Select Windows 7 SKU Version On Install & Create SKU Specific Install Discs

Following up from my article on Moving To Windows 7 this is an article for the enthusiasts who’ve got their Windows 7 RTM discs & will be deploying them across machines. Unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 does not allow you to select the edition you want to install in the first few steps, it does not come in a ready-to-use All-in-One installation disc. Perhaps. Apparently sometime during the Windows 7 pre-RTM leak cycle some geniuses figured out a way to install versions other than Ultimate by editing a file. Here are the manual & one-click method to enable the SKU Edition Selector during Windows 7 install. And methods to create specific SKU discs from the ones you downloaded.

To Enable Edition Selector

• The Automatic Method

Recommended. Tried. Tested. One-click (maybe two.)

1. Download eicfg Remover tool:

   

2. Extract it some where
3. Run the file eicfg_remover
4. Locate the Windows 7 ISO file & let the tool do the magic.
5. It will prompt you once done. Screenshot:

Doing this will show you the following screen when you use the disc for installation:

2. The Manual Method:

1. Extract the ISO in a directory
2. Navigate to Sources
3. Delete the file ei.cfg

• To Create SKU Specific Discs

Alternately, you can configure the ISO to act as installation disc for any one of the SKUs. To do this:

1. The Automatic Method:

1. Download the ISO patcher

   

2. Extract it some where.
3. Run the file bin_patcher
4. Navigate to 7600.16385-disc_switch_patches (within the directory you extracted the files)
5. Select the SKU edition you want.
6. Locate the Windows 7 ISO file & let the tool do the magic.
7. It will prompt you once done.

2. The Manual Method:

1. Extract the ISO in a directory
2. Navigate to Sources
3. Open the file ei.cfg in Notepad

   The contents of the file should be:

   [EditionID]
   Ultimate
   [Channel]
   Retail
   [VL]
   0

4. Edit Ultimate & choose any of the following depending on the SKU you want:
   Starter
   HomeBasic
   HomePremium
   Professional
   Ultimate

Also, incase you’re planning to upgrade from Windows 7 RC (which you shouldn’t) you can do the following to enable it:

1. Extract the ISO in a directory
2. Navigate to Sources
3. Open the file ei.cfg in Notepad

   The contents of the file should be:

   [HostBuild]
   MinClient=7233.0
   MinServer=7100.0

4. Edit 7233.0 to 7100
5. Save the file & burn the disc.

NOTE: I will strongly recommend that you do NOT upgrade from RC to RTM.

Both one-click tools are courtesy klio You can download a tool from Microsoft to burn the ISOs to disc or create bootable USBs.

~Enjoy