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Great job on this everybody! Works Fantastic!

Siginet

By Siginet
in Install Windows from USB

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Siginet

Siginet

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Posted (edited)

First off... my apologies again for not having the time to help on the project in the past. I really wanted to. :( But my life is much different now then it was in the past. I don't even have time for my current projects anymore.

I was able to try this project out this week and it works very well. Very suprising how smoothly it actually went for me. :)

It got me to thinking about a few things that would be cool if someone could implement them. I don't know if they are possible but here's my ideas:

1. Since it allows you to install from a writeable drive... wouldn't it be awesome if we could for instance create an OS install for Windows XP Retail... then have all of the needed files which are different between OEM, CORP, UPGRADE placed somewhere on the drive as well. Then in the boot menu it would allow us to select wether we wish to install Corp, Retail, OEM, or Upgrade versions of the OS. But really we only have one OS on the USB stick in full and a few folders with the needed files from the other types. When a user selects Windows XP Professional Corp instead of running the setup... it first runs a batch file which copies the needed files into the install directory. Then it begins txtmode setup. It logically sounds possible... and very easy. But maybe I am missing something. I know there are only about 8 files that are different between the different types of OS selections.

2. Is it possible to run ISO files as a boot option? So then people who have allready created an Optimized Multiboot ISO could easily add their ISO as a boot option? Or is it possible to run ISO's like AcronisBootLoader.ISO and so on? Like I can do with BCDW?

3. If #2 is possible it would be great if I could point to a BOOT.INI file and it would automatically grab any images and add them to the boot options as well.

I know I had some more ideas... I'll post em if I remember them.

But all in all... very good job and much appreciated. Now that I can install from usb my installs are much faster... I can boot into bart just as fast as I boot into windows... and my installs are so much quieter now that I don't hear my dvd's constantly spinning up. :D

Edited by Siginet
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ilko_t

ilko_t

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Hi,

Nice to see you around :)

1. WinSetupFromUSB for example can put up to 10 different 2000/XP/2003 in the same partition by patching setupldr.bin and setupdd.sys. Same can USB_multiboot. Downside is that full source is copied. However, with the included \files\tools\DFHL.exe and using NTFS, occupied disk space could be reduced dramatically. Credits to cdob and Jaclaz for the idea.

2. Unfortunately not possible as of now :(. If someone, someday, makes windows driver for the grub4dos ISO emulation, life will become sooo easy:

title Start XP Pro Setup
map --mem (hd0,0)/xp_pro.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

title Start XP Home Setup
map --mem (hd0,0)/xp_home.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)
...

Attempts to use windows ramdisk.sys have failed so far, plus we'd hit the limitation of 500MB maximum size even if possible. The grub4dos way seems the easiest and straightforward, but until such driver is made we can only wish.

Alternative way for using ISOs- USB sticks with controller, which can emulate CD drive:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=121502

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Siginet

Siginet

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Yeah I saw that it gives me the option to add multiple OSes. Which is fantastic... but a lot of work.

These are the main files needed by each type (OEM, RETAIL, CORP, UPGRADE)

DPCDLL.DLL

EULA.TXT

OEMBIOS.BIN

OEMBIOS.CAT

OEMBIOS.DAT

OEMBIOS.SIG

PIDGEN.DLL

SETUPP.INI

If someone could make a small script that would copy those files from a folder on the usb drive just before installation... it would make it so simple to create multiboot usb drives with all OSes.

You would only need one XP Pro disk as the main set. Then the user could provide all other disks and the program only needs to copy those 8 files. If the user provides all 4 types... then the boot menu would be able to have all of them in a fourth of the amount of time it would take to build now. Plus it would probably take up about a fourth of the space.

Please think about it. I am sure it would be very simple and very popular.

See... for me I currently have to integrate 4 different disks with all of my addons and updatepacks and so on... then I would add them to the usb drive. But if it were possible to do this idea it would be so much simpler.

I have tried to find a way to do this on a cd/dvd... but it is impossible since setup specifically looks for setupp.ini on the disk which is read only. But on a usb drive it would be so simple to change those files. ;)

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ilko_t

ilko_t

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Is any of those files read during Text mode?

The idea is to use 4 different sets of txtsetup.sif/setupldr.bin and the above mentioned files renamed. Using txtsetup.sif we can rename a file while being copied.

txtsetup1.sif

DPCDLL1.DLL--->DPCDLL.DLL

PIDGEN1.DLL--->PIDGEN.DLL

Would that work?

