This is a blog entry that I've been trying to find time to write for the last week. Unfortunately, the push for GA-day has been all encompassing. In any case, the news that Windows Marketplace would deliver Windows Vista (and Office 2007 too!) electronically went a lot bigger than I expected. I suppose the fact that the news was carried by the Associated Press should have made it clear that things were going to go big. Trevin actually captured the press coverage a bit better than I did.
Out there I found comments at a couple places where people speculated that Windows Marketplace would be distributing ISO images of Windows Vista and that the customer would have to burn the ISO image to a DVD before installing to Windows Vista. That is the way that MSDN distributed the Betas and RCs to developers but is not what we are releasing from Windows Marketplace. For Windows Marketplace, we wanted a solution that would not require special hardware (DVD burner) or knowledge (how to use DVD burning software to burn an ISO image).
When you buy Windows Vista from Marketplace you will be able to download three files: VistaSetupPrep.exe, boot.wim and install.wim. The two .wim files are the bulk of the download (for the 32-bit version they are ~116 MB and ~2.2 GB respectively) and contain the stuff that actually gets installed. VistaSetupPrep.exe is smaller (for 32-bit this is ~74 MB) and contains the files necessary to actually do the install.
I highly recommend using the digital locker assistant to download Windows Vista. The digital locker assistant handles three very important steps for you. First, the assistant has the ability to resume the download of files should your download be interrupted for any reason. If you do not use the digital locker assistant and your download is interrupted then you will have to start the download over from the beginning. Second, the assistant will verify that the files were properly downloaded when complete. Since Windows Vista is composed of such large files there is a chance that corruption can occur while the files are in transit. The digital locker assistant verifies the files before launching the install and that improves the chances of a successful install the first time through. Finally, all three files have to be downloaded into the same folder. The digital locker assistant ensures that files stay together.
After all of the files are downloaded, you can launch VistaSetupPrep.exe (or simply click the "Install" button in the digital locker assistant). VistaSetupPrep.exe then extracts the 500+ files compressed inside it and links the .wim files into into a folder called "Vista". The end result is that the Vista folder is a replica of the Windows Vista DVD. Before VistaSetupPrep.exe exits, it launches the setup.exe in the Vista folder and Windows Vista setup starts, just like if you had launched it from DVD.
That's it.
For the last week and all of this weekend everyone on the Windows Marketplace team has been downloading Windows Vista and Office 2007 from our internal test servers and installing on our computers at home. I have to say it's been a proud moment for me. Repeatedly people on the team have remarked, "I was amazed at how smooth the whole process was. It just worked." I worked on the Windows Vista setup team for two years before joining Windows Marketplace to (quickly) develop the system for distributing Windows Vista via ESD. Let me tell you, there is nothing a setup developer likes to hear more than "It just worked." I hope you enjoy it too.
Is there any supported way to get an ISO image if that's what you want?
Does that mean there is no way to do a "clean" install (where normally the partition is formatted)?
MSDNAA delivers vista (and many other programs) as ISO-images and also features a downloadmethod that's automaticly resumes transfer on interrupts...
Strange to reinvent the wheel and offer other ways and file-types of downloading it if you ask me...
Whar you get????
You get the whole WOW experience! IT DOES NOT WORK!
This is the message I get:
Cannot extract Windows Vista Setup to your hard drive. Please ensure that you can create files and folders in the same folder where VistaSetupPrep.exe was downloaded.
For product support return to your digital locker and view Purchase History to click on the support link for Windows Vista.
See http://digitallocker.windowsmarketplace.com/Help.aspx for more information.
Regarding my comment above: I do not download a file called VistaSetupPrep.exe. The file I get is named X13-49121.exe.
I have tried expanding the files by clicking on install in the Digital Locker and by clicking directly on the X13-49121.exe file.
I have contacted Patrik directly to see if we can't diagnose the problems. I'll post the steps we used to troubleshoot the issues here after we get things working.
I spoke with Microsoft twice today and they were useless. First call ended up getting transferred 6 times, finally to tech support team who decided my issue was customer service related and transferred again. I hung up. The second call to tech support thought that the download was corrupt. What a waste.
Sean, if would like to leave some contact information with me, I would be happy to work through any issues you might have had installing Windows Vista.
Cannot extract Windows Vista Setup to your hard drive. Please ensure that you can create files and folders in the same folder where VistaSetupPrep.exe was downloaded.good
yes
I get the same error message. Is it because I downloaded the 64 bit version and trying to run it with XP running in 32-bit mode? I need help creating a bootable DVD from what I downloaded thru disklocker.
Wish I wouldn't have wasted $159 on Vista. I need to do a cold boot to format my drives and those WIM files the "digital locker" gives you are useless. You can't turn them into bootable ISOs. You're stuck running the "upgrade" from XP or whatever OS you're using.
