Windows esd installation files. What is the ESD file extension? Page Last updated

Letter from a reader to Vladimir:

Hello, Vladimir! I have several questions for you. All distributions of Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, which could be downloaded on the official Microsoft website a year ago, contained an operating system image file called install.wim. I know that the install.wim file is a disk image that contains operating system files in a compressed state. During the Windows installation process, all files are unzipped from the install.wim image to disk (C:), by and large, this is the main stage of installing the operating system on our computer. All this is understandable. I'm also familiar with a special tool called Dism, with which you can integrate drivers and updates into the install.wim file, enable and disable various operating system components, and restore integrity system files Windows, in the end, Dism even allowed you to create your own individual build of Windows 8.1, 10. But what’s interesting is that recently, in all distributions of Windows 8.1, Windows 10, instead of the install.wim file, there is an operating system image file install.esd and the Dism tool refuses to mount this file in any folder, which means that integrating into Windows distribution 10 drivers, updates and perform other operations with the system image are simply not possible! I see a way out of the situation like this - convert install.esd file to install.wim and then just work with the install.wim file.

1. What is the difference between the install.esd file and the install.wim file

2. Does Microsoft have tools to convert install.esd to install.wim or should I look for third-party programs?

3. After conversion, can I use the install.wim file instead of install.esd in the Windows 10 distribution kit, or will I need to reverse convert the install.wim file to install.esd?

How to convert install.esd file to install.wim

Hello friends. The files install.esd and install.wim, located in the distribution kit (ISO image) of Windows 10, are archives in which operating system files are located in a compressed state Windows systems 8.1 or Windows 10, and Dism is a tool for working with these archives. Archives.wim or.esd may contain one or more other archives (releases) of operating systems (Professional, Home, etc.) Archives located inside Wim or Esd files are called Images. Any Image in the archive is always assigned an index of 1, 2, 3, 4... For example, we downloaded the Windows 10 distribution and connected it to virtual disk drive(E:), go to the “sources” folder of the distribution and see the archive file install.esd,

to find out which Images are inside the archive, enter command line command:

Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:E:\sources\install.esd

Where E:\sources\, this is the path to the install.esd file

As you can see, in the archive install.esd is located fourWindows Image with indexes: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Image details: E:\sources\install.esd
Index: 1
Name: Windows 10 Pro
Description: Windows 10 Pro
Size (bytes): 14,244,778,516

Index: 2
Name: Windows 10 Home
Description: Windows 10 Home
Size (bytes): 14,040,329,647

Index: 3
Name: Windows 10 Home Single Language
Description: Windows 10 Home Single Language
Size (bytes): 14,047,031,800

Index: 4
Name: Windows 10 Education
Description: Windows 10 Education
Size (bytes): 13,988,924,495

What is the difference between the install.esd file and the install.wim file?

It's important to know that When creating a new archive of the Windows 8.1, 10 operating system, a WIM archive file (install.wim) is always created, an Image is created in the archive (for example, Windows 10 Pro) and index 1 is assigned to it. Then, using the Dism tool, the archive other Images are added. The second image added will be assigned an index of 2, the next added image will be assigned an index of 3, and so on. Created images can have three types of compression:

/compress:none(no compression)

/compress:fast(fast compression)

/compress:maximum(maximum compression), if you do not specify the /compress parameter when creating an image, then the compression will be Fast (fast compression).

Microsoft developed another type of compression in 2014 Recovery(maximum maximum)

This type of compression compresses Windows files into the archive even more, resulting in a file install.esd weighs30% smaller install.wim file.

Only 3 Dism parameters work with the recovery compression type:

Dism /Export-Image...... / compress:recovery

Dism/apply-image.

