Vista ISO - Download and Create Installation DVD or USB

How to Download a Vista ISO and Create an Installation DVD or USB
​

   Information

Downloads are available for the 32 (X86) and 64 bit (X64) versions of Vista Ultimate only, in English, French and German, but if, during the install, you do not enter the product key when initially prompted for it then you will be asked to select the version of Vista you want to install. It can be any of these four:

​

Windows Vista Home Basic​

Windows Vista Home Premium​

Windows Vista Business​

Windows Vista Ultimate​

​

​

   Warning

You must have a valid installation key, which should be on the COA sticker on the computer, to activate the installation once it completes.

STEP ONE

To Download the Vista Setup Files

   Warning

The Vista downloads listed below seem to come and go. Right now, 10/12/2014 at 3:39PM EST they are available. I don't know of any other location they are legally available from, sorry.

​

1. Downloaded the Vista X64 or X86 setup files.​

​

​

​

X64 (64 bit):​

install.wim​

boot.wim​

X14-63453.exe​

​

X86 (32 bit):​

install.wim​

boot.wim​

X14-63452.exe​

   Note

Both X14-63453.exe and X14-63452.exe will be downloaded as MicrosoftInstaller.exe. For consistency, please rename MicrosoftInstaller.exe to X14-63453.exe or X14-63452.exe, depending on which you downloaded.

   Warning

Wait for all downloads to complete before continuing

​

2. Double click (or right click and Open) on the downloaded X14-63453.exe or X14-63452.exe. It extracts all the files into a Vista sub-folder.​

​

3. If they are not already there, copy boot.wim and install.wim into the Vista\sources folder that is created when you doubled clicked on the .exe file in step 2.​

​

4. Download the Windows Bootable Image Creator zip file, WBICreator.zip.​

​

​

​

5. Extract the files in WBICreator.zip to a folder.​

​

STEP TWO

To Create the Vista ISO File

   Warning

You can download the files on any computer but you must be running on a 64bit (X64) system to create a 64Bit install DVD or flash drive

​

6. Open the folder and double click (or right click and Open) WBICreator.exe​

​

​

​

7. Click Next​

​

​

​

8. Select OS Type: Windows Vista (all the way to the bottom)​

​

9. CD/DVD Label: VistaX64 or VistaX86​

​

10. Setup Location: The Vista folder created when you double clicked on X14-63453.exe or X14-63452.exe.​

​

11. Output Path: Somewhere with enough free space to hold the .iso file that will be created (X64 = 3,837,112KB, X86 = 3,013,816KB).​

​

​

​

12. Click GO. When done a VistaX64.iso or VistaX86.iso file will be created in the Output Path you chose.​

​

​

​

STEP THREE

To Create Vista Installation DVD or USB Flash Drive with ISO File

​

13. You can use the generated .iso to create a Vista Install DVD.​

​

13a. Download and install and run ImgBurn.​

​

13b. Make sure you deselect anything other than ImgBurn during the install by always taking the Custom choice.​

​

​

​

13c. Click on Write image file to disc​

​

​

​

13d. Click the Browse for file button and selecta the ISO file you just created.​

​

​

​

13e. Click Write. A nice little tune will play when the DVD create completes.​

​

​

​

14. You can also create a bootable USB Flash drive (4GB or larger) to install Vista from.​

​

14a. Download and run Universal USB Installer Easy as 1 2 3​

​

14b. Select Vista from the first drop down list, all the way to the bottom​

​

​

​

14c. Select the VistaX64.iso or VistaX86 .iso file​

​

14d. Select your USB flash drive​

​

14e. Click Create​

​

​

​

   Information

I created a X86 flash drive and used it to install a clean copy of Vista Home Basic on my HP DV2200 Laptop. Worked great using the key on the COA sticker of the laptop.

Remember to activate after the install has completed.

Note: You may need to download drivers for the computer from the manufacturers web site so I would suggest getting the Network (LAN and Wireless) and video/VGA drivers ahead of time so you can install them as soon as you finish installing Vista.

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Create a Bootable USB Flash Thumb Drive to Install Vista with

 

[Dosedmonkey]

Go back to the first post in this thread. Download 32 or 64 bit and create your own ISO. It has SP1 so you will need to install SP2 then all updates.

Yes, but the file X14-63453.exe for 64bit Vista does not exsist digital river, or as linked anyway. The other two files boot.wim and install.wim do though. I presumed this is the same for 32 bit, this is why ilikefree had uploaded the 32bit one.

 

[Dosedmonkey]

Double post as refuses to let me edit my last one?

Does this ISO help?
Download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 All Language Standalone DVD ISO from Official Microsoft Download Center

 

[Ztruker]

That is just SP1, not a Vista install DVD with SP1 included.

