Ei.cfg Windows 8.1 [NEW]
Lynda Durnil
I found that the Windows 10 does not have a ei.cfg file like in Windows 7 and Windows 8. Microsoft however provides two "All Editions" versions in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. Also, due to the layout of the disc, it is possible to combine both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of both of the "All Editions" discs in order to create a "Universal Install Disc"
Win10_1909 Lenovo G50-30 Thanks upgrade from W10home to W10Pro MAK.
The normal key change always failed, the w10home version always failed, only the full format and deletion of all partitions and the introduction of ei.cfg and pid.txt helped.
My first install went straight through and installed Home and was activated. Put in the ei.cfg file, only the Retail section, then started the install again and was able to select Win 10 Pro during the install. Pro activated straight up when done.
Worked for me. Upgraded Windows 10 on my brand new surface book 3, but it screwed up whilst the slew of updates happened alongside my firmware updates and all sorts (yes, weirdly these are included in windows update. it tried to cycle through more than one firmware update, and windows got hosed, thankfully not the bios.
I'm fine with building desktop systems and activating, but what i plan on doing is something i havent done before (at least not in the past decade). Now new thing comes with Windows 10 Home, i ALWAYS use Pro on my own systems (group policy editor being a big reason, i tell windows update when to update, not the other way around). So to that end i picked up an a legitimate digital OEM license key through the PCWorld Software store as i've done in the past for my systems. (They're original, legitimate, unique keys often at a high discount).
As always with laptops they'll come with a shitton of oem software nobody wants. But i'll boot it up to make a factory image with acronis. Now, next step would be to install windows 10 Pro FRESH but i know that the setup by default will read the oem key in the bios and not offer me the selection screen if i want home or pro, and start home install automatically. I did some preliminary digging and i know this can be bypassed by placing an ei.cfg in the /sources folder of my bootable flash drive.
For future reference i wanna have a copy of that ei.cfg tool in my "PC installation tools" folder i have on my desktop that holds all possible variables (so when needed i can just remove the ones not needed). Can anyone tell me if the below text accounts for all possible variables (ignore the /* */ that's just my way of commenting things. Obviously wouldn't be in the final file)
I got a laptop with win 10 home preinstalled and I have an Edu key. I tried upgrading but says I cannot upgrade from my current windows install. How/where can I download an Edu iso to start fresh? I downloaded the iso off MS but I never have the option to choose Edu, automatically installs Home.
If you want to see the edition selection screen while installing Windows 10 on a PC that includes the product key in the BIOS, you need to edit the ISO file to include ei.cfg file or add ei.cfg file to the bootable USB.
Step 3: Download ei.cfg ZIP file by clicking here, extract the ZIP file to get ei.cfg file, open up the Windows 10 folder containing extracted ISO file contents, open up the Sources folder, and then place the ei.cfg file under Sources folder as shown in the picture below.
Step 4: Next, to create a bootable ISO image of Windows 10 containing this newly added ei.cfg file, please follow the instructions in our how to create bootable 10 ISO of Windows from files/folders guide for step-by-step instructions.
NOTE: Some paid programs like UltraISO and MagicISO allow you to edit the bootable ISO without having to extract it. If you feel that this method is tiresome, simply download the ei.cfg file from the link mentioned above and place it in the Sources folder of the ISO file using one of these paid applications. Our how-to add files to bootable Windows ISO image guide might also help you.
Windows 10 Download automatically recognises what edition you need when installing it on your computer. Seeing as if you already upgraded or installed windows 10 previously. There is no need for the ei.cfg file.
The ei.cfg Removal Utility is a simple tool that will remove the ei.cfg file from any Windows ISO disc image, thereby converting the image into a "universal disc" that will prompt the user to select an edition during setup. This tool works by toggling the deletion bit in the UDF file table, eliminating the need for unpacking and rebuilding the ISO, which means that this is extremely fast (the process of patching the ISO to remove ei.cfg takes only a fraction of a second), and the process is easily reversible (running the utility on a disc image patched by this utility will restore the disc image to its original state).