Dism/Get-WimInfo

To make it easier to work with archives, an archive with images compressed in Recovery is usually given the extension ESD . It is advisable to install the esd extension, but not necessary. It is wrong to assume that if the archive extension esd, then compression can only be recovery, also if the archive extension wim, then the compression can only be fast, max and none, several times I came across wim files with recovery compression. Dism works not by expansion, but by compression - you can set it when creating an image extension ESD and Dism - will create an image with “fast” compression.I made a short video on this topichttps://yadi.sk/i/B_8mfOjfxhqSk

I hope you now understand the difference between the install.esd file and the install.wim file. Both files: install.esd and install.wim are archives with Windows files, and they differ in the type of compression. File archive - install.esd is more compressed and weighs less.

It is also important to know that when creating a new archive of the Windows 8.1, 10 operating system, the compression type - /compress:recovery is not supported. You can only compress an already created one in recovery. WIM image, for example, enter the command on the command line:

Dism /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:F:\Win10\sources\install.wim /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:F:\Win10\sources\install.esd /Compress:recovery

With this command we compress with compression type recovery file install.wim, located at F:\Win10\sources, to the file install.esd, located at F:\Win10\sources. As a result, an install.esd file appears in the “sources” folder next to the install.wim file. Both files contain compressed Windows files, but install.esd is smaller in size. Changing the compression type is usually called conversion.

There are three ways to convert the install.esd file to install.wim

The first way, archiveThe ESD needs to be unzipped first and then re-zip to WIM file using compression fast or maximum .

You can do it like this.

How to convert install.esd file to install.wim using file creation virtual disk VHD

IN this method We will do without third-party programs; we will only use tools built into the operating system.

Go to Disk Management and create a VHD virtual disk.

“Action”-->“Create virtual hard disk”

Check the “Dynamic Expandable” option.

Virtual size hard drive- 20 GB.

Click on the “Browse” button.

Select in Explorer where to save the virtual hard disk.

I'll select drive (E:). I assign a name to the virtual disk - “Win10” and click the “Save” button.

The created virtual disk is represented in Disk Management as unallocated space (Disk 1) of 20 GB in size.

Right-click on Disk 1 and select “Initialize Disk”

By and large, it doesn’t matter which box you check: MBR or GPT.

I will check the box “Table with GUID partitions (GPT)” and click “OK”

After initializing the disk, we create a simple volume on the unallocated space.

A new volume (G:) has been created.

Click on the image double click left mouse and connect it to the virtual disk drive (in my case (F:)).

As you already know, the install.esd archive may contain one or more other archives with different releases of operating systems (Professional, Home, etc.). Archives located inside Wim or Esd files are called Images. Any Image in the archive is always assigned an index of 1, 2, 3, 4...

Find out the indexes of all releases. Let's enter the command:

Dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:F:\sources\install.esd(where F:, the letter of the virtual drive containing the Windows 10 files, the sources folder and the install.esd file).

We need Windows 10 Home for one language (image index 3).

What is a folder ESD on Windows 10?

What is a folder ESD on Windows 10? What happens if I delete 2.5 GB of storage containing a folder? Will this affect my Windows?

Answer

Are you in the Windows 10 Preview Insiders Program? If yes, then this file may be useful.

ESD is designed to deliver electronic software. Microsoft uses it to deliver OS installation files to a computer from an Internet connection. This compressed file. It can be converted to an ISO file. Windows users can use ISO files downloaded to DVD/USB for OS installation.

I just upgraded to Windows 8

I just upgraded to Windows 8. Now I want to clean disk space, that is, get rid of windows.old using the disk cleanup utility, however I get the option of deleting ESD files to install windows, which will clean up another 3 gigs!

Now the question is should I remove them or not?

Answer

Disclaimer. Before you use Disk Cleanup, make sure all your files and settings are in Windows 8 where you expect them to be. Deleting the Windows.old folder cannot be undone.

We hope the above information is helpful. If you have any questions, please get back to us, we will be happy to help you.

While cleaning, I accidentally deleted ESD files.

What are these files used for?
Should be pretty large file since I now have about 3GB of disk space.