A script prior to Text mode would have downsides:

-adds an extra step to the setup process, very few people read ReadMe files and many already fail when installing from USB simply because they don't start from USB for the second or third step, no matter if you put that info in warnings, message boxes or whatever. I'd keep it as close as possible to normal CD-like install.

-as it has to be DOS based, limits us to FAT16/32, unless we find freely redistributable DOS with NTFS support. The ones I know about, AFAIK we may not redistribute. Hopefully I am wrong.

FAT16/32 impacts file copy speed during Text mode A LOT. I'd rather stick with NTFS when possible. Have a look at this quick comparison:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=125116

I've seen reports on some systems file copy with FAT32 used, may take as long as 1.5 hours :blink:

NTFS cuts it down to 12-15 minutes on the same machine.

If the above can't work, my opinion for setups like yours, is that the best way remains PE based disk and launching setup from there, or preparing the setup files on the destination disk, manually or by script changing the files required for your needs. Wimb has already made a working solution:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=121446

In the latest version he mentioned an option to put all needed files on the destination disk, just like what winnt32.exe would do. With slight modifications or additions this could be made to suit your needs. Another plus is that this method does not have the limitations for the unattended section, which I believe you use.

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kmaheshkumar

kmaheshkumar

Posted
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i got an idea on those file copying rename the files according to their editions

like

oembios.bin --> oembios.cor ( Corporate Edition)

oembios.bin --> oembios.oem (OEM Edition)

oembios.bin --> oembios.ret (Retail Edition)

oembios.bin --> oembios.upg (Upgrade Edition)

and add entries in txtsetup.sif file to copy those files and make a presetup.cmd with tagfile to rename the files before setup starts

but i dont know is it works or not just got an idea

I am thanking MSFN for getting this much knowledge

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wimb

wimb

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These are the main files needed by each type (OEM, RETAIL, CORP, UPGRADE)

DPCDLL.DLL

EULA.TXT

OEMBIOS.BIN

OEMBIOS.CAT

OEMBIOS.DAT

OEMBIOS.SIG

PIDGEN.DLL

SETUPP.INI

If someone could make a small script that would copy those files from a folder on the usb drive just before installation... it would make it so simple to create multiboot usb drives with all OSes.

You would only need one XP Pro disk as the main set. Then the user could provide all other disks and the program only needs to copy those 8 files. If the user provides all 4 types... then the boot menu would be able to have all of them in a fourth of the amount of time it would take to build now. Plus it would probably take up about a fourth of the space.

Hi Siginet,

Good to see you around here again. :)

Your idea on combining Multiple OSes for XP Setup from a single USB-stick

is quite interesting. I did not know that only 8 files make the difference. ;)

When USB_XP_Setup.exe is launched from LiveXP PE Environment,

for making the XP Setup Bootfolder $WIN_NT$.~BT on the Install Drive,

it would be quite easy to make the required changes in the Full XP Pro Source

which resides on the USB-stick.

For some cases it is needed that USB_XP_Setup.exe Copies the XP Source to the Install Drive,

and then it is easy to make there the changes as well.

It means also that in preparing the USB-stick with Make_USB.exe that

the 8 files for each XP Version must be collected in separate folders.

I think your idea can be implemented in USB_XP_Setup.exe and Make_USB.exe

Install XP from USB AFTER Booting with PE from HDD or USB

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=5306

Edited by wimb
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Siginet

Siginet

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Oh yeah that'll work. I hadn't tried it from within a PE environment yet.

That makes it very simple.

If it could be done through a script without PE that would be very cool too.

Thanks

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wimb

wimb

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Oh yeah that'll work. I hadn't tried it from within a PE environment yet.

Booting with LiveXP RAM BootSDI.img Image file as boot option in boot.ini menu on your harddisk

is very useful and extremely fast, it boots in only 30 seconds with LiveXP PE.

Run BOOT_IMG.exe to Copy WinBuilder LiveXP BootSDI.img Image file to C-BootDrive of Harddisk

and make Entry for boot.ini Menu and GRUB4DOS menu.lst for Booting with LiveXP PE from RAMDISK.

Tutorial of amalux on how to create LiveXP BootSDI.img files using WinBuilder

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=4111

Download Ready to use LiveXP e.g. lx101408cxs from folder Projects in http://amalux.winbuilder.net/

WinBuilder U_XP_SET Script for LiveXP was made, which enables to create LiveXP BootSDI.img file

containing U_XP_SET package for Install of XP from PE Environment.

So you can direct launch PStart and USB_XP_Setup.exe from the Desktop of LiveXP.

U_XP_SET Downloads - http://wimb.winbuilder.net/downloads/

The advantage of the NEW technique for Install of XP from USB is that there are no changes needed in the BIOS Setting.

