downloading Win32DiskImager

[mikebeckace]

I am interested in seeing if anyone else is having problems downloading Win32Diskimager? When I try to download it, the site rains all sorts of software on to my computer! I tried several times, but my computer was all out of whack before win32 even downloaded. I had to cancel so I did not get more crap loaded down on my computer. It took me about 2 hours to find and delete all the junk on my computer and I did not get the disk imaging software. Is there another way to get that? Or is there another program that does not pollute your computer in exchange for the software?

[scep]

where did you get it from? (site / link) It shouldn't do this (doesn't do this). One of the good things about win32diskimager is that it is a standalone .exe with no install and no other third party rubbish - I suspect you've clicked on something else by accident.

[Daverj]

On many sites where you download free software there are a number of "download" buttons on the screen. But all except one of them are advertisers or spammers. You need to be very careful which one you click. It's like a minefield. Often the larger ones are the advertisers.

Wave your mouse over each of them and one of them will show a link to the site that you are at. The others will show links to other sites, or to google, doubleclick, or some other advertising distribution site.

[JeremyF]

where did you get it from? (site / link) It shouldn't do this (doesn't do this). One of the good things about win32diskimager is that it is a standalone .exe with no install and no other third party rubbish - I suspect you've clicked on something else by accident.

Very annoyingly, whoever maintains the http://raspberrypi.org/downloads page insists on linking to Softpedia instead of a nice spam free page like this: https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer/0.6/0.6

[Joe Schmoe]

All of which makes a good case for encouraging people to do the Pi imaging with 'dd', like normal people do - instead of getting them involved in yet more Windows spamware.

Yeah, yeah, I hear what you're saying. Using 'dd' requires them to learn Linux - and why should they be bothered with a one-off-requirement like that? I mean, it's not like the Pi itself (the overall goal of the exercise) runs Linux itself and like maybe learning Linux might help in that, the overall goal.

Nope. Nothin' like that...

[mikebeckace]

I guess I am just what Raspberry Pi foundation is looking for with this project. I am a teacher and I am not a programmer. I appreciate the help! I went to the web site JeremyF suggested and downloaded the win32 package there. The instructions though brief, i could not understand. I would like to be able to do this. I agree with Joe Schmoe, that this should work. I looked at the softpeia site should not be the site people are sent for this. Think about all the kids polluting their computers wile trying to do what the raspberry pi foundation suggests. I still would like to work this out and find some sort of working alternative. JeremyF thanks for your suggestion. The instructions are just computer speak unfortunately.Still looking for a solution.

[bredman]

Full instructions are at this page
http://elinux.org/RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup

There is also a detailed description in the MagPi magazine, I think in the June or July edition
www.themagpi.com

[Jim JKla]

There is this page

https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer

This is an Ubuntu page that has download buttons for the source code and a ziped version of the application.

Download the zip and unzip there's a readme and some dll files the only one you need is the exe file.

Note no rubbish no extras just a zip.

Note the one you need is the Binary zip not the source.

[Daverj]

All of which makes a good case for encouraging people to do the Pi imaging with 'dd', like normal people do - instead of getting them involved in yet more Windows spamware.

Yeah, yeah, I hear what you're saying. Using 'dd' requires them to learn Linux - and why should they be bothered with a one-off-requirement like that? I mean, it's not like the Pi itself (the overall goal of the exercise) runs Linux itself and like maybe learning Linux might help in that, the overall goal.

Nope. Nothin' like that...

A lot of people getting introduced to the Pi are going to be coming from Windows. Once they get their Pi fired up they'll be having a crash course in Linux just by the nature of what the Pi is. But until that point do you really expect them to wipe their Windows system and install Linux on it, or configure it for dual boot just to get the SD card burned? That's absurd.

This isn't about them using DD vs using Win32image. It's about providing a link to a safe download web site that isn't filled with spammers providing links intended to fool them into going to the spammers web site, instead of downloading the program they need to get started.

And snide comments with snobbery in them isn't going to help them feel comfortable exploring a new platform either.

[Joe Schmoe]

heh heh - hook, line, and sinker.