Answer

When will your Windows 10 be updated to a new build with Microsoft? Windows Update, Microsoft will choose to use electronic delivery of the software to send you Install.esd, necessary to update your current Windows builds 10. Likewise, if you manually download the ISO from Microsoft, then use your Media Creation Tool, you will end up with an Install.esd file in the folder Sources, which he creates.

The Windows 10.Install.esd file contains standard file Install.wim, necessary for installation in a compressed format (in simple terms, like Install.wim was ZIPPED, but with a much higher compression algorithm).

If you are interested .wim is not suitable for Windows Image is something you'll see mentioned a lot when people discuss using the Microsoft Deployment Image Servicing and Management utility DISM to restore them Windows image when it became damaged.

I'm not sure which ESD you actually removed. When you upgrade, you get a new build as well as a Windows.old folder that can be used to revert to the original build if things don't go so well. If you deleted the Install.esd file inside Windows.old, it's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world since this folder is designed to self-destruct after 30 days, which is good considering its huge 3+ gigabyte data size, or if you're like me closer to 16 gigabytes

Also, during installation, two hidden system folders(usually C:\ for most users). They also contain ESD files.

You can always download whatever build you just updated from Microsoft if you want to install Install.esd again.

What is this ESD folder in C: and can I delete it?

After getting windows 10 (from 8.1) this folder appeared. It's 3 GB in size and if I don't need it I delete it

Do I need it? Or is it important?

Answer

It looks like you can use it to create a recovery disk or a full one installation disk, and you can probably use it to repair selective OS bits if they ever get corrupted. You're probably fine with this as long as you don't want these things to be higher.

Running Disk Cleanup will probably remove it for you.

Under normal conditions, for creating an image deployment uses a WIM file. It can be created using different methods, but it was a wim image and remains a wim image. This same file is used not only for network installation, but also for recording on bootable USB flash drive to install the operating system with all the necessary software. But recently I was preparing an image for an office that uses Windows 10 LTSB. I didn’t notice the catch right away, since I was using a computer on which the reference system was already installed. The system was prepared to work using WDS (Windows Deployment Services) and everything went as planned. But when I started preparing a bootable USB flash drive for offline installation of the operating system, that’s when the rake dancing began. There was simply no file in the right place in the ISO image install.wim. But in its place a file was found install.esd. As it turned out, Microsoft developed new format image files in order to increase the compression ratio and support the ability to download the image via the Internet. To do this, we had to increase the compression ratio. WIM images also support compression, but it is believed that the ESD image can have extremely strong compression and this will allow you to download operating system updates via the Internet.

I was wondering how much different WIM and ESD compression is, but now I won't waste time on such trifles. Let's take the developers' word for it.

So, what should we do if a disk with an ESD image was used? Yes, in fact, you won’t have to do anything new. On the disk used to download the program imagex.exe. To work with the ESD image, you can use the program DISM.exe from the Windows ADK distribution for Windows 10, do not confuse with Windows AIK. Windows AIK also has DISM, but it can only work with WIM images.

The entire creation procedure is similar to creating a disk with a WIM image:

Create a bootable flash drive
install Windows
install required software,
copy the required data,
prepare the OS with the program Sysprep,
then boot from LiveCD or over the network,
create an ESD image,
replace the file with the created image install.esd on a flash drive.

Of all these operations, only the creation of an ESD image is unusual. To create an image, you need to copy the program to a LiveCD or flash drive DISM.exe from the Windows ADK for Windows 10.

We go to the directory with DISM.exe and give the command:

Dism.exe /Capture-Image /ImageFile:D:\install.esd /CaptureDir:D:\ /Name:OrcinusCapture

Let me explain what is responsible for what:
Dism.exe launch the executable file,
/Capture-Image image creation command,
/ImageFile: D:\install.esd the file into which the image will be packaged,
/CaptureDir: D:\ the disk on which the installed OS is located,
/Name:OrcinusCapture name of the image, you can write whatever you want.