I've tried contacting MS, they won't respond. I suppose phone calls are the next step. Lord, why didn't they just give an ISO?
:(
I agree... an ISO would be the way to go with this. The Windows Marketplace does say you will be able to get a physical copy of the media in March (it originally said February 23). They don't give any info on how to go about getting it though. I'd imagine they'll have something posted soon. They refer to the Windows Vista Fulfillment page. A look on Google doesn't show this page as existing yet. If you have any of the public releases of Vista, or want to get one via a torrent (which I guess is okay since you already paid for the download), you can use something like UltraISO to copy the boot image from the one you download and then just put the extracted files (they automatically get extracted into a folder where you downloaded it from the Windows Marketplace) onto that DVD. It's sort of a pain if you don't already have a boot image. You may be able to get just the boot image from a torrent as well... but I haven't looked. Either way, you just need the boot image and then just move the filed you purchased and downloaded onto that DVD. I had tried to get the torrent of Vista for about two weeks... Got to 99.9... and hung there for a few days. The last little piece may be out there now, I don't know... Plus, since you can't burn the image with that little piece missing, I have no way of knowing if the image is any good anyway.
I got Windows Vista Setup Preparation Encountered an error and cannot proceed
I receive the error documented below like others. I notice when I check the status of the folders they all show up as "Read Only". You can deselect the "Read" only and ask it to apply the changes to all files and folders. However, it will auto-default back to Read Only if you go right back in and look at it after you make the change. Please help.
Cannot extract Windows Vista Setup to your hard drive. Please ensure that you can create files and folders in the same folder where VistaSetupPrep.exe was downloaded.
For product support return to your digital locker and view Purchase History to click on the support link for Windows Vista.
See http://digitallocker.windowsmarketplace.com/Help.aspx for more information.
Well...it's been almost a week and there is still no Windows Vista Fulfillment site. Has anyone been able to find this yet?
I get the same file: X13-49121.exe
Does this mean my download was corrupt?
I have tried downloading Windows Vista several times from a high speed cable connection and keep getting download errors. Any suggestions?
The x64 vista, being an upgrade disk, probably will only extract the files if you are on a 64 bit system. If you try to extract the files on a normal winxp 32 bit system, you will get the setup errors. X13-49121.exe basically is VistaSetupPrep, the error message was just obviously programmed prior to finalizing the filenames provided in the downloads. The upgrade disks can be used for clean installs as well as upgrades in most situations, and if it wont allow a clean install to begin with, then install with an upgrade, then install it again and it will give the option of a clean install. The above posts are correct about making a bootable iso image from the files in the folder Vista created by the downloaded files. Simply use UltraISO or ISObuster etc to create a bootable iso from those files using the boot data from a pre-release image etc.
When I try to download install.wim I get a files that is like 10kb when I know it should be 2.2gb can someone tell me how to download it in windows xp ?
Yeah, I but the FULL version of Vista, not an upgrade, and, what do you know, I get this 3 file download thing that has no way to install unless I'm already running XP. Guess what? I spent the extra cash on a FULL version because I DON'T HAVE WINDOWS! Pretty serious oversight in the design decision there people.
What do you expect? Nothing against M$, but any company this large is going to push a product out way before its ready because they have too much invested and no returns yet. stockholders rule in this market! It's not until the huge bugs are taken care of that they will start looking at "minor bugs" like --- you know like a few % of customers not being able to get what they have paid for.
Hi, I bought a windows vista Premium which had been downloaded by somebody else through digital locker. I comes with a DVD on which there is the
downloaded Vista and another CD with the Key number.
Can anyone tell me if I can be able to install it on my computer even though I was not the one who bought it and downloaded it to begin with?
In other words are these downloaded copies the property of the original owners or can they be sold legally to others and used?
This Vista is not installed on any other computer. Thanks a lot.
Windoes Marketplace users beware. I ordered a Vista DVD on 9/13/07. On 10/11/07 I still had not received. Checking w/ W Marketplace, I was told that my order was forwarded to Digital River and that I need to contact them. In doing so, Digital River replied that the DVD's have been on backorder for over a month, and that they have no idea when they will receive more. Recontacted Marketplace and was told I have to deal with Digital River. Apparently there are NO MORE VISTA DVD's that exist anywhere in the world! And why can't Marketplace help, especially since they are the ones that sent me to purchase at DR. But now all they say is "not our problem."
I downloaded vista via the digital locker - great tool !
But how do I use the downloaded files to install vista on an empty hard drive ? The files are not bootable !
What were the steps that you took to fix Patrik's problem? I am getting the same message whenever I try to install it and I called Dell and they could not help me whatsoever. I am very annoyed and before I call Microsoft for help I was wondering/hoping you had the answer first! Thanks so much for any help!!!
