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I recently downloaded a Volume License copy of Windows Server 2003 Web Edition with SP2, but the only download option is an .exe file (self-extracting zip)... no .iso file. I need to somehow get this on a bootable CD so that I can install the OS on my machine.

How can I make a bootable CD?

(I already asked and apparently MS doesn't offer an .iso version of this for download, which can't be true because I can download it from MSDN. But tech support so far hasn't been any help.)

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    Surely there must be deployment instructions provided - have you read them?
    – Chopper3
    Jul 22, 2010 at 15:06
  • Hehe... you think it would be that easy. Here's how the support call went. Me: "So how do I install an OS that I can't put on a bootable CD?" Microsoft: "You can either pay for a support call or visit our Technet forums." Fail.
    – Jon Kruger
    Jul 22, 2010 at 16:18
  • Are you sure the executable isn't just to install the service pack? I can't think of a reason/way MS would distribute the OS install as an executable.
    – Paul Kroon
    Jul 22, 2010 at 16:33

4 Answers 4

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You can also try this: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=297

I never tested it myself.

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  • Don't attempt to convert the folder to an iso, it won't work. In fact iso images of windows install cds are rarely bootable. You need to extract the contents and create a bootable cd using a popular cd burning program like nero. One of the extracted files will be the boot sector which allows you to make the cd bootable. The link posted here by toastman will work, I've done it several times.
    – simon
    Dec 1, 2010 at 17:08
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You can use Folder2ISO to convert the extracted files into an iso then burn them to a disk whatever you need.

Edit: First remember to use the self extractor to make the folder*

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  • And that will create a bootable ISO?
    – Jon Kruger
    Jul 22, 2010 at 14:53
  • You'd need the boot sector for a MS Server 2003 CD before this will work. I'm not sure if Folder2ISO has a bootable option either.
    – Chris S
    Jul 22, 2010 at 14:55
  • no it doesn't the bootsector would be required or included in the self extractor Jul 22, 2010 at 14:58
  • you could use BartPE to boot it Jul 22, 2010 at 15:00
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It'd probably be a lot easier to just use a WinPE CD (or any Server 2008 CD, push Ctrl+F8 at the Welcome screen to get a command prompt) and install it from a USB drive or similar.

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Use CDIMAGE. The link to a tutorial is here:
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/15/

For some reason, I can't pull up that link right now, so here's the Google Cache as well:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:WKvpCcnzgS8J:unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/15/+cdimage&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

The same process should work for XP, 2000 or 2003.

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