How to Create an ISO Image of Windows 8

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To generate a bootable ISO image, follow these steps:

  1. Start K3b.
  2. Select New Data Project under New Project.
  3. Drag and drop your files into the data section at the bottom of the unpacked disk.
  4. Open Edit Boot Images.
  5. Select New.
  6. Choose the boot image from the boot folder (usually the same as on Windows 8).

Sizing up the flash drive

To prepare the flash drive, make sure it is big enough to hold the Windows disc and has the first partition formatted to NTFS. Here’s what you can do:

  1. If your flash drive is mounted, right-click it and unmount it using your file manager.
  2. Launch GParted.
  3. Choose your flash drive from the upper right drop-down menu.
  4. Create a new partition with enough space for your ISO. Make sure it is formatted as NTFS and is the first partition on the drive.
  5. Remount your flash drive by clicking it in your file manager, ejecting it, and plugging it back in.

Making a bootable flash drive

There are several ways to make a bootable flash drive, but we will use Unetbootin. Here’s how:

  1. Launch Unetbootin as root.
  2. Choose the ‘Diskimage’ radio button and input the ISO image path.
  3. Select your NTFS formatted flash drive by changing the drive type option from USB to Harddisk. Be careful not to select your real hard drive!
  4. Click Okay and wait for the process to finish. You’ll have a bootable Windows flash drive.

Let’s see if you can generate an ISO file.

If you make ISO images and store them on your hard drive, you can maximize the storage of device drivers, applications, and everything else that comes on a CD/DVD disc.
Installing a program from a mounted ISO image is quicker than using an actual optical disc. It is also more convenient to use Windows Search to locate the correct image rather than searching through multiple driver CDs.

To create an ISO image using WinCDEmu, follow these steps:

  1. Insert the disc into the optical drive you want to convert.
  2. From the Start menu, select the ‘Computer’ folder.
  3. Right-click on the drive icon and choose ‘Create ISO image’.
  4. Provide a file name for the image.
  5. Click "Save."
  6. Wait for the image creation to complete.
  7. After the image is created, you can mount it whenever you need it by ejecting the actual disc. Refer to a tutorial on how to mount the images.
  8. If you have any queries or issues, feel free to post on the WinCDEmu forum.

Now let’s create a bootable ISO image.

Before starting the process, make sure you have boot information.

  1. Boot up the program and use WinISO to create a bootable ISO file in a few simple steps.
  2. Save the boot information file to your hard drive.
  3. Launch WinISO after installing it.
  4. Select the Bootable option on the toolbar.