ei.cfg Removal Utility (Windows 7 Universal CD) – Make Your Windows 7 Disc Universal

12/17/2009
21 COMMENTS

One of the biggest frustrations when installing Windows XP was making sure you had the correct CD for your license key. Windows Vista fixed this problem by having a universal CD that contained all versions (all 32bit versions or all 64bit versions, not both) and simply installed the version that the key matched.

Now that Windows 7 is out, Microsoft have reverted back to needing a separate disk for each version which is annoying for us computer technicians. However, the only difference between each DVD is a small 51 byte configuration file called ei.cfg which tells the installer what version disc it is. If you were to turn your DVD into an ISO, remove this ei.cfg file and write it back to a DVD, that DVD would become a Universal DVD.

ei.cfg Removal Utility will make this easy for you. Just create an ISO with your legitimate Windows 7 DVD, run this tool, choose the ISO and let it run. Once it has finished, just write the ISO back to a DVD again and you would only need to carry one 32bit version and one 64bit version to support any Windows 7 install onsite.

Of course, your client would still need to provide you with a working key for the Windows 7 install to work.

Downloads:

Download from the Coders Site – 4.64kb

Special thanks to our forum member AtYourService for recommending this one.

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Ivan says:

12/17/2009 at 09:42

This will come very handy. thank you!!!

D MooRe says:

12/17/2009 at 10:08

Does anyone know if there is a similar fix for Windows XP. The article mentions that it’s a pain in XP but doesn’t say there is a fix for it

Jim says:

12/17/2009 at 15:03

Nope…no fix for XP. It’s a completely different beast altogether.

Jim says:

12/17/2009 at 15:15

It should be noted that this tool doesn’t actually “remove” anything from the ISO. It merely alters the UDF file table so that ei.cfg is ignored….

Rodney Fiddaman says:

12/18/2009 at 14:33

Ummm, the end of the article doesn’t quite make sense. You’re talking about creating a single install disk for both versions, right? Shouldn’t it say “and you would only need to carry one disk to support any Windows 7 install onsite.”?

Steve says:

12/18/2009 at 07:08

thank you for advice. it’s better to have CD versions with license keys

Michael says:

12/18/2009 at 10:23

I’m loving this will be very useful indeed. I can remember this problem with xp and carrying all those different versions just in case. MCE of XP was the worst for me.

Thank you very much for this and as someone mentioned before would be great to have something like this for XP but I know the install disk are very different. Thing is I dont trust those all in ones.

Jim says:

12/18/2009 at 20:37

Nope..the article is correct Rodney. You are confusing “Editions” and “Versions”.

There are 5 Editions of the OS on each DVD…Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate.

At the same time there are two distinct Versions of each Edition…32bit and 64bit.

The 32bit and 64bit Versions do not exist on the sane DVD….so 1-DVD for 32bit Editions and 1-DVD for 64bit Editions.

pdok says:

12/18/2009 at 23:11

Don’t forget you can use the edited ISO to make a new USB stick installer with the Microsoft USB tool.
Great article and this will come in handy.

AC says:

12/19/2009 at 01:00

I’m still in the process of figuring out the right way to activate without it kicking you to the phone method. With Vista, regardless of whether or not you insert the key during the boot disc part of the install, you can change the key under “System” once inside Windows and have the key activate online instantly. If you try to go straight to activation, it will want you to call it in… activation over the phone is soooooo boring.

Calvin says:

12/22/2009 at 14:08

Tried creating this with an Enterprise ISO. The app said removing ei.cfg was successful, but I wasn’t able to activate my installation with a Windows 7 PRO retail key.

John says:

12/23/2009 at 17:46

So, I have already burned the WIndows 7 Recovery DVD, both 64 bit and 32 bit. Are they what this ei.cfg removal tool makes or are they something different yet again?

I can do the iso thing described above but hesitate to if I’ve already got what I need with the “Recovery DVDs” I have.

AC says:

12/27/2009 at 00:26

Calvin: Enterprise is a special critter, it likely doesn’t go with this tutorial. It is the exact same as Ultimate, except it is volume/enterprise licensing except for OEM/retail(which is what Ultimate is). Only a Pro installation will take a Pro key.

I actually have a “single” super disc for Windows 7. I splurged on some double-sided DVD’s for Christmas. ^_^ I have 3 discs to install anything. Win7 x86/x64 on one, WinVista x86/x64 on another, and my nLite-updated XP Home/Pro images on another.

techgenius says:

01/05/2010 at 08:03

does’t work. I tried converting my Windows 7 Professional disk into a Ultimate one with this tool but removing the ei.cfg makes no difference, I can’t choose what version to install.

hannibal000 says:

02/11/2010 at 14:22

does anyone know for sure by removing ei.cfg file that i could use my OA key from my Acer desktop pc or even changing the channel from retail to OEM

or will any work either retail or oem???

thanks

Lee says:

03/17/2010 at 23:05

Removing the ei.cfg does work but one will need your original disk Windows 7 disk to do it
1: boot your original after it gets to the install screen.
2: Remove the original disk and then place in your Hybrid re manufactured disk.

3: making sure you have the correct key that you have purchased, load your choice of the OS.

4: Windows will go through all the steps and create your new OS. You can still do the anytime upgrade.
but sometimes it is best to do a clean install.

I don’t think it is Illegal to make a change like this, one is just creating an “UP-Grade” Disk.

Justa Reginaldo says:

05/20/2010 at 10:57

yea pleasing stuff

Mart says:

10/13/2010 at 06:20

Works a treat on the “digital download” ISO files that are legitimately available on the net. No need for “your original DVD”.

Remember though, that you can’t use a Starter key, for example, to activate Ultimate. What this patch does is let you install any version of 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 (except Enterprise) using two DVDs plus the CORRECT retail/VLK/OEM key. Two discs instead of ten.

Disc should be legal as you’re not modifying or deleting any Microsoft files, only the UDF directory structure.