 

[Dosedmonkey]

Bums, so still need to find a 64bit version of Vista... if I wasn't in S. America I would just order a windows 7 upgrade from Amazon. Haha.

 

[Ztruker]

Didn't realize the X64 links for Vista were no longer valid.

I'm uploading VistaX64.iso to my dropbox account now. Should be there in an hour or so. Once it is I'll send you a PM with the link.

 

[Dosedmonkey]

Thankyou so much!

 

[Ztruker]

Still says 3 more hours. Instead, post at the end of the following thread.

Vista ISO - Download and Create Installation DVD or USB

Look through the last number of posts to see what you need to do. Basically post your diddled E-mail address then Ex_Brit will send you a link to where you can download the 32 or 64 bit Vista iso that includes SP1 and Sp2.

 

[ilikefree]

I only have Vista 32bit versions on my site as that is all I own.
Service packs came directly from Microsoft download center
File with the service packs already installed is for Vista Home Basic or Vista Home Premium 32bit only and was made by a member of this forum.
I was told it gets downloaded about 80 times a day, so it may be slow.
I don't monitor traffic on my site but my host does.
Hope this information helps

 

[Ztruker]

The Vista downloads are not longer available. Don't know if they ever will return.

 

[ilikefree]

32bit Vista downloads on my site are, but slow because of traffic

ilikefree_Program_Index

 

[bilbob]

32bit Vista downloads on my site are, but slow because of traffic

ilikefree_Program_Index

Hi chap,
New to the site, found, as many do because of issues getting a good source for the disc for reinstall of the software!
Great resource you provide, however, I'm having a bugger of a time getting the downloads to work, they break after a very short time, sometimes resumable, but never get beyond a couple of hundred meg...

Just wanted to let you know

 

[ctyclkr]

I am interested, how can I contact you?

I have a 32bit Vista .iso made by SIW2 that has both service packs and all Windows updates up to 11-10-13
I will give the link to interested parties who contact me and not post it publicly

 

[Ztruker]

Post here and ask Peter (Ex_Brit) to send you the link to the versions of Vista you need, 32 or 64. Include your E-mail address mucked up, like abc at xyz DOT com then edit your post and remove it as soon as you receive the link.

The ISO Peter provides has both SP1 and SP2 applied.

Pick up the Tutorial: How to Download a Vista ISO and Create an Installation DVD or USB here:

STEP THREE
To Create Vista Installation DVD or USB Flash Drive with ISO File

During the install, when asked for the key, don't enter it. You will then be given a menu where you can chose the version you want to install.

Peter has told me that if you do enter the key when asked, it will automatically chose the correct version to install. I've not tried that. If you do, let me know if it works or not.

 

[ilikefree]

SIW2 Version is here at the bottom of this page
ilikefree_Program_Index

 

[vikasac1]

SIW2 Version is here at the bottom of this page
ilikefree_Program_Index

this link stops downloading after sometime. Is it just me who is facing this issue? Or same problem is coming to others also?

Am I doing something wrong here?

 

[Ztruker]

Just tried it, I get the same thing. The most I've been able to download is 124MB. Definitely a problem with their site.

Follow the directions I gave in my previous post and you will get a link to a reliable download of Vista 32 or 64 bit.

 

[Ztruker]

The Vista downloads at heidoc.net are back!!! Yippeeee. This tutorial is now functional again though the tutorial on the heidoc site is pretty good itself.

 

[AzaChorn]

I have a 32bit Vista .iso made by SIW2 that has both service packs and all Windows updates up to 11-10-13
I will give the link to interested parties who contact me and not post it publicly

Hi, ilikefree!

Thank you for your link to your Vista 32bit .iso w/service packs and updates; it may save me some time with upcoming reinstall!

 

[njjayt82]

Hiya,
I found this post yesterday after 2 days of trying to fix my friends bosses computer, it is an HP pavillion dv9 thought this would be the answers to my prayers.. It works on my windows 7 machine ( a bit of trial and error on my part after trying to install from the HP computer and got nothing)
It's saying operating system not found when ever I try to do ANYTHING ( hp recovery manager, system repair disk) I am about at my wits end with HP and ESP vista this is the 3rd HP vista machine I have fixed in the past 8 Months ( or in this case with the last one attempted to fix)
I was able to run a bios hdd scan and it passed the test, so I popped it into my 7 machine and ran chkdisk on it as well as a western digital lifeguard scan and all other tests I could think of to run (all passed).. I am now beginning to think that there's a problem with the cd drive as nothing I have put into the cd bay has worked...
Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom to throw my way?

 

[Ztruker]

Follow the directions in the tutorial (first post in this long thread) and create a bootable USB flash drive to install Vista from instead of a DVD.