wimb

The Vista BootSector is not needed since GRUB4DOS is able to chainload directly the Bootloader bootmgr for Vista Setup. So Vista and XP Setup can coexist on a single partition USB-stick having NTLDR (XP) Bootsector and boot.ini menu. If you want to combine it with Vista x64 on the same USB-stick, then you may need a second partition for Vista x64, but again a Vista BootSector is not needed. GRUB4DOS allows you to chainload bootmgr directly on any partition of any harddisk Very convenient without the need to have a VISTA bootsector. By the way I just copied 2.8 GB Vista Setup files using XP as OS in 16 minutes to a normal 8 GB Corsair Flash Voyager USB-stick earlier prepared with USB_MultiBoot6.cmd and using the MULTI_CONTENT Folder and the Multi_boot.ini After booting from the stick with boot.ini Menu, I selected Option 12 of GRUB4DOS Menu to launch Vista Setup from the stick. Vista Setup took 24 minutes in total, but therefore it is needed to unplug the USB-Drive just at the First Restart of Vista Install. Earlier unplugging gives Install Error (cannot be solved). Without unplugging it took 47 minutes, where in the extra 23 minutes it seemed that nothing was occurring at the computer harddisk. In this period the USB-light was flashing all the time, but on later inspection at first sight there seemed to be no changes there. Strange long wait ....

Yes See http://www.msfn.org/board/Install-Vista-USB-t111506.html After booting with boot.ini menu, one can select GRUB4DOS Menu with the option to launch VISTA Setup by chainload of bootmgr. It also possible to boot first with Windows PE 2.0 and then run VISTA Setup from a different partition. So conceivably I can partition a 8GB or 16GB stick to contain XP, Vista, Vista x64, is that true? Does that mean a BCD needs to be created on the primary partition of the stick assuming its formatted with NTFS? I used for this purpose a partitioned USB-Harddisk (see ref) because of its speed and size.It is not needed to use BCD for Vista. You can just boot with boot.ini Menu, select GRUB4DOS Menu and launch VISTA Setup by chainload of bootmgr XP Setup is launched directly from boot.ini Menu and requires that the USB-drive is a Removable stick with one partition or a Fixed USB-Harddisk which is during Setup seen as removable device using rdummy.sys For Removable Devices Windows XP allows only one partition to be visible.

Thanks for your feedback.I was not aware of it, but options B and W also do NOT work in Vista x86. The problem is that the Visual Basic Script routine FileSel_ini.vbs gives an unexpected ActiveX runtime Error. I will try to find a workaround for this problem. Of course you may not want to bother anyways because Vista has serious problems with USB file transfers. It took more than an hour to copy the XPSOURCE to my USB stick which is a Corsair Flash Voyager 8GB drive. The same copy on XP took less than 8 Mins and the source image is < 650 MB. The Corsair is one of the fastest sticks around. Install of XP took less than 15 mins but the boot menu was not setup correctly so had to do a manual boot from the stick. Vista OS is indeed very slow in File Transfer to USB.Install of Vista was realised by Booting from USB Harddisk, which was previously prepared in an XP OS Environment. Have you or anyone an idea to overcome the ActiveX problem with the VBS Script ? Is it may be a simple setting or is it more complicated. In fact it is rather strange that the FileSelector cannot be used in VISTA with this VBS script.

Thanks for your feedback.I was not aware of it, but options B and W also do NOT work in Vista x86. The problem is that the Visual Basic Script routine FileSel_ini.vbs gives an unexpected ActiveX runtime Error. I will try to find a workaround for this problem.

Hi ilko, I will make the necessary changes for support of XP x64 in the next release. It is a pitty that StorageDevicePolicies reg. entry works ONLY for XP SP2 32bits, but repair of the $win_nt$.~ls folder can be a working option. wimb

Yes See http://www.msfn.org/board/Install-Vista-USB-t111506.html After booting with boot.ini menu, one can select GRUB4DOS Menu with the option to launch VISTA Setup by chainload of bootmgr. It also possible to boot first with Windows PE 2.0 and then run VISTA Setup from a different partition.

