Windows Vista on 5 CDs?

[LKComputes]

Somehow, there may be a version of Windows Vista on 5 CDs, not 1 DVD. So I found this on an archive site called The Eye, I thought this was the place to go so here I am. I haven't tested this yet, but it may be a version of Vista on CDs.

Here are the links:

Disc 1: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows Vista/en_windows_vista_x86_cd1_x12-54426.iso
Disc 2: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows Vista/en_windows_vista_x86_cd2_x12-54427.iso
Disc 3: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows Vista/en_windows_vista_x86_cd3_x12-54428.iso
Disc 4: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows Vista/en_windows_vista_x86_cd4_x12-54429.iso
Disc 5: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows Vista/en_windows_vista_x86_cd5_x12-54430.iso

If anybody knows what these do or can test them in a VM or on actual hardware, that would be cool.


Thanks for reading my first post!

 

[wither 3]

Hello LKComputes-

Rather than mess with those discs, I suggest that you contact Ex_Brit in this thread-

Vista ISO download. He has full Vista SP2 ISOs.

All you need to do is specify whether you want 32 bit or 64 bit.

 

[LKComputes]

I wasn't going to use these. I just wanted to see what these did. The website I recommended has direct Vista ISO downloads.

https://www.the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20Vista/

 

[wither 3]

I couldn't get to the link for the eye directly. Since I'm in the US, I changed the .eu to .en and that gave me a bunch of options. This one worked-

Index of /public/MSDN/Windows Vista/

The Eye is a website dedicated towards archiving and serving publicly available information. #opendirectory #archive #digitalhistory

beet.the-eye.eu

The best I can figure out is that there's 5 CD files because the size of the installation files require it. Notice that there are only two files on DVD but I don't know what the "check" in the name of one of them means.

 

[LKComputes]

I'm actually going to test these to see what they do. I hope these work.

 

[townsbg]

M$ released Vista on CDs as well as a DVD but there's too much data to fit on a single CD.

 

[wither 3]

That was my point. I have the original installation disc, a SP1 disc, and a SP2 disc. I got the latter 2 from Microsoft. Of course, they don't have all the subsequent updates which would require more discs. I don't know if I could still get the subsequent update discs from Microsoft but, since I have the ISO from Ex_Brit, I don't need them.

I didn't see any Vista keys at The Eye but I didn't spend much time there.

 

[LKComputes]

So here's what I have to say:

1. Can't try the Vista CDs due to very low space.
2. The Eye hosts Microsoft software that was direct from MSDN. They only host the files, no keys.

 

[townsbg]

All you'll likely find is that it installs Vista.

 

[erpster4]

I think the CDs contain Vista RTM (no SPs) [as in v6.0.6000]

 

[wither 3]

I think you're correct. I downloaded and, burned to disc, the first CD. The date for the setup.exe is November 2006. According to Wikipedia-

"Release to Manufacturing (RTM) (built on November 1, 2006 with a build number of 6000.16386) is the version of Windows Vista that ships to customers.[59] Microsoft announced this build had been finalized on November 8, 2006, after over five years of development.[60]"

The InstallSWM file on the last disc is also dated November 2006.

 

[Lukis142]

In my original package of Windows Vista Business, there is a card that says "Do you need a CD version instead of a DVD?" and other text says "If you encountered an error message while installing Windows Vista this might mean your computer cannot read DVD discs an you probably need a CD version instead of a DVD version. Please contact Microsoft for more information. If you want to install a 64 bit version you must have a DVD with this version." Pooly translated form Czech to English.

 

[LKComputes]

Man, that is a revelation and a half! Thanks for sharing that. I might only find it on The-Eye because it was probably a Vista Business exclusive. Businesses bought CDs if they had to and found out Vista ran like garbage on XP machines and got refunds. Someone probably bought the CD version at auction, and contributed the ISOs to The-Eye.

 

[Lukis142]

No problem. I'm happy to help someone. I actually got to this forum because I saw that card and thought "There is actually a CD version of Windows Vista?"