Customized Boot Menu

[ZileXa]

I have been checking out a few backup tools, like Ghost and True Image.

I used to work with Ghost 8.0... its the last good version because the other versions... well the bootcd part sucks a little bit..

Acronis True Image seems very nice. After installing, you start Media Builder and you can create a BootCD with the true image software (allowing you to create a backup, restore harddisk from a backup, create a hidden partition for a backup file, create incremental backups) for CD, USB disk, and FLOPPY!

I was very pleased to see these options!

1.

So I created the bootCD, made an ISO image file, because I wanted to add that image file to my unAttended cd:

After installing everything/creating user accounts/restart, most people configure a few things like email and stuf... then, they might want to create a Backup! So I wanted to create a nice AUTORUN menu for my uA CD, containing a button that says "Create BootCD to make or restore a Backup of your PC".

When clicked, the ISO image simply opens in Nero and the user can burn immediately, restart PC, pc will boot from the CD and voila, True Image is started and the user can create a backup easily (on the network or a CD/DVD or a USB device or whatever).

2.

PROBLEM: Unfortunately, the ISO file of a True Image BootCD is 30MB!! Waaay to large for my uACD, I only have few space left..

I couldn't believe it! If I would create the BootFLOPPY set it would cost me 20 floppies??

So I was going to test... but I didn't want to go through the hell of inserting that much floppies one by one! So I did this:

I created a virtual floppy B:, loading a 1.4 MB floppy Image and started Acronis MediaBuilder, selected drive B: to create a BootFloppy Set. But I wasn't going to use any real floppy

Once MediaBuilder checked the size of B:\, and asked to proceed creating the floppies... I minimized Media Builder, inserted a USB stick and performed the command (in cmd) "subst B: G:\", means the usbstick G: will be used for the virtual floppy B:\. The nice thing is, B:\ is as large as my USB stick 256 MB

Then proceeded Media Builder, it copied everything to the B: (wich is in fact the USB stick).

It only took 10,6 MB! So I created a Floppy image of B:, AcronisBootFloppy.IMA with WinImage,

then extracted all files from the image to a folder, and extracted the bootsector to a .BIN file.

Now I created an CD ISO image with ImageGUI, selecting the folder as source and the BIN file as bootsector.

I burned the ISO, only 11 MB... restarted my PC and.... it gave an error, something about Non-System disk, press a key --> I pressed a key and True Image is being loaded!

Everything worked, creating a backup to USB device/other partition/CD or DVD!

So I could ofcourse use this ISO for the "Create BootCD to make or restore a Backup of your PC" option, given by my uA CD's AUTORUN... But I was thinking about something nicer: modifying the Windows Boot part of the uA XP CD.. so that when inserted this will appear:

Make a selection in 5 seconds if you want to start from CD:

"1. Start Windows Setup"

"2. Start Backup Tool to create or restore a Backup"

Anyone a clue how to modify the windows Boot files to get this?

There would still be a problem... when option 2 is selected.. I am not sure what command should be performed since True Image bootCD/Bootfloppy doesn't contain a .exe, does have a .cfg (can view in Notepad) and .sys (get strange things in Notepad) and the .cfg seems to contain the commands...

Edited June 22, 2006 by ZileXa

[ZileXa]

Nobody knows how to create a custom Boot menu?

[Nepali]

yes, u can add as much such programs as u can till ur CD space is ruined

here is my boot menu , exactly the same what u needed,

simply create acronis product bootable CD in CDRW, (u won't loose any CD)

use ultraiso and save the boot file,, ""will be in form of *.bif"" (no need sets of floppy/USB stick)

then create ur boot menu with ezboot

and give command as :

MENU---------------->Command-------------------------->description

1. run UAXP----------->(run boot.bin)-------------------------->(this is xp boot file to setup ur windows)

2. run acronis PE----->( bootinfotable;run ape.bif)----------->(this is acronis partition expert boot file saved by ultraiso)

3. run acronis TI ----->(bootinfotable;run tie.bif)------------->(this is acronis True image Ent. boot file saved by ultraiso)

4. Norton ghost ------>(run ghost.ima)------------------------>(this is norton ghost image, created by floppy/winimage)

5. blah blah blah ----->(run *.ima/ *.img)-------------------->(Your additional bootable image file)

6. restart-------------->(restart)-------------------------------->(To restart the PC/system)

7 boot from HDD----->(boot 80)-------------------------------->(To boot from HDD even u chosed to boot from CD)

these two are my bootmenu sample created with help of ezboot:

lemme know if i can help u further

Edited June 27, 2006 by Nepali

[ZileXa]

Woooohooow exactly what I needed! I have exams till 4th of july so I have to hold back now... hehe with new nLite & this info I can make a nice new cd, thanks!