You can save the image to the disk from which the image is made. Or immediately copy it to a bootable USB flash drive. This is not important.

That's it, now you need to copy the resulting ESD image to a bootable USB flash drive and you have your own distribution ready for installation.

When searching for an answer to the question of where the space on the C drive went in Windows 8.1 and 10 systems, at the root of this drive, many people find an “ESD” folder weighing more than 3 GB. What kind of folder is this and is it possible to delete it without harming the operating system?

Folder ESD appears in the root of drive C, as a rule, after a global system update. For example, if you upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 or from Windows 10 to the same, but in the Anniversary Update edition. Also, the ESD folder can be found after using the lightweight method Windows reinstallation using the Refresh Windows utility. Another example is updating the system using the Media Creation Tool utility to restore the integrity of system files.

The ESD folder contains the Windows 8.1 or 10 distribution, but the distribution is not complete, but limited, which usually includes only one edition of the system, suitable for updating the current system. In the process of global Windows updates The Update Assistant, Media Creation Tool and Refresh Windows utilities are downloaded from Microsoft servers to disk From the computer temporary installation files, some of which are the contents of the ESD folder. Temporary installation files are also downloaded to two other folders on drive C - $Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS. Their specifics and removal methods have already been described on the website in this article.

For the update process, the system downloads the installation files, but upon completion of the operation it is in no hurry to delete them. And these files continue to occupy disk space in some cases as dead weight. Why? The system does not get rid of installation files located in the ESD, $Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS folders, because they can be used to restore it. But if Windows is stable, and recovery is unlikely to be necessary, or if the possibility of a rollback is provided by a pre-made backup copy by using third party program, these are the very cases when the ESD folder is a dead weight cluttering up drive C. Accordingly, under such conditions it makes sense to get rid of this folder. You can get rid of it using the regular Del key.

ESD File Summary

According to our records, there are two file type(s) associated with the ESD extension, the most popular of which is formatted as Windows Electronic Software Download File. The most common connected application is Microsoft Windows , released Microsoft Corporation. In addition, two various programs allow you to view these files. Most ESD files are related to Uncommon Files, however they can also refer to Text Files.

Files with the ESD extension have been identified on desktop computers (and some mobile devices). They are fully or partially supported by Windows. The popularity rating of ESD files is "Low", which means that these files are rarely found.

To receive additional information For ESD files and associated software applications, see the information below. Additionally, the following also provides a basic troubleshooting guide to help you resolve issues that arise while opening ESD files.

Popularity of file types

File Rank

Activity

This file type is still relevant and is actively used by developers and application software. Although the original software of this file type may be overshadowed by a newer version (eg Excel 97 vs Office 365), this file type is still actively supported current version software. This process of interacting with the old operating system or outdated version software is also known as " backward compatibility».

File status

Page Latest update

ESD File Types

ESD Master File Association

Electronic Software Download (ESD) software Microsoft software, a utility used by Microsoft to download Microsoft products from the online store. Softwares are downloaded in an encrypted format with an ESD extension.

Other ESD file associations

The survey document file is generated by ExpertScan, a powerful software for efficiently collecting and analyzing data from web/paper forms and surveys.

Try a universal file viewer

In addition to the products listed above, we suggest you try universal remedy to view files like FileViewPro. This tool can open more than 200 various types files, providing editing functions for most of them.

License | | Terms |

Troubleshooting problems opening ESD files

Common problems opening ESD files

Microsoft Windows is not installed

By double clicking on the ESD file you can see a system dialog box telling you "This file type cannot be opened". In this case, it is usually due to the fact that Microsoft Windows for %%os%% is not installed on your computer. Since your operating system doesn't know what to do with this file, you won't be able to open it by double-clicking on it.

Advice: If you know of another program that can open the ESD file, you can try opening the file by selecting that application from the list of possible programs.

