Install Windows 7/Vista From USB Drive, Very simple External links Options

[wimb]

@allanf
Thanks for your help.
I will try again the pe21 project, using your information.

@jaclaz
Thanks, it is BOOTMGR that works for loading winpe.iso with GRUB4DOS grldr and menu.lst Menu.
oscdimg makes CAPITALS of bootmgr in ISO folder

menu.lst

CODE

title Windows PE 2.0 ISO
map (hd0,0)/winpe.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader /BOOTMGR

However, on second thought,
there is no image booting or loading into RAMDISK needed for Windows PE 2.0
since it loads and boots by itself already from RAMDISK (Drive X:)

That means we can also simply copy the Windows PE 2.0 ISO folder Content to the Harddisk Bootdrive C:\
and use GRUB4DOS by chainloading bootmgr using menu.lst Entry as:

menu.lst

CODE

title Boot Windows PE 2.0
root (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)/bootmgr

Copy and Install Boot option for Windows PE 2.0 can be realised by small GUI Program running from PStart.

For Install of Vista (or Windows 7) from USB we have now an easy and fast solution.

Install Vista from USB Procedure

• Copy Windows PE 2.0 ISO folder Content to Harddisk Bootdrive C:\
  and make Boot Entry in GRUB4DOS menu.lst
• Reboot with Windows PE 2.0 loaded in few seconds from Harddisk
  and booting from RAMDISK in less than 1 min
• Use PStart of U_XP_SET folder on known Harddisk Drive e.g. C:\
  and Edit > Add file Vista Setup.exe in folder on USB-stick to PStart Menu
• Run Vista Setup from PStart Menu
• Select and Format your Install Drive e.g. C:\
• Proceed with Install of Vista from USB (Copy + Extract)
• On first Reboot precisely remove USB-stick
  Without Removal there is 10 min Extra Install time.
• Proceed with Install of Vista
• Ready

Total Install time of Vista from USB-stick amounts to 18 minutes

The gain is in booting with Windows PE 2.0 loaded in few seconds from Harddisk C:\
and booting from RAMDISK X: in less then 1 min
This allows then to Select and launch Vista (or Windows 7) Setup.exe from folder on USB-stick and to format Harddisk drive C:

Install of Windows 7 from USB-stick was not yet tested,
but can most likely be applied in the same way.

The present approach allows even to use a folder on Logical Drive of Extended Partition as Vista Install Source, so that Copy to USB-stick is not needed (case of local computer).
In this respect Vista is behaving more friendly than XP where the XP Setup Source must be on first partition.

There is NO BIOS Change of Settings needed, you just boot all the time as normal from your Internal Harddisk.
Procedure can be used when BIOS does NOT support booting from USB.

When you cannot boot from your Harddisk e.g. in the case of brand new empty harddisk, then you can boot once from USB-stick (or CD/DVD) with Windows PE 2.0 and use the same method as described above.

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[was_jaclaz]

That means we can also simply copy the Windows PE 2.0 ISO folder Content to the Harddisk Bootdrive C:\
and use GRUB4DOS by chainloading bootmgr using menu.lst Entry as:

Yep.

But I wanted you to find out by yourself.

Nonetheless, direct ISO booting is nice, and transition from .iso burned to CD, or CD to USB stick is immediate.

I find it a more elegant solution

jaclaz

[wimb]

I find it a more elegant solution

Copy of the ISO file to harddisk is more Boot Error sensitive
e.g. when the ISO copy is not contiguous ....

Copy of Windows PE 2.0 CD or USB Content to Harddisk is Direct,
no need to make an ISO file ....

Anyway it is nice to have fast booting with Windows PE 2.0 available

[was_jaclaz]

Copy of the ISO file to harddisk is more Boot Error sensitive
e.g. when the ISO copy is not contiguous ....

...but of course having contiguous files is anyway a "good practice", and it's recommended always.
Besides, it wil give error 60, which can be solved by using contig or wincontig :
http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/map.htm

BTW, and just for the record, a winbuilder .script for wincontig has just been published:
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7160

Copy of Windows PE 2.0 CD or USB Content to Harddisk is Direct,
no need to make an ISO file ....

Yep, but on the other hand, if you already have a .iso you don't need to extract files from it.

And it would be MUCH easier if you have SEVERAL .iso's....

Or are you going to start anew the "renaming" game...

I would say, in this case, let's offer choices, and let user choose which one he likes best.



jaclaz

[wimb]

I would say, in this case, let's offer choices, and let user choose which one he likes best.

That is always the best test and it is good to have free choice.

I like ISO's too for making directories less complicated.

