TVeblen said:
GlowingBlueMist said:
I don't know the answer to your actual question but have you considered
using ImgBurn or some other software to copy your existing boot DVD over
to a standard ISO and burning a "backup" copy of it to boot from? Here is
a link to
http://www.imgburn.com/ which is now Windows 7 compatible, even
in 64 bit mode.
Funny you should say that. I just completed creating a USB thumbdrive
install "disk" using ImageBurn and UltraISO. I just tested it seconds ago
and I am good to go. According to the forum people it should also install
much faster than DVD too.
If interested, see here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...-key-drive-create.html?filter[2]=General Tips
and here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/34853-common-installation-problems.html
I think my SATA DVD drive is garbage. I'll deal with that later.
I'm still working on your question, but I'm not making much progress.
Something that occurred to me today, is I do have the materials to "play along"
here. I download the Windows 7 trial software from way back when. Never
did get around to installing it. It is a 2+ GB download.
So I figured, there is a chance that the file system used in that DVD image,
is going to bear some similarity to the Windows 7 DVD you have in your hand.
Next step, was to find some kind of utility that can parse the file, and
tell me what it is. And I found one. The utility is "disktype" and
unfortunately, it runs in Linux/Unix environments.
So the solution for me was easy. I booted my Linux LiveCD Knoppix 5.3.1,
went into the Synaptic package manager, updated it (which updates the
list of packages), and "disktype" is available as a package. I installed
it. For details, you can see
http://disktype.sourceforge.net
That web page may look rather plain, but the software works. While I
was in Linux, I ran
disktype 7100.0.090421-1700_x86fre_client_en-us_retail_ultimate-grc1culfrer_en_dvd.iso
as the named file was the Windows 7 that was available for download,
back when they were testing it. That one will expire some time next
year.
This is what disktype reports.
*******
--- 7100.0.090421-1700_x86fre_client_en-us_retail_ultimate-grc1culfrer_en_dvd.iso
Regular file, size 2.357 GiB (2530975744 bytes)
UDF file system
Sector size 2048 bytes
Volume name "<5500><4400><4600><2000><5600><6F00><6C00><7500><6D00><6500>"
UDF version 1.02
ISO9660 file system
Volume name "GRC1CULFRER_EN_DVD"
Publisher "MICROSOFT CORPORATION"
Preparer "MICROSOFT CORPORATION, ONE MICROSOFT WAY, REDMOND WA 98052, (425) 882-8080"
Application "CDIMAGE 2.54 (01/01/2005 TM)"
Data size 2.357 GiB (2530975744 bytes, 1235828 blocks of 2 KiB)
El Torito boot record, catalog at 22
Bootable non-emulated image, starts at 663, preloads 4 KiB
Platform 0x00 (x86), System Type 0x00 (Empty)
*******
It is apparently a dual file system. UDF, because that is what would typically
be used on a DVD. And ISO9660, and maybe that is to make it more likely
to work on more systems.
I still haven't figure out how it boots though. And that could take a while.
disktype can apparently be run against media, as well as a file like that.
If your hard drive was mounted in Linux, the command might look something
like this.
disktype /dev/hda1
If you could figure out what the CD drive was called, you could also have
the program read the media in the drive, and give its analysis. So you don't
even need to convert the DVD into an ISO file, to run the program against
it.
Paul
