Unable to copy the Windows 7 install DVD to a thumb drive

[krazykat]

Hi,
Unable to copy the Windows 7 install DVD to a thumb drive

I am using Windows 7 PRO X64 desktop. I have been unable to copy the Windows 7 install DVD (happens to be a Dell OEM full WIN7 PRO X64 DVD) to a thumb drive. I have tried using Internet explorer and a file management program called “xplorer2” PRO X65 from zabkat.com ( I have used xplorer2 for many years with no problems).

I tried copying the entire DVD by selecting all the folders. The copy process starts and then in a few minutes I receive an error message “K:\boot\en-us\bootsect.exe.mui File copy failed Windows error = 1117: The request could not be performed because on an I/O device error”. (Using GOOGLE search I did find some references to the “mui” file extension not being easily copied and some (possible) solutions.) I click on cancel and the screen dims; the rotating blue circle appears and continues to rotate. After about 6-7 minutes I use Task manager, which shows the program is not responding, to kill the task. Same results for both Internet explorer and xplorer2.

As an experiment, I powered down and restarted WIN7. This time I selected a single folder; size about 100MB ( NOT the boot\en-us folder), on the DVD disk and started the copy process. Again the copy process started. This time I did not receive the error message (as expected, since I was not copying the bootsect.exe.mui file). The copy process was the same, after about 5-6 minutes, the screen dims, the rotating blue circle appears and continues to rotate. Wait about 6-7 minutes, use Task manager, which shows the program is not responding to kill the task. Same results for both Internet explorer and xplorer2.

MY question: Is there something unique about copying an Operating System install disk to a thumb drive? Do I need to use some (old) DOS process like XCOPY ? I have been able to copy files, folders from DVD disks to thumb drives many times.

Thanks

 

[TrainableMan]

the thumb drive has to be made bootable, just like copying files to a CD/DVD doesn't make the copy bootable.

That's why you use the Windows USB/DVD download tool to write the W7 (or W8) ISO to a USB stick

 

[krazykat]

TrainableMan,

Thanks for the tip/information. I will give it a try -- to make a bootable USB stick. But as you said " copying files to a CD/DVD doesn't make the copy bootable". I was just wanting to copy the files to a USB stick for archive purposes, did not expect it to be bootable. The source DVD was burned from an ISO file, so it is bootable. Internet explorer must have been confused when asked to copy files from a bootable DVD. Is there a way to just do a simple copy to files from the source DVD to the USB stick?

Thanks again,
krazykat

 

[TrainableMan]

You probably could copy the folders but I would worry about missing hidden files and/or folders and in the end you probably could not recreate a bootable DVD if needed.

If you are doing it just as a backup then I would just copy the entire ISO. The nice thing about having an ISO is, you can always burn it to a DVD with software like IMGBurn or even load it on a virtual drive to access the files with software like Daemon Tools Lite, Magic ISO or PowerISO.

See our Freeware DB if interested in links to the software I mentioned.