The wrong version of Microsoft Windows is installed

In some cases, you may have a newer (or older) version of the Windows Electronic Software Download File. not supported by the installed version of the application. In the absence correct version The Microsoft Windows Software (or any of the other programs listed above) may require you to download a different version of the Software or one of the other software applications listed above. This problem most often occurs when working in an older version of the application software With file created in more new version , which old version cannot recognize.

Advice: Sometimes you can get a general idea of the version ESD file by clicking right click mouse over the file, and then selecting Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac OSX).

Summary: In any case, most problems that occur while opening ESD files are due to not having the correct application software installed on your computer.

Install optional products - FileViewPro (Solvusoft) | License | Privacy Policy | Terms |

Event of the day

Before AZW Kindle replaced it, MOBI format e-books there was a standard format for reading e-books MobiPocket, Palm OS, Kindle and others. Mobi was released in 2000 by Mobipocket. Although the non-MOBI file format can still be found, the format is no longer supported.

How to fix problems opening ESD files

If you have installed on your computer antivirus program Can scan all files on your computer, as well as each file individually. You can scan any file by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate option to scan the file for viruses.

For example, in this figure it is highlighted file my-file.esd, then you need to right-click on this file and select the option in the file menu "scan with AVG". When you select this option, AVG Antivirus will open and perform a scan this file for the presence of viruses.

Sometimes an error may occur as a result incorrect software installation, which may be due to a problem encountered during the installation process. This may interfere with your operating system link your ESD file to the correct application software , influencing the so-called "file extension associations".

Sometimes simple reinstalling Microsoft Windows can solve your problem by properly linking ESD with Microsoft Windows. In other cases, problems with file associations may result from bad software programming developer and you may need to contact the developer for further assistance.

Advice: Try updating Microsoft Windows to latest version to make sure you have the latest patches and updates installed.

This may seem too obvious, but often The ESD file itself may be causing the problem. If you received the file via an attachment email or downloaded it from a website and the download process was interrupted (for example, a power outage or other reason), the file may become damaged. If possible, try getting a new copy of the ESD file and try opening it again.

Carefully: A damaged file may cause collateral damage to a previous or existing malware on your PC, so it is very important to keep an updated antivirus running on your computer at all times.

If your ESD file related to the hardware on your computer to open the file you may need update device drivers associated with this equipment.

This problem usually associated with media file types, which depend on successfully opening the hardware inside the computer, e.g. sound card or video cards. For example, if you are trying to open an audio file but cannot open it, you may need to update sound card drivers.

Advice: If when you try to open an ESD file you receive .SYS file error message, the problem could probably be associated with corrupted or outdated device drivers that need to be updated. This process can be made easier by using driver update software such as DriverDoc.

If the steps do not solve the problem and you are still having problems opening ESD files, this may be due to lack of available system resources. Some versions of ESD files may require a significant amount of resources (e.g. memory/RAM, processing power) to properly open on your computer. This problem occurs quite often if you are using a fairly old computer. hardware and at the same time a much newer operating system.

This problem can occur when the computer has difficulty completing a task because the operating system (and other services running in background) can consume too many resources to open the ESD file. Try closing all applications on your PC before opening Windows Electronic Software Download File. Freeing up all available resources on your computer will provide the best conditions for attempting to open the ESD file.

If you completed all the steps described above and your ESD file still won't open, you may need to run equipment update. In most cases, even when using older versions of hardware, the processing power can still be more than sufficient for most user applications (unless you're doing a lot of CPU-intensive work, such as 3D rendering, financial/scientific modeling, or intensive multimedia work) . Thus, it is likely that your computer does not have enough memory(more commonly called "RAM", or RAM) to perform the file open task.

Try refreshing your memory to see if this will help you open the ESD file. Today, memory upgrades are quite affordable and very easy to install, even for the average computer user. As a bonus, you you'll probably see a nice performance boost while your computer performs other tasks.