Installing XP from USB-stick the easy way


1) Buy a Sandisk Cruzer with U3 functionality

2) Download Universal_Customizer from here http://www.hak5.org/packages/files/Universal_Customizer.zip

3) Make a (Nlite slimmed) XP bootable ISO see www.Nliteos.com
Can be slimmed down to the bone. Manual install etc. can be removed.

4) Install Universal_Customize

5) Copy ISO in ../BIN directory where Universal_Customizer is installed

6) Rename the ISO to U3CUSTOM.ISO, it can be any size fitting your USB-stick

7) Run Universal_Customizer, follow instructions, be patient!

8) Boot from USB-CDROM and start installing XP

Works perfectly

Many thanks to the heros who programmed Universal_Customizer 1.0.0.8 and Nliteos!!

MGE

This post has been edited by mg.eggink: Aug 5 2008, 01:30 AM

erm, wow!

buying one of these now

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/3435681/Sand...GB/Product.html


I assume it works with a vlite iso too

This post has been edited by bledd: Aug 5 2008, 04:00 AM

And maybe, before using it, it would be better if you read the instructions in the Release Post:
http://www.u3community.com/viewtopic.php?t=434

Including the Warnings.

AND this thread:
http://u3community.com/viewtopic.php?t=1800

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: Aug 5 2008, 05:00 AM

Dear Jaclaz,

i have worked with Universal_Customizer several times.

I have been writing SAFE ISO's to the stick and reinstalled U3. All worked fine.

Just give it a try before scaring poeple with "swichblade"-articles or wathever they are called

MGE

I don't think I scared anyone

I do trust you on your word, but you see, you are at your first post here (BTW Welcome ) and provide a link to an app, without any details about it.

The "general" points I was trying to make was:
1) Since there are no instructions in the Download, it is ALWAYS a good thing to read them before using it
2) Whenever referencing to an app, it is a better practice to refer also to the Author website (if any), to the Release Thread (if any) or however to something where the user can read about the app and what it does, rather then a direct download link
3) It is UNDENIABLE that one of the .ISO inside the download contains an encrypted VB script that could do ANYTHING

The "specific" point, aimed to bledd's reply, is that newish U3 sticks have NOT ANYMORE the same structure as early ones, and thus the linked program may provide to be useless.
To use it one needs to "downgrade" to an older version of LP_installer.

As well, noone should be scared about it, but the user can save some time and headaches actually knowing what he is doing before doing it, as opposed as troubleshooting problems (if any) after they have presented themselves.

..and of course, you've probably never seen me actually scaring someone , you'd be too scared to ever think about criticising my posts again....

jaclaz

Dear Jaclaz,
I responded to quick.

To the ISO's you are right. The one called U3custom is replaced by the users-self--made-iso,
but to be safe:
The user can remove u3custom.iso before copying his own, but dummy.iso should stay in place for the program to function.
To be more safe he can also completely remove the U3Custom-directory, Isoimage.exe from ../bin and ISOCreate.cmd in the ..dir

And of course :always use a self-prepared ISO.


I have looked a little bit further in the program.
The author is called: Tyrone Davis (U3Hacker) But I cannot find another website, with more commands/instructions.
As far as I can see it is a patched Memorex Launchpad Updater 1.0.0.8
The dummy.iso is in the ../bin from this version also and same size.
Patching is done in the way described here:
http://usb.smithtech.us/projects/u3updater.php

On the "downgrade" I can not comment because I reinstalled from the SandiskU3-website and it worked.
FYI: I used a Sandisk Micro Cruzer 2GB. Fresh out of the box.
But maybe it was in the store for ages ;-)

MGE

This post has been edited by mg.eggink: Aug 6 2008, 01:28 AM

More detailled info:

Installing XP from Sandisk U3 USB-stick the easy way


1) Buy a Sandisk Cruzer with U3 functionality

2) Download Universal_Customizer from here http://www.hak5.org/packages/files/Universal_Customizer.zip

Or CREATE a patched LaunchPad Updater v1.4.0.2 as decribed below.

3) Make a (Nlite slimmed) XP bootable ISO see www.Nliteos.com
Can be slimmed down to the bone. Manual install etc. can be removed.

4) Install Universal_Customizer

5) Delete U3CUSTOM.ISO in ../BIN
Optionaly delete U3CUSTOM-dir, isocreate.cmd in ../BIN and ISOCreate.cmd in root.

6) Copy selfmade ISO in ../BIN directory
Rename the ISO to U3CUSTOM.ISO, it can be any size fitting your USB-stick

7) Run Universal_Customizer.exe , follow instructions, be patient!

8) Boot from USB-CDROM and start installing XP




CREATE YOUR OWN UPDATER

*** For informational purposes only ***
*** Use at your own risk ***
*** I will not be responsible if you damage your drive ***
*** Backup Your Data ***

!!! The original instructions were found at http://usb.smithtech.us/projects/u3updater.php


1. Download the Memorex LaunchPad Updater v1.4.0.2
http://www.memorex.com/u3/upgrade_vista/

2. Download Universal Extractor
http://www.legroom.net/software/uniextract

3. Download Resource Hacker
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

4. Extract U3 Launchpad v1.4.0.2 Updater.exe to a folder with Universal Extractor

5. Open UpdaterCore.exe from the folder you extracted the LaunchPad Updater to
with Resource Hacker.

6. Expand "String Table". Expand "132". Click "1033". You should see

STRINGTABLE
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
{
2096, "Skip"
2097, "Skip All"
2098, "Retry"
2099, "Abort"
2100, "Wrong password"
2101, "%d attempt(s) before device is permanently locked"
2102, "Failed to set password. To try again, please remove your %2 and reinsert it."
2103, "%1 failed to format your %2"
2104, "Backing up your data..."
2105, "Updating the %2 firmware..."
2106, "Restoring your data ..."
2107, "Formatting your %2..."
2108, "Updating your version of the U3 Launchpad..."
2109, "1.0.5.17\n"
2110, "bin\\Launchpad.iso"
2111, "\\\\Launchpad.zip"
}

Change 2109, "1.0.5.17\n" to 2109, "_LP_VERSION_"
and 2110, "bin\\Launchpad.iso" to 2110, "bin\\U3CUSTOM.iso"
Click the Compile Script button

This just allowed you to update the drive over and over. This fools the updater in to thinking the firmware isnt updated

7. Expand "133", Click "1033", you should see
2123, "Memorex Inc."
2124, "Memorex Inc."
2125, "Memorex"

Change the values to:

2123, "*"
2124, "*"
2125, "*"
Click the Compile Script button

8. Expand "BIN", Expand "709", Click on "0", you should see

<vendorId value="2284"/>
<vendorName value="Memorex"/>
<productName value="Mini TravelDrive"/>
<productId value="22"/>

Change the values to:

vendorId value="*"/>
<vendorName value="*"/>
<productName value="*"/>
<productId value="*"/>

Click the Compile Script button

9. Click File and Save

10. Delete Updater.pdb

11. Delete the LaunchPad.iso file in the bin subdirectory and place to one of your own
Rename it to U3CUSTOM.iso

12. Run CoreUpdater.exe to install the U3CUSTOM.iso to your U3 Drive,
follow instructions, be patient!

13. Boot from USB-CDROM and start installing XP


***Again do this at your own risk, I will not be responsible if you fry your drive, but
it worked perfectly for me on a Sandisk micro cruzer 2GB***

Does this utility allow you to Boot from the USB drive and install windows from the ISO image that you place on it?
or is this app just for USB drive options IN windows?

Yes, it's about boot from USB drive.

However BIOS has to support fake U3 CD-ROM drive.
Some BIOS boot from real USB CD-ROM drive, but not from a fake U3 CD-ROM drive.

@mg.eggink
Which machine and mother board do you use?

@jaclaz
I edited Memorex LaunchPad in the past. But BIOS dosn't support U3 CD-ROM drive.
Grub4dos booted from U3 data partition:
'cdrom --init' dosn't detect U3 CD-ROM drive too, well no BIOS support.

Hi,
I tested on a Dell Vostro 200

MGE

This post has been edited by mg.eggink: Aug 7 2008, 12:25 AM

I have tried this. NoGo
I bought a 4Gb disk(the right kind)
My ISO file is 2.3Gb.
I renamed it to U3CUSTOM.ISO. (under \bin).
Then I runed Universal_Customizer.exe.There are 5 steps in this program.
Step 3 Backup seems to fail evry time, and then the program halts.
If i run the ISOCreate.cmd, and then Universal_Customizer.exe it goes to step 4 and 5, but halts on 5 after that you have pulled the usb pen out and inserted it again.
Iam not abel to boot from the pen.And yes my mb is capebale of doing so.(DFI NF4)


Any ideas?

Try with a smallish ISO first.

Use nlite to reduce it, a "normal" nlited image is a few hundreds of Mbytes, usually less than 400.

IF it works, try with a bigger one, it is possible that there is some hardcoded size limit somewhere.

jaclaz

ok,will try....

Hi,
what operating system is used??.
I think back-up should always work correctly if the pen is recognized.

Looking at the size of you ISO it is not XP.


I have read that the original Sandisk/Memorex program version 1.0.0.8 is not Vista compatible.

That could the reason for this newer version I believe:
Memorex LaunchPad Updater v1.4.0.2 is at http://www.memorex.com/u3/upgrade_vista/ ;-)

You will have to patch it yourself as described earlier in this threat.


MGE

PS I do not know what happens is the CD-iso is bigger than a CD

This post has been edited by mg.eggink: Aug 8 2008, 09:26 AM

WinXp
I tried with iso only 450Mb---> The program finished ok.
But I could not boot from pen, Message was "NO OPERATING SYSTEM"

Will try more!

Edit.
Tried On a diff. PC, nogo..Howe can I see if it's possible to boot from pen.That the pen is bootable?

This post has been edited by Floppy: Aug 8 2008, 12:58 PM

Hi,
you can check if your ISO is bootable with programs like Magiciso.

Do this check before you write it to the stick.

Magiciso can not recognize the (files on?) theU3-CDROM.

MGE

Thanks,I wanted test if the pen was bootable.

Dear Floppy,

I understood you question but do not know a program or method to show if the stick is bootable.

Please let me know if your ISO was/is bootable before you wrote it to the Sandisk
by testing it with for instance MagicISO.

MGE

Hey

I used the same ISO as I wrote to DVD. It has never failed.The thing is that when I tried to boot from the USB pen, it seems that the pen is found during post up....but the process seems to halt.That's why I was wondring about if it was possible to chck if the pen was bootable.
And thankyou for responding to my question.(And for ignoring my bad spelling )

Hi Floppy,

you wrote this earlier:

> I tried with iso only 450Mb---> The program finished ok.
> But I could not boot from pen, Message was "NO OPERATING SYSTEM"

Please test this ISO with MagicISO for bootebility.

The DVD might be OK, but you could not write it to the pen.
So that gives no information.
You succeeded to write the smaller ISO. But this one cannot boot from the pen.
So most probably the created ISO itself is not booteble.
That's why I asked to test this ISO for bootability.

MGE

This post has been edited by mg.eggink: Aug 12 2008, 06:33 AM