Copying contiguous ISO to NTFS formatted USB-stick
easily results in a non-contiguous ISO,
because of the Sectors with the MFT table in the middle of the drive.
This occurs especially for large ISO's like VistaPE ISO.

Thanks for the link on WinContig Script

[wimb]

The empty ISO folder...? The location of oscdimg in the installed WAIK directories changed after WAIK V.1.0, so I had to update the project from pe2 to pe21 for WAIK v.1.1;

Thanks allanf

After Updating my WAIK to version 1.1 everything worked fine.

Then I have installed pe21.iso as boot option on Harddisk.
It boots very fast in about 40 seconds with a very nice and comfortable GUI interface.
Then I used FreeCommander to launch Vista Setup.exe from USB-stick and could Format the Bootdrive and Install Vista from USB-stick in about 18 min, where I disconnected the USB-stick precisely at the First Reboot (just at the BIOS Beep when the screen is black).

Disconnecting too early e.g. when the 10 seconds are running results in Error and you need to Launch Vista Setup again.
Keeping the USB-stick connected results in 10 min extra Install time, where Vista Setup is all the time verifying on USB-stick (USB-stick flashlight).

Everything is fine now and in my opinion your version of Windows PE 2.0 with GUI interface is most suitable for my purpose of Fast Booting in 40 seconds with Windows PE from RAMDISK and then Launching Vista or Windows 7 Setup.exe from USB-stick and then format the Harddisk Boot Partition and Proceed with Install of Vista or Windows 7 from USB-stick.

I have tested also VistaPE ISO for this purpose.
Vista PE launched from Harddisk and Booting from RAMDISK and proceed with Launching Vista Setup from USB is possible.
But booting with VistaPE is NOT so fast and it will take several minutes.

[allanf]

Thanks allanf

After Updating my WAIK to version 1.1 everything worked fine.

My pleasure, wimb ... ...

That is good news. I plan to make it lighter and faster... one day!

Regards

[Christian]

@Christian
After booting with Windows PE 2.0 you end with the command console on drive X: of Windows PE 2.0
At that stage you have to change the directory to the USB-stick Drive and with cd WIN7 to e.g. the WIN7 folder on the stick. Then Enter Setup.exe of Windows 7.
It might be convenient to have U_XP_SET available to find out what is the drive letter of your USB-stick, so that you know how to change directory.
You can in Windows 2.0 use U_XP_SET\PStart.exe e.g. located on known Harddisk Drive, and then use FileBrowser of Edit > AddFile ... Menu or NOTEPAD.EXE to Browse for existing drives and find your USB-stick DriveLetter. For this purpose you may Add NOTEPAD from C:\WINDOWS to your Local HD U_XP_SET\Progs folder.
EDIT:
Convenient is to use ListDosDevices_To_Notepad.cmd of Uwe Sieber from U_XP_SET\USB_XP_Setup\makebt\listdosdevices folder, which you can Add to PStart Menu.
This option works in Windows PE 2.0 environment,
whereas ddlistW.cmd would NOT work in this case.

Thanks Wimb! I'd given up on having both Vista & Win7 on the same drive but I'll give it another shot after reading all these posts. Thanks for the tip on removing the drive to speed up the install

[allanf]

...

I would say, in this case, let's offer choices, and let user choose which one he likes best.

Today I obtained a copy of Win7 beta from an MS Partner. Now reading through the information and this time trying to understand.

My current setup: one c: drive, one usb hard-drive, one usb flash drive containing Win7Beta.iso and the Key txt file; dual-booting from bootmgr - XP and WinPE (boot.wim) from the same partition.

The bcd, as seen from WinPE 2.1:
[attachment=7678:bcd_DualXPWinPE.gif]
Notes: One description says 'Windows PE 3.0', which was the initial reason for setting it up. But it is, this time, Windows PE 2.1 (pe21 Project)... I swap the c:\sources\boot.wim around quite frequently. And, AFAIK, all the 'Resume from Hibernate' entries were created the first time I booted Windows PE 3.0.

I may only get one crack at doing this properly - so looking for advice.

I believe I can boot to WinPE 2.1 and use DISKPART to shrink the c:\ drive (or USB Hard-drive - is 80GB enough?) and create a new partition for Win7 beta. The next step would be to configure the quickest, easiest way to switch between my main OS, XP and the experimental OS, Win7 beta.

As I write, I recall that there may be a thread related to booting Win7 from a Virtual Hard Drive. That may be the best option to try out first.

Otherwise, what are the real-hard-drive choices on offer?

Thanks

[sasch]

heelo.
please, where i can find soft which can: make boot flash on Win7 and can setup win 7 from usb.
thank.