Guides / Export & Convert

Export & Convert

Convert Windows images between WIM, ESD and SWM formats, remove unneeded editions, and create bootable ISOs.

Convert images between WIM, ESD and SWM formats, remove unneeded editions, and package the result as a bootable ISO - all from the Image page.

Export Dialog

Right-click an image or a single edition on the Image page and choose Export. The dialog lets you pick the destination, target format and options in one place - every option is explained in the Image page reference. Exporting a single edition out of a multi-edition image is also how you extract just the edition you need.

Common Conversions

Edit a Read-Only ESD

ESD is read-only - editing requires WIM. Loading an ESD edition offers Convert to WIM directly, or export it with format WIM and Destination Overwrite source to convert in place.

Shrink for Distribution

Export to ESD for the highest compression once editing is done - not supported on Windows 7 or boot/winre images. With a matching source format, Overwrite source acts as a recompress instead, compacting a WIM after bigger file changes.

Fit on FAT32 USB Media

A FAT32-formatted USB stick caps single files at 4GB. Export to SWM to split the image into parts under the limit - choose the part size in the dialog. To re-split into smaller parts later, export to WIM first.

Split images are not officially supported by Microsoft on Windows 8 and newer, though known to work with a big enough part size - at least half of the final image size is recommended. If installation gets stuck on boot asking for a product key even with a valid one provided, convert back to WIM and retry with a bigger part size.

Remove Editions

Right-click a multi-edition WIM, ESD or ISO and choose Remove editions to drop the editions you don't need, shrinking the image. Removal is blocked while an edition from the same image is mounted - unload it first, or queue the removal on the Apply page. To go the other way and combine editions, see Multi-Edition Images below.

Create ISO

Right-click an image directory or edition and choose Create ISO to build a bootable ISO from the whole image directory. Exports can tick Create ISO to produce the ISO in the same run, and on the Apply page the ISO can be created automatically after the image is saved.

Create ISO needs the complete ISO content - it is disabled for isolated, standalone WIM files. For full functionality use all content from a Windows ISO or a copy of USB setup content.

Multi-Edition Images

Exporting also works in reverse: merge multiple customized Windows editions into one ISO, making it simpler to deploy different scenarios for each machine type. Choose one edition during setup instead of maintaining separate USB sticks or ISOs. Windows images contain editions like Home, Pro, and Enterprise - NTLite supports exporting each edition to another image, creating custom editions, and renaming them.

1. Prepare Base Images

  • Choose your base image and optionally update it with latest updates
  • Do nothing else to it, not even update cleanup
  • After processing, make sure it's not loaded (icon should be gray)

2. Export Editions

Right-click the edition and choose Export. In the dialog, keep the format as WIM (editable), set Destination to Other, and pick a file such as D:\CustomImages\FirstCustomImage.wim. Keep these in a working folder as your editing ground, not inside any ISO structure yet.

Export as many as you need from any base image, each with a different name. Make sure exports are from the ISO you'll merge them back into, as the boot image needs to be compatible.

3. Customize Each Edition

Add exported images to the Image page if not listed. Right-click the desired edition, then Edit to change its name to something specific like "Windows Pro for Admins".

When editing exported images, ensure they are detected as Status: "Isolated" on the Image page.

If using Unattended settings, enable "Copy to Install image" in the toolbar so automation settings are per-image, not shared across all editions.

4. Merge Back Into ISO

When done configuring each isolated image, make sure none is loaded. Right-click each customized image and Export it into the ISO structure's .\Sources\install.wim: Destination Other, point at the existing file, and choose Append (not Overwrite) so the edition is added into the container instead of replacing it.

Review the current status on the Image page to see how images are stacking up.

5. Final Cleanup

  • Drop unwanted editions with right-click → Remove editions (see above)
  • Remove .\autounattend.xml and .\Sources\ei.cfg if present (they auto-select editions)
  • Right-click the final image folder and Create ISO - set the ISO label and the "prompt for any key" boot option in the dialog. Exports can also tick Create ISO directly to produce the ISO in the same run

Testing

Test the ISO in a virtual machine. Start with just two lightly but obviously different images to verify the method works before investing time into the final product.

Maintenance Tips

  • Keep original isolated images for future editing, or delete them and edit the merged image directly
  • Backup complex final images regularly when editing directly
  • After bigger file changes, recompress before making the final ISO - see Shrink for Distribution above (the label shows "Recompress")
Image ManagementHost Refresh Wizard