MSFN Forum: How to install Windows from USB- WinSetupFromUSB with GUI

Here comes the first GUI for our little project. What it can be used for adding to your USB stick/disk:

- multiple Windows XP/2kX sources in the same partition (up to 10 99 with vers. 1.0). They have to be in the first (no longer applies to 1.0 versions) any primary partition of the USB disk if hard disk type. If USB stick- Windows will not see any other partitions, but the first one, so you are restricted to it anyway.

Existing folders ~BT and ~LS and TXTSETUP.SIF will be renamed, and SETUPLDR.BIN and SETUPDD.SYS patched against the new names. Checksum checks are also corrected.(no longer applies to 1.0 versions). BTS OEM folders are supported and renamed accordingly.

- BartPE/WinBulder/UBCD4Win/WinFLPC (NOT ramdisk versions) to any primary partition. Multiple BartPE for example, in the SAME partition are NOT supported. Neither is the mix of them on a single partition.

- Vista/Windows 7/Server 2008 setup to different primary partitions. Multiple Vista sources in the SAME partition are NOT supported. Place your second Vista/7/Server 2008 setup in another partition. It can be placed in any primary partition. If looking for several Vista/Server 2008/7 sources in the same partition have a look here or if just for 7 or Vista here. The first ling would require you manually to put everything to the USB disk, if using the second you can point the program to the prepared AOI source.

- PartedMagic, a friendly Linux distro, which includes GParted- open source partition manager.

- Other grub4dos CD emulation compatible ISO. Refer to this topic for list of examples http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5041

- SysLinux bootsector as a file, and optionally a directory, containing (Linux) distro booting off SysLinux.

For example you may extract UBCD411.ISO, and point the program to this folder. Entire contents will be copied and entry for SysLinux bootsector file will be added to the grub4dos boot menu.

Some features:

- detects UBCD4Win and uses multiboot menu for it if folder IMAGES is found. Only default UBCD4Win multiboot options are added. Edit UBCD4Win.lst to add custom ones.
- UBCD4Win boot menu is adjusted to boot from the selected partition. It can be placed on any primary partition.
- if Windows setup folders (~BT and ~LS) and txtsetup.sif coexist in the same partition as BartPE/WinBuilder/UNCD4Win/WinFLPC, SETUPLDR.BIN of the latter is patched not to use txtsetup.sif in root. Checksum checks are also corrected (applies to pre 1.0 versions).
- grub4dos is the main bootloader/manager. Without it's advanced features, multiple partitions will not be easily achieved.
Bootsector loading GRLDR is installed in the active partition of the selected disk. Hence the requirement for active partition and MBR. In version 1.0 versions grub4dos MBR is used instead.
- detailed log file is created in the folder, where program is executed from. Use it for troubleshooting. Upon next execution if log file is found, it's compressed in Microsoft cab format, moved to BACKUPS folder and renamed with current DATE/TIME stamp.
- upon installing grub4dos bootsector or MBR, backup of MBR and bootsector with DATE/TIME stamp are placed in BACKUPS folder. Use it in case something goes wrong.
- if in Windows source folder winnt.sif is found it will be used as answer file. Section UNATTENDED will be temporarily removed, only for the Text part of setup, and before start of GUI mode it will be merged back. PRESETUP.CMD is used for this purpose.((no longer applies to 1.0 versions)
- $OEM$ folders are copied by presetup.cmd(no longer applies to 1.0 versions)
- option to start the prepared USB disk in QEMU for testing purposes. Use carefully at own risk, do not attempt write operations!
- tooltips with hints on almost every element in the GUI
- for multi partition USB stick use the cmd files in "files\tools\MULTIpartitionUSBstick". Works for 32bits Windows XP/2003 only! This is not thoroughly tested option, use at your risk.

Please read the included with the stable versions ReadMe.txt and \Docs\HOW-TOs.txt, it should help you get started. When in doubt hold the mouse over the element, a tooltip should help you with the choice.

If reporting problems, please attach your compressed log file (WinSetupFromUSB.log), windows version and exact steps to reproduce the problem. Thanks

For previous list of changes please look at \Docs\Changelog.txt

Warning: Several antivirus vendors detect the included in many versions setup.ex_ and setup_dbg.ex_ as viruses. This is false positive:
http://www.msfn.org/...

You may need to turn temporarily off your antivirus protection when using the program. Hopefully AV vendors will respond at last to the numerous emails sent and take off those signatures.

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