The cversion.ini Removal Utility is a tool that will remove the cversion.ini file from Windows ISO disc images, thus enabling the option for in-place upgrades that preserve user settings and programs. This is very useful for upgrading from release preview versions of Windows to the final version (e.g., Windows 8.1 Preview to Windows 8.1 RTM) while preserving your data, settings, and programs. This tools works in the same fast, efficient manner as the ei.cfg Removal Utility, so there is no need to unpack and rebuild ISOs, and the process can be trivially reversed.
as for lisencing options you can also use "slmgr /upk" which basically removes MS generic product key and use same tool or windows control panel -> system to activate any license you desire. Works thru Vista->10
I think you could make an utility to simply replace the ei.cfg and slp.cmd from the ISO. It only require you to patch out a few bytes... I've done one for official Windows 7 ISO but it would need the user to rebuild the ISO using CDIMAGE and I am still working on it.
I made a patch, it can recognize the Dell image edition and give you the list of editions you can change it to. Very buggy and it corrupts the ISO easily so I can't share it now. Replacing the key is very easy but ei.cfg is the problem.
The Dell images are really for computer repair, especially on Dell computers. I think it is good enough make a bootable USB, edit ei.cfg and slp.cmd for re-installation which only occur once or twice (unless you are a virus tester that does all the testings on a physical computer) and it is not terribly hard to do that if you follow the steps right.
Once copy operation has completed, we need to create ei.cfg in C:\Windows81\sources directory. In my case I wanted to specify Professional edition expecting retail key so I created file with following content:
Simply use default windows 8.1 pro generic keys XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX or if it did not work find other generic keys from google or forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/47480-windows-8-1-generic-keys
I need your help im running windows 7 home primium and i want to updgrade to windows 8.1 .I have downloaded windows 8.1 setup , windows setupbox and also windows 7 usb dvd bootable tool .Here is my promblem when i run windows 8.1 setup and input my product key XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX which i obtained at v-pistolero blog and it checks out correct after clicking next windows will tell me to wait and then it says windows 8.1 is not available for online purchase in your country / religion. I dont now what to do guyz please help i realy need windows 8.1. Please
This guide is meant to walk you through the process of using ei.cfg and pid.txt files to choose which version of Windows to install from a USB Windows image. This guide will also specify the locations of where these files should be saved and detail the different possible values for EditionID in ei.cfg.
There are several situations where using the ei.cfg and pid.txt method can be advantageous. This is especially true if your system had a previous version of Windows installed, like Windows Home, and you wish to upgrade to a higher edition, such as Windows Professional. By default, during the installation process, the installer tends to automatically install the same version of Windows that was previously installed. This could be due to the pre-existing product key that is tied to your hardware (specifically the motherboard). This feature was designed for convenience and to prevent accidental mis-installation of the wrong version. Therefore, by specifically stating which version you intend to install in the ei.cfg file, you can override this automated selection process, enabling you to install a different version like Windows Professional, provided you have the appropriate license key.
Copy ei.cfg and pid.txt Files to USB Drive
Copy the ei.cfg and pid.txt files to the sources folder in your USB drive. This folder is present at the root of the USB drive and contains the installation files for Windows.
I've been reading about Autounattended.xml and how to introduce trial product keys there, and it works nice if you have a single version of windows in your cd, but my problem is that my cd has all the versions of each architecture (ei.cfg removed), so if I insert professional 30-day trial key and then decide to install Home Edition it will promt error.
My point is to have a CD where I only choose the product version and partitions for the instalation (which is nearly at the begining of the instalation),being the rest unattended, including leting the default trial product keys get installed WITHOUT my intervention to click omit. I usually leave things installing before going to sleep, so I want them to be finished when I wake, not waiting for user input :S. At the moment I got what I want, except that windows keeps asking for the product key instead installing the trial. I'll post my unattended file within 3 hours when I'm back home so you can see my mistakes.
I've 3 different licenses of windows: Starter , Home Prem and Pro, I want a SINGLE dvd that ONLY requires my intervention to select the product version (step 6 in your urls) and partitions to install (step 9), and gets the 30 day trial enabled without ANY user intervention (not even clicking omit), so I can enter my key without problems on first GUI available.
df19127ead