Well, let's start with the digital locker assistant downloader. I tried it. It did nothing. After leaving it running all night I woke up to find it had downloaded 0%. It also appears to require you to manually refresh it in order to get any user feedback, although that's somewhat of a moot point since it has nothing to tell me beyond what it hasn't been doing.
Simply downloading the files via Firefox just worked. I don't know what's wrong with the assistant, but it doesn't work.
Now for the installation. Not all of us want to wipe out our existing installation to install Vista. In fact, most of us, if we're smart will install Vista to a separate partition to be on the safe side. To do this we need a bootable DVD. The instructions in the installation refer to booting from a DVD, but they make no reference to how to make the DVD. You really should distribute with the installer a means to burn a DVD. Instead it sits there infuriatingly silent, assuming you want to install it in this particular way, and not helping at all with any alternative. Really, make it an option in the executable--"Burn bootable dvd or upgrade windows now?"
Chris
I for one would be very carful in useing the locker I found out first hand that locker dosno't work in conjunktion with defender or fire wall or Avast which is mocrosoft aproved It will let you download a spyware or viruss and let you launch it right under your nose so if you use it be for warned it's risky any way you go???
I warn against purchasing any operating system from Windowsmarketplace.com. I just spent over 300 USD to buy a download version of WinVista Ultimate 64bit that I urgently needed to run software in the area of music production. However, no retailer was able to provide me with the 64bit version.
The Digital Locker has never worked, files were never downloaded. So I downloaded them via Firefox to finally get them. But once I had them, I realized that those .wmi files were not bootable and the installation procedure aborted because I tried to install a 64bit version from a 32bit version of Vista. If you are on 32bit and want to install 64bit, YOU NEED A CLEAN INSTALL. But the files provided by Windowsmarketplace.com WERE OF NO USAGE because
1. I couldn't start installation from the 32bit Vista version - installation aborts automatically
2. I cannot make a bootable DVD from the files provided
This is pure bullshit, sorry. Digital Locker doesn't work reliably, the procedure is a real burden. And the worst of all: you are not even provided with files you can use. Why doesn't Windowmarketplace.com provide two possible version ? One version as .zip that has all the files inside including installer to update from one version to another. Then a second version as .ISO file that can just be downloaded and burned on DVD ?
At this place I just mention that there is a terribly complicated procedure using the free WAIK from Microsoft to create a bootable DVD from those files provided. But this is definitively not for the faint of heart. I still cannot understand how it's possible to provide such a miserable service.
I downloaded Vista Ultimate upgrade: X14-63452. I ran it, and it extracted the files, but when it tried to continue, it says VistaSetupPrep.exe, boot.wim and install.wim were missing. How do I solve this problem??
" I downloaded Vista Ultimate upgrade: X14-63452. I ran it, and it extracted the files, but when it tried to continue, it says VistaSetupPrep.exe, boot.wim and install.wim were missing. How do I solve this problem?? "
I have the same problem and can not get a response from Digital River or the M$ sites. What now?
I downloaded Vista Ultimate upgrade: X14-63452. I ran it, and it extracted the files, but when it tried to continue, it says VistaSetupPrep.exe, boot.wim and install.wim were missing. How do I solve this problem?? " I have the same problem and can not get a response from Digital River or the M$ sites. What now?
I did the same thing no responce.....this is messed up....SCAM!!!!!
'
my next step is to go to the court house and file a 70.00 lawsuit against Digital River. I have tried many ways of contacting them. this is my next step....anyone who would like to keep informed about this email me at mdlynn1974@aol.com microsoft should be ashamed.
Same here. I downloaded from theultimatesteal.co.uk and now realise who's stealing from who! This Digital River firm then take your money and leave you up their river without a paddle and without any software that can be used on anything other than an existing 64 bit system
I also can't see anyway of getting back into my digital river order and requesting a dvd media copy (in hindsight I should have done this with the original order but nobody tells you you can't just install the files you download).
Anyway, the only source of info I've found that comes anywhere near close is at http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/05/10/how-to-make-vista-bootable-dvd-with-wim-downloaded-files/ - thanks to the My Digital Life people - but it still didn't work for me.
If anyone from Micro$oft is reading this, shame on you - sort it out! And stop hiding behind "The Ultimate Steal" and "Digital River" - it's your product!
I downloaded the Vista ultimate upgrade from The Microsoft Store website. All went well untill i tried launching VistaSetupPrep.exe. Every time i try to launch it, it just keeps opening the "open with" window. I located the file computer/c:local disk/users/dan/download/Vistaupgrade/VistaSetupPrep.exe through the browse button on the "open with" window and still nothing. Ive done registry scans spyware scans and a few disk clean ups and still no luck. Anyone got any idea, THX