I suppose one of these days, I'll write up a simple set of instructions showing how to download a live CD image, from safe, non-spammy sites, burn it to a DVD, boot it to a command prompt, and run 'dd' to create the image. Much safer and more fun than this win32diskwhatever nonsense.

[Jim JKla]

For the time being I've given a clean link

[mikebeckace]

Thanks for your interest and help. I think I got it. It wrote to the SD card anyway. I will let you know how it worked out when I get my raspberry pi!

[iby]

i just followed link in on the RPi website which links to Softpedia.

http://www.softpedia.com/dyn-postdownlo ... 06&t=4&i=1

downloading Win32DiskImager was no issue.

next step was to download couple of RPi images. they all had to be extracted first in order to get to *.img file. As a windows user I got there using 7zip but today many archivers can handle variety of formats, including unix ones (tar, etc.).

the only image I had some problem with was the qtonpi which booted only halfway then started spewing same error message about my mmc. weezy and arch worked fine out of box.

while booting, all of them make green LED "Ok" flicker, and one may also see flick or two of LNK while PWR is solid red.

as a power source i tried both USB port on my laptop (not sure of current limit) and blackberry power supply (good for 750mA).

good luck...

[neilp]

Please could someone update the link on the:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads

page from:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-Too ... ager.shtml

[which installs junk!]

to:

https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer

Which just has a link to the bin file for windows.

I incorrectly followed the first link trusting it to be genuine but it just installed loads of web browser addons that I don't want. I would like others to avoid the same fate.

Thanks!

Neil.

[ZZ55]

Please could someone update the link on the:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads

page from:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-Too ... ager.shtml

[which installs junk!]

to:

https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer

Which just has a link to the bin file for windows.

I incorrectly followed the first link trusting it to be genuine but it just installed loads of web browser addons that I don't want. I would like others to avoid the same fate.

Thanks!

Neil.

For the love of your users, please do this. Softpedia.com is filled with malicious ads masquerading as "download buttons." It's impossible to know which one is the ad and which one is the legitimate button. If you click the ad, you download an installer that will prompt you to install 5 or 6 different spyware programs, which are different each time the installer runs. PLEASE update your website to point to the legitimate download location for Win32ImageWriter:

https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer

[Jim JKla]

I found the launchpad address because to describe the route to navigate past all these advertising traps was just too long winded.

We know these people need to pay for making the access available some way but entrapment is not only unfair it destroys the confidence we are tying to enstill in new users.

I am considering the oposite option a free download with a paypal donate and it may even be posible to set this up on a RaspberryPi.

[deadkenny]

I'd go further and recommend Win32DiskImager is pulled entirely as a link because the latest version carries a rather significant warning that it may trash your hard disc yet they still keep that version up. Despite some further confirmations of the bug!

https://bugs.launchpad.net/win32-image- ... bug/985080

There's no way in hell I'm running that on my PC.

I'm generally a Windows user, but got spare linux installs and dd is infinitely safer as it's just unchanged in years and reliable, so long as you pick the right device of course

[Jim JKla]

If you write an image to your Hard Drive. It's not a bug.

The Format command can totally trash your disk but it's still there.

Your drive will allways be at risk with a command that puts an image onto a drive. Thats different to copying an image as a file onto your hard drive.

If you want to write an SD Card you need to write an image.

[deadkenny]

True, but when there's been reports of trashed drives with suspicion the tool wrote the image to the wrong device due to a possible bug, then it's not worth the risk. dd on the other hand goes back a long way and is very mature. Not heard myself of dd writing to the wrong drive so leaves any error just down to the user for not specifying the correct device.

[pluggy]

Rescue an old PC from the skip / old one thrown out by relatives and make sure its got an SD card slot on it. Install Ubuntu on it (or just run it off the live CD) and use that. Writing a raw image to what is effectively a hard disk is a dangerous occupation whatever you use to do it. Mangling an old machine is no big deal, come to think of it, if the old PC didn't have an hard drive in it and you just ran Ubuntu from the CD ROM, you couldn't mangle it..........