Starting Windows Vista Installation from bootable USB stick

[MethyL]

I wanted to have my Windows Vista Installation files on a USB stick that I could boot and install Vista from.

I didnt find any exact information on how to do this on the internet so I decided to make a detailed guide to show other people how to do it.

You need to download these files first:

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

dos_start.zip

Vista_Installation_from_USB.zip

Step 1: Formatting USB stick with HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

Install HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool and run the program.

You will get a screen that looks like this:

Device: You select the USB disk you want to have the Windows Vista Install files on

File system: Select FAT32

Volume label: Select a label for your USB disk (can be blank)

Quick Format: Check this

Create a DOS start up disk: Check this

Now unzip the dos_start.zip

using DOS system files located at: Browse and find the unzipped dos_start folder

Step 1 is finished and now you have bootable USB stick

Step 2: Install a Boot Manager to the USB stick

Extract Vista_Installation_from_USB.zip to the root of the USB stick.

The zip file contains GRUB4DOS which is a boot manager.

Step 2 is finished and now have a bootable USB stick with the boot manager GRUB4DOS.

Step 3: Copying Windows Vista Install files to USB stick

Take your Windows Vista CD/DVD and copy the content of it to the USB stick.

Step 3 is finished and now have a bootable USB stick that you can install Windows Vista from.

Step 4: Start the Windows Vista Installation

Restart your computer and boot from your USB stick through the BIOS.

This will start up GRUB4DOS and you have a menu option to start the Windows Vista Installation.

FAQ: I will cover some technical stuff here

More later

[spacesurfer]

Totally unnecessary steps.

It's much easier than this and it's all covered in the "Vista Unattended" section.

It's really two steps: 1) Format with diskpart and 2) Copy all DVD files to USB. That's all there is to it.

[MethyL]

Nice... for some reason all the information I found on the internet didnt the diskpart program.

Now I know about that one and the Vista edition of the program supports USB sticks.

[jaclaz]

Well, actually Methyl detailed step by step tutorial is nice because adding to the stick the grub4dos files you can have a multiboot stick that can, besides installing Vista, do other things.

Nothing really new (no offence intended to Methyl ) for expert grub4dos users, but still a really very good thing for less experienced ones.

jaclaz

[AnimaliX]

...not working... i select under GRUB4DOS "Windows Vista Installation" (Step4) and:

Booting "Startup Windows Vista Installation"

chainloader (fd0)/BOOTMGR

Error 23: Selected disk does not exist

Press any key to continue...

Edited April 30, 2008 by AnimaliX

[jaclaz]

...not working... i select under GRUB4DOS "Windows Vista Installation" (Step4) and:

Booting "Startup Windows Vista Installation"

chainloader (fd0)/BOOTMGR

Error 23: Selected disk does not exist

Press any key to continue...

The menu.lst must have a wrong entry.

(fd0) means first floppy disk

Try editing the menu.lst file and add this entry:

title Start Windows Vista Installation setroot
find --set-root /BOOTMGR
chainloader /BOOTMGR

Better yet, try this pre-made solution:

http://www.msfn.org/board/Install-XP-from-USB-f157.html

http://www.msfn.org/board/Install-Vista-fr...SB-t111506.html

jaclaz

[AnimaliX]

The menu.lst must have a wrong entry.

(fd0) means first floppy disk

Try editing the menu.lst file and add this entry:

title Start Windows Vista Installation setroot
find --set-root /BOOTMGR
chainloader /BOOTMGR

Better yet, try this pre-made solution:

http://www.msfn.org/board/Install-XP-from-USB-f157.html

http://www.msfn.org/board/Install-Vista-fr...SB-t111506.html

jaclaz

Yes thanx this works.. but... everything is very slow - i mean "Windows loading files..." ... i have fast USB flash with support ReadyBoost

and after this Vista setup say - Error: Cannot find F:\Sources\Install.wim

[AnimaliX]

I solved "error" problem (Error: Cannot find F:\Sources\Install.wim) with delete Autounattend.xml

I thing problem in Autounattend.xml is this:

<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:/sources/install.wim#Windows Vista ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />

but everything is still very slow

[cluberti]

Well, that could be for one or more reasons - could be that the USB bus is causing the slowdown, the USB stick could just have a slow memory controller, it could be the disk controller, etc. Is it fast when you build from a CD or DVD with the same Vista image?

[AnimaliX]

Well, that could be for one or more reasons - could be that the USB bus is causing the slowdown, the USB stick could just have a slow memory controller, it could be the disk controller, etc. Is it fast when you build from a CD or DVD with the same Vista image?

Yes boot from DVD is cca 4x faster...

[AnimaliX]

I thing i need controller / driver or something .

[AnimaliX]

after some hours googling i find this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...st&p=137009

Now I can confirm that ASUS M2A-VM HDMI motherboard enables booting BartPE from USB-stick at speed USB 2.0

BartPE is up now in less than 3 minutes, comparable to booting BartPE from DVD !

On my old system booting BartPE from USB-stick used to take 20 minutes.