Booting for XP Setup occurs all the time as normal from the C-Install Drive if you Install on C-Drive.

Thus the USB-stick does not need to be bootable and it is not needed that the motherboard supports booting from USB.

Edited by wimb
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Siginet

Siginet

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Wow! Now that sounds very cool. So if I understand you correctly I don't have to change the boot options in the bios? You mean I can boot into the currently installed windows and initiate windows setup from there... then the computer will reboot and perform a install from the usb? Right? That's the only way I could think of possibly installing without having to boot to a cd/dvd or usb right? But if there is no current OS installed I would still have to boot from a cd/dvd or usb stick right?

That is very slick indeed. :thumbup

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wimb

wimb

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It is indeed Install from USB without booting from USB.

So the BIOS Settings does NOT need to be changed and you will boot all the time from your internal harddisk.

For Fresh Install of XP you boot NOT into Windows,

but Select from the boot.ini Menu direct to boot with LiveXP from RAMDISK loaded with LiveXP BootSDI.img file,

which was previously Installed as boot option in boot.ini menu on harddisk by using BOOT_IMG.exe

After booting from RAMDISK with LiveXP you are FREE to Quick Format the harddisk partition

from which you just have loaded the LiveXP Image File !

Then you run USB_XP_Setup.exe to

create the XP Setup BootFolder $WIN_NT$.~BT of only 12 MB on the Install Drive by parsing dosnet.inf

and to specify in TXTSETUP.SIF where to find the FULL XPSOURCE e.g. on your USB-stick.

On Reboot from harddisk you can Select to launch TXT-mode of XP Setup.

For Repair Install there is no need to format and you can also simply boot into Windows (if possible)

and Run direct USB_XP_Setup.exe

In the case of a brand new harddisk or If you are NOT able to Install the LiveXP boot option on harddisk

then you have to boot once from USB or CD/DVD to load LiveXP BootSDI.img file into RAMDISK.

It is a way of Install from USB which uses the FULL XP Source unchanged as being used for Install from CD/DVD.

Edited by wimb
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  • 2 weeks later...
wimb

wimb

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After booting from RAMDISK with LiveXP you are FREE to Quick Format the harddisk partition

from which you just have loaded the LiveXP Image File !

Then you run USB_XP_Setup.exe to

create the XP Setup BootFolder $WIN_NT$.~BT of only 12 MB on the Install Drive by parsing dosnet.inf

and to specify in TXTSETUP.SIF where to find the FULL XPSOURCE e.g. on your USB-stick.

On Reboot from harddisk you can Select to launch TXT-mode of XP Setup.

Booting from RAMDISK with LiveXP allows you to Format the Drive on which you want to Install XP.
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Siginet

Siginet

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Well I haven't really tested the BootSDI method much yet because it didn't load for me on my computer for some reason. But I think I know why anyone would use the BootSDI method. BootSDI loads everything into ram. If you know anything about RAM you will know that it is MUCH faster then your harddrives/usb drives. So anything you access in ram will have a much higher response time.

The downsides to it would be the fact that of course you would want to use it on a computer that has a lot of ram in it. That is the main reason I wanted to have both on my usb stick. Plus I bet some computers may not work well with the BootSDI method. I could be very wrong though. Like I said... I haven't actually gotten it fully working for me yet.

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wimb

wimb

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LiveXP BootSDI.img file of only 115 MB provides a full XP-like desktop with Disk Manager

and handy programs like Acronis Disk Director for Partioning and Ghost for System Backup or System Restore.

BOOT_IMG.exe of U_XP_SET package allows to Install LiveXP BootSDI.img file as boot option in boot.ini Menu

and grub4dos menu.lst but requires partition with NTFS filesystem.

You can boot then in 30 seconds from RAMDISK with LiveXP BootSDI.img IMAGE file

as loaded in a few seconds from your internal harddisk.

It boots very fast and easily on machines having only 256 MB RAM.

Edited by wimb
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jaclaz

jaclaz

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LiveXP BootSDI.img file of only 115 MB provides a full XP-like desktop with Disk Manager

and handy programs like Acronis Disk Director for Partioning and Ghost for System Backup or System Restore.

Of course IF you have a License for the use of Acronis Disk Director and/or Symantec GHOST. :whistle:

Besides, I STRONGLY object to the "only" put near to "115 Mb". ;)

A much smaller (and thus faster booting) build can (and should :rolleyes: ):

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=644

be made.

:)

Challenge for #2 is still open, maybe I could "convince" Siginet :thumbup to take it? :unsure:

jaclaz

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