3 Partition WIndows Install Drive USB Flash Drive and VMWare 17.5

I have 3 partitions on a 32 Gig Stick becuase I have a 12GB install.wim file. Partition 1 is labeled "boot" , Partition 2 is named "Sorces" and 3 is named "apps". Now do I have to make an ISO for each partition or Can I just have one ISO file so then I can test it out on VMWare 17.5? Thank you In Advance JTM

sorces ?

If you want to use windows setup.exe it will expect sources

A 12 gb wim??? What version of Windows did you download, where did you get the download from, and what app created your usb install boot drive?
An iso is downloaded as one file with an extension of .iso and written to the usb drive as multiple files. The usb drive should be formatted as ntfs since fat32 has a 4 gb file limitation. I believe this is why your drive has been split into partitions. It's formatted wrong.

As an example, I downloaded a multi-edition 23h2.iso and created an installation drive using Rufus(total of 6.3 gb). The usb drive is formatted ntfs. Inside the sources folder is the install.wim file of 5.51 gb.
When I mount the drive, these are the folders that make up a multi-edition Windows 11 iso.(release version )

glasskuter said:

A 12 gb wim??? What version of Windows did you download, where did you get the download from, and what app created your usb install boot drive?
An iso is downloaded as one file with an extension of .iso and written to the usb drive as multiple files. The usb drive should be formatted as ntfs since fat32 has a 4 gb file limitation. I believe this is why your drive has been split into partitions. It's formatted wrong.

As an example, I downloaded a multi-edition 23h2.iso and created an installation drive using Rufus(total of 6.3 gb). The usb drive is formatted ntfs. Inside the sources folder is the install.wim file of 5.51 gb.
When I mount the drive, these are the folders that make up a multi-edition Windows 11 iso.(release version )
View attachment 98575

Click to expand...

OP obviously has created a custom install.wim.

SIW2 said:

sorces ?

If you want to use windows setup.exe it will expect sources

Click to expand...

Obviously a typo.

Rbcc said:

I have 3 partitions on a 32 Gig Stick becuase I have a 12GB install.wim file. Partition 1 is labeled "boot" , Partition 2 is named "Sorces" and 3 is named "apps". Now do I have to make an ISO for each partition or Can I just have one ISO file so then I can test it out on VMWare 17.5? Thank you In Advance JTM

Click to expand...

Not sure format of usb drive is correct.

You need a fat32 partition containing boot.wim in sources folder. The ntfs partition should be identical to format of a standard usb installation drive with install wim replaced.

I have created custom isos with large install.wim. I need to check syntax for creating iso.

Rbcc said:

I have 3 partitions on a 32 Gig Stick becuase I have a 12GB install.wim file.

Click to expand...

You can split an install.wim that's larger than 4GB into several .swm (split Windows image) files. Then you can put them in the Sources folder on a standard Fat32 install usb, as I have done here.

1. Typo should have been "sources" not sors, thanks for catching it.

If I have 3 batch files that reside in the 3rd partition how to make system image manager using asyncronous run the batch file that installs a application that resides in apps folder so it will be installed on vmware?

Rbcc said:

Now do I have to make an ISO for each partition or Can I just have one ISO file so then I can test it out on VMWare 17.5?

Click to expand...

ISO images are designed to make images of optical discs such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays. They don't understand partitions. As a result, you cannot make a single ISO image.

Normally, I work in the opposite direction, making my boot from the ISO image, rather than creating an ISO image out of the media.

In any case, you want to combine the contents of the first two partitions into one single flat folder on your HDD / SSD and then create an ISO image from that. Then, you can create a second ISO image out of the third partition.

Since you are working with custom images, I am assuming that you likely have the Windows ADK installed. If you do, you can use OSCDIMG to create a bootable for ISO image from the flat directory that you created and you can also use it to create the ISO image out of the remaining data partition.

If you need the exact syntax for both operations, please let me know and I'll gladly provide that. If you need other details such as a step-by-step set of directions, I can do that as well.

Actually, it is simpler than as discussed so far.

Just copy ALL files from a usb installation drive to an ntfs partition, then overwrite install.wim with custom install.wim.

Then create custom iso of the ntfs partition. You will need some adk software installed.

It is all explained in @Kari's tutorial how to create custom installer in tenforums tutorial section.

Point is an iso knows nothing about fat32 or ntfs. It is just a cd emulation container that contains all relevant files.

Re. Apps if you want them in same iso, just create a subfolder on ntfs installation partition.