3 Ways To Create An x86 and x64 All-In-One Windows 7 ISO

By the end of this piece, you’ll be able to create an all-in-one Windows 7 install media that includes both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) editions. You’ll be equipped with the knowledge to choose the method that best suits your needs, whether you prefer a user-friendly interface with WinAIO Maker Professional or want more control with GImageX and ImageX.

Table of Contents

• Method 1: WinAIO Maker Professional
• Method 2: Create An X86/X64 ISO Using Microsoft ImageX And A GUI Frontend
• Method 3: Manually Create An All-In-One Disk With Microsoft ImageX

How to Create a Windows 7 All-In-One ISO

Method 1: WinAIO Maker Professional

The developer of WinAIO Maker Professional, Josh Cell Softwares, also makes some other useful free tools like Advanced Tokens Manager and WinUSB Maker. This program is about as simple as it gets and takes the hard work out of creating an all-in-one Windows x86 and x64 install media.

Creating the All-In-One ISO

1. Start the Process:
   Click the AutoAIO button, then browse for a working folder where the ISO will be created.
2. Add ISOs:
   Add both the x86 and x64 Windows 7 ISOs. The ei.cfg file that restricts the versions on the disk will be automatically removed during the process.
3. Enable Recovery Options:
   The Enable x64 recovery mode option is useful because without it you won’t be able to use the Windows recovery options on a 64-bit system. Checking the box will create a boot menu with the 64-bit option added.
4. Compile the ISO:
   Click Start Compilation and wait a few minutes for the ISO to be created.

Advantages of WinAIO Maker Professional

• Recovery Options: Include both 32-bit and 64-bit recovery options on the same disk.
• Repair Install: Possibility to perform a repair install for both 32-bit or 64-bit systems (note: the 64-bit repair install option didn’t work during testing).
• Ease of Use: Significantly simpler than manually merging ISOs.

WinAIO Maker is far more capable than just creating an all-in-one ISO—it can also delete specific Windows editions from the WIM file. For example, if you know you won’t need Windows 7 Home Basic or Starter, they can be deleted from the image (although this might only save a few hundred megabytes, so it’s advised to leave all 9 versions in place).

There are some other very useful tools available, such as:

• Creating an ISO from a folder or extracting a folder to an ISO.
• An MD5/SHA1/CRC32 hash calculator.
• An option to create an ISO from a DVD.
• WinToUSB which can write any extracted Windows install media folder or your new all-in-one to a USB flash drive.

WinAIO Maker Professional is a standalone portable executable but does require .NET Framework 3.5. (Windows 8 and 10 users will need to install it from Optional Features.)

Download WinAIO Maker Professional

Read More

• How to Create Windows 7 Recovery USB & Download Source
• How to Get the Windows 7 Fully Updated ISO for a Smooth Installation

Method 2: Create An X86/X64 ISO Using Microsoft ImageX And A GUI Frontend

This method uses a command line tool, ImageX (part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit – WAIK), to create or edit WIM images. Although many sites suggest downloading the full WAIK (over 1GB), you can get away with just the 54MB Deployment Tools. An easier alternative is to use a small program called GImageX, a GUI frontend for ImageX. The required DLL and SYS files are already included with Windows, so there’s no need to download WAIK. With GImageX, you don’t have to use the Command Prompt to merge editions together.

Two additional tools are required for this method:

• 7-Zip archiver
• A Windows ISO creation tool (we will use DXTool).

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Extract ISOs:
   Right-click on the 32-bit (x86) ISO and choose 7-Zip > Extract files…
   • Browse for a path to extract the ISO and create a new folder named X86.
   • For the 64-bit ISO (x64), choose a path and create a folder called AIO.
   • Browse to \AIO\Sources and delete ei.cfg to make all Windows versions available on the selection screen.
   
2. Download and Run GImageX:
   Download GImageX and extract it.
   Run the 32-bit or 64-bit version according to your current operating system.
3. Configure GImageX:
   Go to the Export tab:
   • For Source WIM, browse to the X86\Sources folder and double-click Install.WIM.
   • For Destination WIM, find and open Install.WIM in the AIO\Sources folder.
   
4. Select Editions:
   The Source WIM Image number is the index number inside the WIM for the x86 version you want to add. The numbers are as follows:Image 1: Windows 7 Starter X86
   Image 2: Windows 7 Home Basic x86
   Image 3: Windows 7 Home Premium x86
   Image 4: Windows 7 Professional x86
   Image 5: Windows 7 Ultimate x86
5. Add to the Combined ISO:
   From the Destination WIM, select Wim > Apply to apply your desired version from Source WIM.

Method 3: Manually Create An All-In-One Disk With Microsoft ImageX

This manual method using ImageX requires familiarity with command-line tools. ImageX can create WIM images that can be added to an ISO file.

The main disadvantage is that it takes significantly longer than the previous methods, and you must know which edition belongs where in the disk.

Wrapping up

Creating a Windows 7 all-in-one install media allows you to manage multiple editions in one ISO. Whether you choose WinAIO Maker Professional, GImageX with ImageX, or a manual method, you can customize your installation for various needs.

If you need to downgrade Windows 7 64-bit to 32-bit (x64 to x86) or enable more than 4GB of memory on a 32-bit system, check out our guides. You can also boost performance by using a 64-bit web browser.

Lastly, ensure you have the right installation files with our official Windows 7 ISO links. With these tools and resources, you’ll have an efficient, all-in-one setup for your Windows 7 installation.