a great job. And you can download it on the official Microsoft website.
DOWNLOADDownload and install the application. Then we launch it using the appropriate shortcut and get to the main window. First you need to select an image using the button "Browse"
Select the desired ISO image and click "Open".
Now press the button "Next".
Now the wizard will ask you to choose where to write the image. If you planned to record to a flash drive, then click "USB device". If you need to write to disk, then select "DVD".
Select the desired flash drive and press the button "Begin copying".
This article shows you how to create a Windows 10 disk image backup using the built-in backup program.
The operating system has a built-in backup and restore function that allows you to create a backup copy of a disk image and, if necessary, restore the computer to functionality.
The disk image backup copy includes a full image of Windows 10 with information about the system itself, with all installed drivers, programs, and computer settings at the time the disk image copy was created.
If various problems arise with your computer, using a disk image backup, you can quickly restore the system to a previously saved state.
Unlike, a disk image backup allows you not only to undo information about changes to system files, but also to completely restore the system to the state when the disk image copy was created.
It is recommended to create a backup copy of the disk image immediately after setting up the operating system (installing device drivers, installing the minimum required number of applications). In this case, a copy of the disk image is created faster and takes up less space on the drive.
Windows 10 disk image backup is created using the built-in backup program Backup and Restore (Windows 7), the executable file of the program is located in the System32 folder of the Windows system directory and has the name sdclt.exe
To create a backup copy of the disk image, run the Backup and Restore utility by searching in Windows, enter sdclt in the search field and select sdclt in the search results Run command
Or use the dialog box Execute called by pressing the keyboard shortcut + R , in which type sdclt and press the key Enter↵
As a place to save the disk image, you can select, for example, a local disk (usually disk D) located on the same physical disk, as a result the system will warn you that the selected disk is on the same physical disk that is currently being archived and in case of failure archives on this disk will be lost.
You can also use a separate physical (HDD or SSD) disk installed in the computer, an external hard drive (HDD or SSD), DVDs or a network folder as a place to save the disk image.
If you choose DVDs as the place to save the disk image, you will need a lot of them; this option is the most inconvenient
You also need to know that the system disk image can only be saved on a disk with the NTFS file system. If the disk has a different file system, the system will warn you that the disk cannot be used to store a system image because it is not formatted in the NTFS file system. Format the drive to the NTFS file system.
The operating system will back up the following drives by default:
Encrypted (EFI) system partition
Disk (C:)(system)
Chapter Restore(system)
The required space for archiving will also be displayed (in this case, 17 GB is required, a clean system with installed device drivers and a couple of applications). The more programs that have been installed on your computer since you installed Windows, the more space you will need to store a backup copy of the operating system.
Before completing the backup process, you will be prompted to create a recovery disk. If necessary, you can create it (you will need a DVD). You can also create a recovery disk later on a USB drive (USB flash drive), how to do this is described in detail in the article
After completing the process of creating a backup copy of the system disk image, click Close
A Windows 10 disk image backup has been created and is located on the disk ( D:) in folder WindowsImageBackup
Now you have a backup copy of the Windows 10 disk image, which you can use in the future if various system problems occur. For information on how to use a disk image backup, read the article.
