How To

Easy Way to Create Windows ISO File with ESD

The ESD (Electronic Software Download) Images is a great way to provide updates, upgrades, or small tools by Microsoft. You can use the $WINDOWS.~BT which is a hidden file on your Windows installation drive to create a Windows ISO File with the ESD Decrypter tool.

ESD is great for handling system files, as it is an encrypted and compressed version of Install.wim Images.

If anyone wants to use the file, then they will need to decrypt it first and then expand it. You can use ESD files to perform a clean installation of your current OS or even to install previous versions.

Even though Microsoft provides Windows 10 files through Media Creation Tool and there is no ISO file from the officials. Users who want to have access to the ISO file of Windows 10, can use this method.

Related Topic: Create Windows 10 ISO Image from Existing Installation files

How to Create Windows ISO File with ESD?

create windows iso with esd
create windows iso with esd

Here are the steps to create Windows 10 ISO file with ESD. Before we begin the procedure, let’s make sure you have performed a few tasks. Even though you can also perform them during the operation, still it is handy to do it now.

  • You will need to check your Windows 10 for latest update, if you are going to use the latest version of
    Windows 10. To update your Windows 10, you will go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
  • Secondly, you will need to enable the Show hidden files in the File Explorer. Since $WINDOWS.~BT is a hidden file, you will need to access by enabling the Show Hidden Files option. You will open File Explorer, click on View and select the Show Hidden Files option.

1: Download ESD Decrypter

We will begin by downloading ESD Decrypter. ESD Decrypter is a great command-line-based tool for converting ESD files to ISO files. Here is the direct link to download ESD Decrypter.

2: Install ESD Decrypter

Now you are going to perform the installation. Before you start the installation, you will need to extract all the files from the zip. For the extraction, you will need third-party tools as WinRAR. Use this link to download WinRAR and do the installation.

Then you will use the WinRAR to extract all the ESD Decrypter files and will do the installation. Now, remember the location where you have installed ESD Decrypter. You might be also interested in: How to make Zip files on Windows 10 or 11?

3: Access $WINDOWS.~BT folder

Here you are going to access the $WINDOWS.~BT folder. The folder is present on a drive with Windows system files as Hidden. This is why we have asked you to enable the Show Hidden Files option at the start.

We will open This PC, select the C: drive (the most common drive with Windows files) and search for the $WINDOWS.~BT folder. You will find this interesting: How to Increase C Drive Space in Windows 10?

4: Copy Install.ESD to ESD Decrypter

Copy Install.ESD
Copy Install.ESD

Now you will right-click on the Install.ESD file and select the Copy option. Then you are going to open the ESD Decrypter installation folder and will paste the Install.ESD file.

5: Run ESD Decrypter Script

Run ESD Decrypter Script
Run ESD Decrypter Script

In this step, you are going to run ESD Decrypter Script in the ESD Decrypter folder. Now you are facing a prompt with different options on your screen. You are going to see the following options on your screen:

Create Windows ISO File with ESD Decrypter
Create Windows ISO File with ESD Decrypter
  1. Create Full ISO with Standard installation.wim
  2. Create Full ISO with compressed install.esd
  3. Created Standard install.wim
  4. Create Compressed install.esd

6: Create Windows ISO File with ESD

You are going to select the second option by typing 2 on the ESD Decrypter prompt and press Enter. Now the operation will take place and once the operation got completed, you will find the en_windows_10_pro_14316_x64_dvd.iso file inside your ESD folder.

created Windows ISO with ESD
created Windows ISO with ESD

You will be asked to press any key to exit on your screen. Press any key and exit the prompt. Congratulation, you have an ISO file of Windows OS with ESD.

Related Topic: How to Create a full Windows 10 Image Backup?

Use the ISO to Create bootable USB

Now that you have created an ISO file of Windows 10, let’s make a bootable USB too. this will be handy. If you are going to perform the installation on any other computer. Most users create an ISO file of Windows with ESD for virtualization purposes. So, let’s begin.

First, you are going to download the RUFUS application. Since there is no need for installation, you will open RUFUS directly.

For the properties, you are going to select the following:

In Select Device, you will select your USB drive.

Partition scheme and target system type, you will select MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI.

For the File system, select the NTFS option.

Cluster size should be selected as Default settings.

And in Create a bootable disk using, you are going to select the ISO image that you have created. For this purpose, you will click on the Browse button and then will select the ISO file.

Click on Start and the procedure to create a bootable USB of Windows OS will being.

Related Topic: How to Create Windows 10 Bootable USB?

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