Ubuntu – Can Wubi use the ISO I already have

downloadsisosystem-installationwindowswubi

The Windows Installer for Ubuntu desktop instructions say that an ISO image for Ubuntu is downloaded during the installation process.

But what if I already have an ISO image for Ubuntu. Can I make the Windows Installer use that, so it doesn't have to download an ISO image again?

12.04 LTS and 12.10 are the versions of Ubuntu I'm interested in installing, in case that matters.

Best Answer

Yes, if you have both wubi.exe and the ISO image for the same release, you can make Wubi use the ISO so it doesn't have to download the files again. This makes installation considerably faster!

  1. It's advisable to check the MD5SUM on the ISO image, to make sure it's good.

  2. Put the ISO image and wubi.exe in an empty folder.

    Technically there could be other files in here, but it would be confusing, and once you get additional Ubuntu ISO's in there, which sometimes happens for users who are trying different versions, it would be a bad situation.

  3. Run wubi.exe to install Wubi.

Screenshot showing ISO image and wubi.exe in the same folder, with wubi.exe about to be run.

That's it. With the ISO image in the same folder as wubi.exe, the Wubi installer will automatically attempt to use the ISO image (and assuming it's an ISO for the same version of Ubuntu, and the ISO is not damaged, there should be no problems).

Assuming everything goes well, it should be possible to install without even being connected to the Internet when wubi.exe is run. However, if possible, it's recommended to be connected to the Internet while installing Ubuntu (whether you install it inside Windows with Wubi as you plan to do, or alongside/replacing your existing Windows or other OS by by booting a CD/DVD?USB).

Remember, the Windows installer (wubi.exe) and the ISO image should be for the same release of Ubuntu.

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