USB_MultiBoot5.cmd can make an USB-stick for direct Booting with MS-DOS from the boot.ini menu. You only have to add IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS to the MULTI_CONTENT Folder and COMMAND.COM to the folder DOS of the MULTI_CONTENT Folder. For Direct Booting with MS-DOS it is necessary to choose FAT Format with PeToUSB (max 2GB stick) and to select Multi_boot.ini as boot.ini (option B ) and MULTI_CONTENT as Source (option 2) in the Main Menu. The point is that the supplied config.sys of the MULTI_CONTENT folder regulates that for MS-DOS the COMMAND.COM is found in the DOS folder. For booting with FREEDOS all necessary files are already in the MULTI_CONTENT folder. So the USB_MultiBoot5.cmd Program takes care of everything, if you make the right selections and for MS-DOS has added the 3 mentioned files to the MULTI_CONTENT folder.

I am using Normal 4 GB Corsair flash Voyager and NOT GT. Install of XP from NTFS USB-stick is possible in 16 minutes. My Install involves Quick NTFS Format and my XPSOURCE has WinUpdate Pack + IE7 +WM11 Addon Integrated with RyanVM and then only BTS MassStorage DriverPack Integrated (Preferred). (with .NET Addon + AllDriverPacks it would take 10 minutes more). Install of applications is done with WPI after XP Install has finished. AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ ASUS - M2A-VM HDMI Corsair TWINX 2048 MB DDR2 XMS-6400

Or Better: Copy the Content of your Windows PE 2.0 ISO Folder in your MULTI_CONTENT Folder

The FileCopy by USB_MultiBoot5.cmd is the same for all three Format Options.The choice in the Format Menu only determines the Program which is used to Format your USB-Drive. N) No Format - Use USB-Harddisk with FAT or NTFS Format by Windows XP Use Existing Bootable USB-Drive with NTLDR Bootsector In this case you are supposed to have a USB-Drive which was previously already Formatted by Windows XP, PeToUSB or HP Format Tool. They all give a USB-Drive with NTLDR Bootsector when XP is your Operating System.

I compared your data of USB_MultiBoot5 folder with mine, and they are exactly equal. The Chinese Explorer view of your stick is interesting but I cannot conclude anything from it. Can you try USB_MultiBoot5.cmd on a different computer. Your stick is the same as mine. The FileCopy from and to USB Problem will be related to the present state of your System. What are the Specifications of the Computer you are using ?

HP USB disk storage format tool v.2.0.6 which come together with USB_MultiBoot5.zip Anyway i had try HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8 which to no avail Interesting .... The Log Files reveal that there are problems with FileCopy for FAT32 and NTFS USB-Drive Files are missing, probably also the Bootsector file, so that the process cannot continue. Especially File BOOTFONT.BIN is Missing and might be the beginning of the problem. FAT32 Missing files X_CONTENT\ntfs_menu_lst.txt X_CONTENT\usbflash BOOTFONT.BIN NTLDR NTDETECT.COM From Your LogFile: Should have been: Regards, wimb

Syslinux Menu is not available in NTFS, only possible for FAT or FAT32. FAT32 is useless for Install of XP from USB, too slow. Puppy Linux can be used via GRUB4DOS Menu, you only have to modify the file ntfs_menu_lst.txt in MULTI_CONTENT folder. Remove the # in Front of the Puppy Linux entry. In GRUB4DOS you can add for NTFS more different DOS Floppy Images, but the dosapps must be either build in the Floppy Image, or launched from a FAT partition on Harddisk. Because Direct Booting with MS-DOS is not available with NTFS Format.

Hi ilko,That is a very good idea. I will add this to the program. In using and editing winnt.sif of different source these essential lines are probably too easily changed.

You should NOT Delete the Active Partition having DriveLetter C: Just Select the partition C: as the partition on which you are going to Install Windows XP, and then Select Quick Format with NTFS FileSystem. There is no need at all to Delete Partitions. If you Delete and Create New partitions, you have to Finish with F3 and Boot from USB-stick again and run 1. TXT Mode Setup again so that DriveLetters get their correct value, just as for a new harddisk See: http://www.msfn.org/board/boot-install-USB...html&st=413 and previous

I don't know yet, why you get this problem. In any case I would recommend to close first all other applications, before running USB_MultiBoot5.cmd There are a lot of them running now which might interfere. What is the path to your USB_MultiBoot5 Folder ? (use simple path without spaces is recommended) How did you Format your USB-stick ? (what program and FileSystem was used) I recommend also to copy your XPSOURCE from DVD to a Folder on Harddisk in a simple path without Spaces, instead of using the DVD directly as a source from which USB_MultiBoot5.cmd has to copy and find the XPSOURCE files. All recommendations can make the process a much easier task to fulfill. Can you please give as Attachment your usb_prep.log renamed as usb_prep.txt file.

