Multiboot 32GB flash drive (Windows + Linux + Tools)

Question

I am searching and testing various methods for days now, and I haven't found any straight forward guide on how to make Multiboot USB flash drive that is capable of booting following:

• Windows 8 instalation (Standard iso file)
• Windows 7 instalation (AIO x86,x64 iso file)
• Windows XP (Optional)
• Any linux distro (Optional)

and some tools including

• WINPE (with gimagex for .wim manipulations)
• Hirens Boot CD
• Ghost (for HDD cloning purposes)

Everything is fine with above mentioned tools, using grub4dos with custom gfxmenu:

But when runing Windows 7 instalation ISO I am having this particular problem:

Below is menu.lst content from grub4dos:

timeout 10
default 0
gfxmenu (hd0,0)/message



### MENU START
title Boot From HDD
password --md5 $1$dMc3$BaQGJmKXts3aRdbn29JFd/
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
chainloader (hd0,0)
### MENU END


### MENU END
title     Install Windows 7 AIO\n
password --md5 $1$dMc3$BaQGJmKXts3aRdbn29JFd/
ls /images/WIN7AIO.iso || find --set-root /images/WIN7AIO.iso
map /images/WIN7AIO.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)
### MENU END


### MENU END
title     Run Ghost\n
password --md5 $1$dMc3$BaQGJmKXts3aRdbn29JFd/
ls /images/ghost.iso || find --set-root /images/GHOST.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 /images/GHOST.iso (0xff) || map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 --mem /images/GHOST.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)
### MENU END


### MENU START
title     Run Gimagex\n
password --md5 $1$dMc3$BaQGJmKXts3aRdbn29JFd/
ls /images/gimagex.iso || find --set-root /images/GIMAGEX.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 /images/GIMAGEX.iso (0xff) || map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 --mem /images/GIMAGEX.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)
### MENU END

### MENU START
title     Run Hiren's bootcd\n
password --md5 $1$dMc3$BaQGJmKXts3aRdbn29JFd/
ls /images/gimagex.iso || find --set-root /images/HIRNESCD.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 /images/HIRENS.iso (0xff) || map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 --mem /images/GIMAGEX.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)
### MENU END

So what is it that am I doing wrong and is this problem solved by adding some kind of USB drivers for windows 7 iso or changing menu.lst content? Also is this even posible to have this kind of variety in one USB drive, as I haven't finished this little project but already worried that there will be future problems adding Win8,Winxp,linux iso's to grub4dos... For information, USB is 3.0 NTFS formated and Win7 custom install.wim file is over 5GB. I would be very greateful if someone pointed me to the right direction achieving this with straightforward guide or instructions!

Solution 1

If you create a bootable USB with EasyBCD, you can add entries to ISO images on the USB stick itself. Windows Vista/7/8 setup environments should be bootable as ISO images loaded via EasyBCD, but if you experience problems then extract the contents of the DVD to the USB and add them as Windows PE entries instead (booting into the setup's install.wim file directly).

Windows XP's setup environment does not recognize that its setup media may be virtualized/not-really-there, and as such will not work unless extracted to the USB (i.e. you can't boot it up from within its ISO, and since it doesn't use .WIM files for setup, it can't be chainloaded via EasyBCD).

Disclosure: I'm the author of EasyBCD.

Solution 2

check http://www.easy2boot.com/

1. Install RMPrepUSB if you have a Windows system
2. Download Easy2Boot and unzip
3. Run the Make_E2B_USB_Drive.cmd script as Administrator - see Make an Easy2Boot USB drive (or Linux users go here)
4. Copy over your payload files (e.g. linux iso to _ISO\LINUX, Win7 Installer isos to _ISO\WINDOWS\WIN7, etc)
5. Run RMPrepUSB Ctrl+F2 to make all files contiguous (linux users can run defragfs)
6. BOOT and have fun!

Read more: http://www.easy2boot.com/introduction/

Comments

[piernov]

This with both UEFI/Classic BIOS support would be excellent.

[Admin]

I agree .. I wrote this... Make a multiboot windows USB key with Syslinux and FiraDisk. Formats with NTFS. Maybe you can do the linux part ... heheh sourceforge.net/projects/squirrelusb

[Daniel B]

Well so just in case anybody stumbles across this: Mapped drives by Grub/Memdisk/whatnot only work in “DOS mode” unless the operating system has a driver explicitly supporting it. Setup boots because it’s entirely contained in a ramdisk of its own.

[TechLife]

No, Its not install.wim , its boot.wim . I tried this before .. be aware, dont waste time!