Install all Windows Install ISOs from 1 MultiBoot USB drive

[steve6375]

Once you have made the Easy2Boot USB Flash drive (or USB HDD), you simply copy over all your boot ISOs or images (using Windows Explorer or any other method - no special utility required).
The current menu system caters for any number of Windows install ISO files ranging from XP Home to Server 2012.
You can also just copy on your WinPE ISOs, rescue ISOs and even linux LiveCD ISOs.
For Windows install ISOs, just put them in the correct folder.
All the payload files that you add are listed in the dynamically created menu system every time you boot from the USB drive.
If you make a USB HDD Multiboot drive, then for Windows Vista and later OS's , you also need to insert a USB flash drive containing 3 files at the same time as booting from the USB HDD.

For installing XP from USB using an XP ISO, E2B now automatically detects and creates F6 virtual floppy disks with the correct mass storage drivers for your system so you can install from an unmodified XP ISO straight to an AHCI/SCSI/RAID system.
Check it out here.
Here is the Easy2Boot YouTube video to demo it and explain it all.

Edited October 6, 2013 by steve6375

[steve6375]

Just wanted to say that Easy2Boot BETA20 is now out and Easy2Boot v1 is very near 'full release' stage. The project page is here.

Comments so far have been encouraging from other forums...

As well as installing Windows direct from ISOs on a USB drive, you can boot pretty much any Linux LiveCD ISO too (and even some with persistence)!

nyquist - 'Easy2boot is awesome. Thanks for sharing this software with us.'

Rootman - 'This is one of the coolest things I've run across in a long time. You guys have GOT to check this out.'

maanu - please accept my congratulations on coding this beautiful tool.. my 1st experience was GREAT . it worked flawlessly on very 1st try (win8 64-bit install)

Jkplayschess - This is a fantastic tool! I rarely get excited about things, but I'm following the development of this closely!

sebus - The solution works VERY well indeed. Tested on W7 x64 so far

Weedy - I gotta say I'm annoyed that this tool seems to work exactly as advertised! This tool is a fantastic piece of software.

[Siginet]

I want to say thanks for this software. It is really a great tool! I saw something about your new method of implementing WinXP ISOs on another forum too. I plan to check that out soon.

Thanks!

[ilko_t]

Excellent work Steve, thanks.

Making it sticky.

[steve6375]

Easy2Boot BETA30 is now out - I am hoping to officially release Easy2Boot soon and remove the BETA status.

cheers

Steve

[steve6375]

Easy2Boot is now 'released' (currently v1.1) and a DPMS2 update pack is also available which automatically detects what mass storage driver is required for XP and makes the F6 floppy disk images. So now you can install from a vanilla XP Install ISO straight to a SRS (SATA/RAID/SCSI) system without the need to add the mass storage driver to the ISO first - no pressing of F6 is required by the user.

v 1.2 of E2B will include the DPMS2 update pack plus a few other small tweaks soon...

[steve6375]

E2B v1.04 now released. Mass storage driver detection and F6 virtual floppy creation is now automatic - no need to press F6. Just install from an unmodified XP install ISO directly to any AHCI system.

[data0003]

Hi Steve, I am trying to run your program which i followed to the letter on your site using a usb flash drive, but when i run it trying to install win 7 or 8 it comes up with an error code "error 21 Selected disk does not exist" with any pc/laptop with a cd/dvd drive in it i.e. on the pc if cd/dvd drive is install it stops at the error but if i disconnect the cd/dvd drive it works ok, any idears

Thanks Paul

[steve6375]

Hi data0003

That is strange. So if you disconnect the internal CD/DVD drive then you can install Win 7 to the internal hard disk OK?

And the CD/DVD drive is empty (no CD/DVD)?

I have tested it on a notebook which has an internal DVD drive (Acer 7741G) and it worked OK.

Can you give any details about the systems that you tested and if they differ in any way from a normal system with one internal hard disk and one internal DVD drive?

[data0003]

Thank you Steve, thank you for your reply, laptop one is an E system with one 80gb hdd and dvd drive (with Vista pre installed), 2nd laptop is an old novatech one with same size drive and dvd, PC is an old amd 2Ghz with 2hdd's and dvd rom drive (no disk in drive), have tryed with WinSetupFromUSB software and it works ok

Edit

when i do the "List Disk Controller bit it comes up with

Vendor=8086 Device=27DF SubVen=1584 SubDev=907B Class:SubClass=01:01 IDE

Vendor=8086 Device=27C4 SubVen=1584 SubDev=907B Class:SubClass=01:01 IDE

If that is of any help

Edited July 18, 2013 by data0003

[steve6375]

YouTube video in post #1 is now updated.

@data0003 - sorry, I haven't a clue what the problem is, hence I did not reply. Did you get any further?

Edited September 2, 2013 by steve6375

[steve6375]

Post #1 updated with new videos.

[sssquirrel]

I wrote this in C# for this frustrating thread:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/squirrelusb/

Make a multiboot windows USB key with Syslinux and FiraDisk. Formats with NTFS. Written in C# for visual studio express.

[submix8c]

Interesting. But why "frustrating"? Gub4DOS+Firadisk, using RmprepUSB, works just fine. Have you looked at the Tutorials?

[sssquirrel]

submix8c: idk. tensor spectra:   http://bicepkeck.org/B2_2014_i_figs/powspecres.png Firadisk, LinQ ... etc lol

Edited June 22, 2014 by sssquirrel