New Release USB_MultiBoot5.zip ren_fold.cmd was changed such that $OEM$\$1 and $OEM$\$$ folders are copied as usual to systemdrive (usually C:\) and systemroot (usually C:\WINDOWS) respectively. Format Menu was added allowing to use HP USB Format Tool for making USB-sticks (greater than 2 GB) with NTFS Format allowing Install of XP in 16 minutes. USB_MultiBoot5.cmd has now Option for Adding BartPE instead of using PeToUSB. Possible source of Error in SOURCE Pathes is Detected e.g. when XPSOURCE path contains SPACES. More Info Here: How to install XP from USB Download Direct USB_MultiBoot5.zip from CD Forum: USB_MultiBoot5.zip wimb

For USB-stick the [unattended] must be removed completely (is necesssary, no other solution) but XP Install is nevertheless Unattended Use the winnt.sif file supplied with USB_MultiBoot4.zip For Unattended Install give your key in productkey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" and remove leading ; May be you can use ren_fold.cmd Will be realised in USB_MultiBoot5.cmd, coming soon .... ren_fold.cmd can be changed such that $OEM\$1 and $OEM\$$ folders are copied as usual to systemdrive (usually C:\) and systemroot (usually C:\WINDOWS) respectively. For anything else you want to copy from USB-Drive, you can add similar lines to ren_fold.cmd, which is executed at T-9 by the Section SetupParams of winnt.sif file Also Read Here: http://www.msfn.org/board/FIXEDUsing-USB-M...ot-t112784.html wimb

Non Standard Install of Windows XP on Second Partition is possible and is treated in the Help_USB_MultiBoot4.txt file Section C. It requires a different boot.ini file named Part2_boot.ini USB_MultiBoot4.cmd allows you to select the proper boot.ini file, so that reboot occurs from Second Partition. wimb

This might solve your Driver problems. http://www.msfn.org/board/install-XP-USB-t...6.html&st=6 http://www.msfn.org/board/FIXEDUsing-USB-M...ot-t112784.html I will change ren_fold.cmd such that $OEM$ Folders will be copied as normally expected. Next release will have these changes.

Did you use the winnt.sif file supplied with USB_MultiBoot4.zip ? Setup is looking for a CD which occurs when MsDosInitiated="0" The Correct value for Setup from USB-Drive is MsDosInitiated="1" Check your winnt.sif file in $WIN_NT$.~BT folder. Also See Help_USB_MultiBoot4.txt file wimb

It is just MS-DOS 7.10 from Windows 98 SE.It is the DOS Program Ghost 2003 (only 1008 kB) , which is able to read/write to such large NTFS Partition, not MS-DOS Regards, wimb

This is explained in the Help_USB_MultiBoot4.txt file point 5. - $OEM$ Folders are Not Copied - This is Normal for Install of XP from USB Files in $OEM\$1 and $OEM\$$ folders are NOT copied in this case. For copying files/folders a quick way is just to amend ren_fold.cmd, which is started by SetupParams in winnt.sif, we use it to temporary rename folders on stick before end of GUI mode, preventing long wait when Setup attempts to delete them. Simply add your commands right above these lines in ren_fold.cmd ren_fold.cmd - partly ren %USBDRIVE%\txtsetup.sif txtsetup.bak ren %USBDRIVE%\$WIN_NT$.~BT WIN_NT.BT ren %USBDRIVE%\$WIN_NT$.~LS WIN_NT.LS I will change ren_fold.cmd such that $OEM$ Folders will be copied as normally expected. Next release will have these changes. wimb

Before the imaging process is running, Ghost tries to read the stick directory, which is not there anymore,when USB-stick has been removed. That is may be where the trouble begins. For Ghost it was still an existing drive. wimb

Allthough quite different in approach, the result I have may be interesting to you. I am booting from USB-stick direct into MS-DOS and launched Norton Ghost 2003 (quite different from your version). After starting the process of Imaging or Restore, I can remove the USB-stick without trouble, but when the process has finished it just requires Reboot with [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. The Ghost 2003 Imaging Process itself does not seem to have a problem with removal of the stick. Your case is different and requires more study. wimb