Our good friends at Redmond are pleased to announce that you can download for free the full installation files for Windows Vista, hosted by Microsoft. The links to the 3 files are as below:
- 1. boot.wim (116 MB)
- 2. install.wim (2.24 GB)
- 3. X13-49120.exe (73.7 MB)
Make sure all 3 files are in the same folder. Just double click the X13-49120.exe file to install Windows Vista. Of course you still need a valid product key (*cough* Paradox). The files can be used to install all versions of Windows Vista (Home Basic to Ultimate), it just changes depending on the product key.
To burn to a DVD, first double click the X13-49120.exe file. Wait for all necessary setup files to be unpacked. Download CDimage 2.52. Extract it to the same folder and type in the following commands into dos:
cdimage.exe -lVISTA_EN_DVD -m -u2 -bC:\Vista\boot\etfsboot.com C:\Vista\ C:\Vistax86.iso
Burn with any DVD burning software. Enjoy Windows Vista!
Is It Genuine?
Well, is it really genuine? Couldn't it be a pirated version filled with backdoors. At first I thought so too, until you dig a little deeper. Here is what I found.
The link points to a 'msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent.net'. A whois search showed that the domain is registered under Digital River. Digital River is a content service provider that provides digital downloads for software, music and movies to large corporations. If you search their site's news archive, you can read a press release titled Digital River Provides E-Commerce Services for the 2007 Microsoft Office System and Windows Vista.
Digging even deeper, when you download the file it is hosted on the domain 'http://diriver-msftdnl.vo.llnwd.net'. Again, a whois on the owner of the domain shows that it is registered by Limelight Networks. It is a leading digital content delivery provider for sites such as youtube, metacafe, and microsoft among others.
In conclusion, yes this download is genuine and not a pirated version. Have fun!
Check here for references to Limelight Networks:
