Carlos Alloatti

I stopped adding updates to the install sources, it's a race you never win. What I do is update the install sources to the latest service pack, and post install use WSUS Offline Update No need to mess around with slipstreaming updates, one click downloads all new updates for all operating systems and Office, one click installs all the updates to a fresh OS.

Just a little Well, I posted the first part of the results of my hard work, hopefully it will be of use to others. Thanks for all your help.

Yes, but if I understand correctly your link, the install process of Windows 7 is very different as when installing from DVD right? My goals where: 1 Not to have many DVDs/CDs for each OS, but have everything in one USB Hard Drive. 2 The install process should be the same as using the DVD, so there is not need to explain anything, just "choose option 3 and do the same things you do when installing from DVD/CD" I did not find this anywhere, but did find diferent methods involving doing non standard things during the install, or be able to only have one install set in the USB HD. This way, you have many independent install ISOs, and the maintenance/updating is just copying over a new version of an ISO to the USB HD.

Admins: If possible, please change topic title to that of the first line, delete this afterwards, thanks.

Install Windows 7 x86/Windows 7 x64/Server 2008 from ISO files in USB HD Summary: All your Windows 7 / 2008 Install DVDs with independent options and configurations in one USB HD, selectable with a simple Grub4Dos menu. No complicated procedures or methods, no opening command prompts, no replacing setup.exe, no loaders. The install process is exactly the same as using a DVD. Each ISO is independent of each other, with its own optional embedded autounattend.xml Easy to implement and maintain. Ingredients: USB Hard Drive Windows 7 x86 DVD/ISO/install files Windows 7 x64 DVD/ISO/install files Windows Server 2008 DVD/ISO/install files Dism.exe from Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) Oscdimg.exe from Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) Firadisk version 0.0.1.30 Grub4Dos version 0.4.5b-2011-11-03 BootIce version 0.9.2011.0501 PC with Windows 7 Procedure: Create the following folder structure C:\USBHD C:\USBHD\TOOLS C:\USBHD\TOOLS\BOOTICE C:\USBHD\TOOLS\GRUB4DOS C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86 C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\BIN C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\BIN\DRIVERS C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\BIN\DRIVERS\FIRADISK Create additional folder structures for each install DVD, for example C:\USBHD\W7SP1X64, etc. Copy BootIce files to C:\USBHD\TOOLS\BOOTICE Copy Grub4Dos files to C:\USBHD\TOOLS\GRUB4DOS Install WAIK, you will then have: C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\oscdimg.exe C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\Servicing\Dism.exe Copy all the DVD files from each DVD to its folder: W7SP1X86, etc. If you have ISO files, you can use WINRAR to extract the files from the ISOs Copy the Firadisk driver files to each BIN\DRIVERS\FIRADISK folder Create a file C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\BIN\DRIVERS\FIRADISK\FIRADISK.REG Edit FIRADISK.REG: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\target\ControlSet001\services\FiraDisk] "Type"=dword:00000001 "Start"=dword:00000000 "ErrorControl"=dword:00000001 "ImagePath"=hex(2):73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,44,00,\ 52,00,49,00,56,00,45,00,52,00,53,00,5c,00,66,00,69,00,72,00,61,00,64,00,69,\ 00,73,00,6b,00,2e,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,00,00 "DisplayName"="FiraDisk Driver" "Group"="Boot Bus Extender" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\target\ControlSet001\services\FiraDisk\Parameters] "PnP"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\target\ControlSet001\services\FiraDisk\Enum] "Count"=dword:00000001 "NextInstance"=dword:00000001 "0"="ROOT\\FiraDisk\\0000" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\target\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\FiraDisk\0000] "ClassGUID"="{4d36e97b-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}" "Class"="SCSIAdapter" "HardwareID"=hex(7):72,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,5c,00,66,00,69,00,72,00,61,00,64,\ 00,69,00,73,00,6b,00,00,00,00,00 "CompatibleIDs"=hex(7):64,00,65,00,74,00,65,00,63,00,74,00,65,00,64,00,5c,00,\ 66,00,69,00,72,00,61,00,64,00,69,00,73,00,6b,00,00,00,00,00 "Service"="FiraDisk" "ConfigFlags"=dword:00000000 "Capabilities"=dword:00000000 "ContainerID"="{00000000-0000-0000-FFFF-FFFFFFFFFFFF}" Create two files: C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\BIN\01.PROCESS.WIMS.CMD C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\BIN\02.BUILD.ISO.CMD Edit 01.PROCESS.WIMS.CMD, edit the line "SET MOUNTDRIVE=D:" change drive letter to a drive that exists in your system. @ECHO off REM THIS BATCH FILE IS DVDROOT\BIN\01.PROCESS.WIMS.CMD REM DRIVERS FOLDER IS BIN\DRIVERS REM IMAGE INDEX 1 OF boot.wim IS Microsoft Windows PE (x86) REM IMAGE INDEX 2 OF boot.wim IS Microsoft Windows Setup (x86) MD "%PROGRAMFILES%\ELEVATEMYASS" IF EXIST "%PROGRAMFILES%\ELEVATEMYASS\" GOTO ELEVATED ECHO This batch file must be run as Administrator. PAUSE GOTO :EOF :ELEVATED RD "%PROGRAMFILES%\ELEVATEMYASS" ECHO Set variables REM SET MOUNTDRIVE TO A WRITABLE FAST DRIVE IN YOUR PC SET MOUNTDRIVE=D: CD /d %~dp0 CD .. SET TARGET=%cd% SET DISM="C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\Servicing\dism.exe" ECHO Delete some files in TARGET DEL "%TARGET%\sources\ei.cfg" /Q REM CREATE BACKUP OR COPY FROM BACKUP IF FOUND IF NOT EXIST "%TARGET%.BACKUP\" MD "%TARGET%.BACKUP\" IF NOT EXIST "%TARGET%.BACKUP\sources" MD "%TARGET%.BACKUP\sources" IF NOT EXIST "%TARGET%.BACKUP\sources\boot.wim" ( ECHO Making backup of boot.wim ... COPY "%TARGET%\sources\boot.wim" "%TARGET%.BACKUP\sources\boot.wim" ) ELSE ( ECHO Copying boot.wim from backup... COPY "%TARGET%.BACKUP\sources\boot.wim" "%TARGET%\sources\boot.wim" ) SET INDEX=2 SET MOUNTDIR=%MOUNTDRIVE%\BOOT.WIM.2 SET WIMFILE=%TARGET%\sources\boot.wim IF NOT EXIST %MOUNTDIR%\ MD "%MOUNTDIR%" ECHO Load image %INDEX% of %WIMFILE% into %MOUNTDIR% %DISM% /mount-wim /wimfile:"%WIMFILE%" /index:%INDEX% /mountdir:"%MOUNTDIR%" REM COPY autounattend.xml INTO SETUP IMAGE SO SETUP ALLWAYS FINDS IT (USB REMOVABLE VS FIXED) IF EXIST "%TARGET%\autounattend.xml" COPY "%TARGET%\autounattend.xml" "%MOUNTDIR%\autounattend.xml" ECHO Add drivers to loaded image Dism /image:"%MOUNTDIR%" /Add-Driver /driver:"%~dp0DRIVERS" /recurse /forceunsigned REG unload HKLM\target REG load HKLM\target "%MOUNTDIR%\Windows\system32\config\SYSTEM" REG import "%~dp0DRIVERS\FIRADISK\firadisk.reg" REG unload HKLM\target %DISM% /unmount-wim /mountdir:"%MOUNTDIR%" /commit RD "%MOUNTDIR%" PAUSE Now edit 02.BUILD.ISO.CMD: @ECHO OFF REM THIS BATCH FILE IS DVDROOT\BIN\01.BUILD.ISO.CMD :oscdimg [options] SourceLocation TargetFile :http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749036%28WS.10%29.aspx ECHO Create ISO... SET oscdimg="C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\oscdimg.exe" SET bootfile="%~dp0..\boot\etfsboot.com" CD /d %~dp0 CD .. SET sourcedir=%cd% SET isofile=%cd%.ISO CD .. CALL SET "isolabel=%%sourcedir:%cd%\=%%" CD /d %~dp0 ECHO Source=%sourcedir% ECHO Target=%isofile% ECHO Label=%isolabel% %oscdimg% -u1 -d -h -m -o -l%isolabel% -b%bootfile% "%sourcedir%" "%isofile%" PAUSE If you have an autounattend.xml file, copy it to the root of the install folder: C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\autounattend.xml Add any other files you need to customize the install process, for example C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86\sources/$OEM$\$$\Setup\Scripts\setupcomplete.cmd etc. Now we are ready to build the ISO. Run 01.PROCESS.WIMS.CMD as administrator (right click). Once the process is finished, run 02.BUILD.ISO.CMD Now you should have a C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86.BACKUP folder, that contains a backup of the boot.wim file, and a C:\USBHD\W7SP1X86.ISO file. Repeat the process for each version, for example W7SP1X64, W2008R2X64, etc. Your USB HD must have ONE formatted NTFS partition. Use Disk Management to create/format. We will assume the USB HD has the letter “X” assigned. Start BootIce Select the USB HD as Destination Disk, click “Process MBR”, select “GRUB4DOS” as MBR type, click “Install/Config”, click “Save to disk”, click Close. Now click “Parts Manage”, verify that the partition is set as active, in column “Act” there should be an “A”, if not click “Activate”. Click “Close”, click “Exit” Copy C:\USBHD\TOOLS\GRUB4DOS\grldr and grldr.mbr to X:\ (the root of the USB HD) Create a folder in the USB HD X:\ISOS Copy all the iso files from C:\USBHD to X:\ISOS Create a X:\menu.lst file, edit it: color white/blue black/light-gray timeout 15 default 0 title Boot from HD map --unmap=0:0xff map --unhook map (hd1) (hd0) map (hd0) (hd1) map --hook chainloader (hd0)+1 title Install Windows 7 Ultimate x86 set ISOFILE=/ISOS/W7SP1X86.ISO map %ISOFILE% (0xff) map (hd1) (hd0) map (hd0) (hd1) map --mem (md)0x800+4 (0x55) map --hook write (0x55) [FiraDisk]\nStartOptions=cdrom,vmem=find:%ISOFILE%\n\0 chainloader (0xff) title Install Windows 7 Ultimate x64 set ISOFILE=/ISOS/W7SP1X64.ISO map %ISOFILE% (0xff) map (hd1) (hd0) map (hd0) (hd1) map --mem (md)0x800+4 (0x55) map --hook write (0x55) [FiraDisk]\nStartOptions=cdrom,vmem=find:%ISOFILE%\n\0 chainloader (0xff) title Install Windows 2008 R2 x64 set ISOFILE=/ISOS/W2008R2X64.ISO map %ISOFILE% (0xff) map (hd1) (hd0) map (hd0) (hd1) map --harddrives=2 map --mem (md)0x800+4 (0x55) map --hook write (0x55) [FiraDisk]\nStartOptions=cdrom,vmem=find:%ISOFILE%\n\0 chainloader (0xff) Edit the menu according to your ISO names and quantity. Notes: The autounattend.xml file is inserted into the boot.wim file so Windows Setup will be able to find it under all circumstances. References: The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7 http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5753 Firadisk http://reboot.pro/8804/ Grub4Dos http://code.google.com/p/grub4dos-chenall/downloads/list BootIce http://bbs.wuyou.com/viewthread.php?tid=57675 Download Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (Trial) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd459137.aspx Install Windows 7 from ISO on USB hard disk to SATA hard disk http://reboot.pro/13968/page__p__123736#entry123736

Tested on another computer that does not boot from USB at all, used PLOP CD, no go, errors at loading keyboard dll in textmode setup right before it should show the drive setup screen. Got tired of fighting with Winsetupfromusb, it does too many things that I dont quite understand. Right now I am trying a totally different aproach, no builders, will do everything by hand myself. So far its looking good. Basically I added Firadisk driver to XP source, modified USB settings in source (USBBOOT.INF, that took me a while to find ) I build ISO, copy it to USB HD, load it with grub, so far success! Managed to install XP with no problems in the two test machines. SO far, so good. I will post back when I am finished, hoping to save some poor soul in the future a week of hair pulling.

May I make a feature request? I would love to be able to choose a name for each 2000/XP/2003 install, instead of the program using something like XPpSP3, XPpSP31. I guess we are limited to eight characters right? How about using the name of the folder source?

jaclaz: Thank you very much for your patience and detailed explanations! Yes, I am new to Grub4Dos, so its kind of uphill a bit. The thing is I don't want to dig too much as I usually tend to do, otherwise important things gets pushed aside and not done (I am shure you know what I mean) . My main objective is to update my install tools, as I do every couple of years. I just settled for this, inserted after the "default /default" line in menun.lst created by WinSetupfromUSB: map (hd1) (hd1) || map (hd2) (hd1) map --harddrives=2 map --hook The first line solves the missing hd1/remapped to hd2 by PLOP, the second line handles the phantom third hard drive. This covers 99% of my installs and does not mess with Grub4Dos as setup by WinSetupfromUSB. I guess this is not a complete solution, since other files created by WinSetupfromUSB seem to do some stuff related to the number of hard drives present. Regarding CHECKRANGE, I understand how it works, its the read 0x8280 part I dont fully grasp. I am guessing its reading some value in memory from the second hard drive, or something like that. It would be nice to have all these "peculiarities" with PLOP handled in an update to WinSetupfromUSB. I had already found and read diddy's guide, and yes, found it rather outdated. The readme, well, it helps a bit. Anyway, thanks a bunch for your kind help.

Found this: [solved] Is there any way to detect than PloP is already loaded? Dont´t know what to do with it

How come? harddrives_curr=2 means I have 2 hard drives right? hd0 and hd1, so hd2 does not exist, so geometry (hd2): error 21 no such drive exists seems correct to me. Anyway, it seems you found the solution. Let me recap: Samsung USB Hard drive, 2 partitions, using first 64GB partition with WinSetupfromUSB, second partition empty. Stock install of WinSetupfromUSB, XP, Win7 and UBCDWIn sources. Added Grub4Dos 0.4.5b with BootIce 0.9.1.0512 Computer with one hard drive and one DVD drive. Without PLOP CD booting: grub> find (hd0,0) (hd0,1) (hd1,0) grub> map --status floppies_orig=1, harddrives_orig=2, floppies_curr=1, harddrives_curr=2 Number of ATAPI CD-ROMs: 0 ram_drive=0x7F, rd_base=0x0, rd_size=0x100000000 The int13 hook is off. The drive map table is currently empty. grub> geometry (hd0) drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1024/255/63, Sector Count/Size=1250258944/512 Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 Partition num: 1, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 grub> geometry (hd1) drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1024/255/63, Sector Count/Size=488373984/512 Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 grub> geometry (hd2) Error 21: Selected disk does not exist WIth PLOP CD booting: grub> find (hd0,0) (hd0,1) (hd1,0) grub> map --status floppies_orig=1, harddrives_orig=3, floppies_curr=1, harddrives_curr=3 Number of ATAPI CD-ROMs: 0 ram_drive=0x7F, rd_base=0x0, rd_size=0x100000000 The int13 hook is off. The drive map table is currently empty. grub> geometry (hd0) drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1024/255/63, Sector Count/Size=1250258944/512 Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 Partition num: 1, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 grub> geometry (hd1) drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1024/255/63, Sector Count/Size=488373984/512 Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 grub> geometry (hd2) Error 21: Selected disk does not exist The only difference is harddrives_curr=3 So why do we have now 3 harddrives? who knows. Doing map --harddrives=2 as you sugested, when booting from PLOP CD solves the problem and everything works. Now the question is how to detect PLOP CD boot and do the modification automatically. Now, just for fun, if you boot from the USB HD, choose "EXPERIMENTAL . Start PLoP boot manager" and then choose USB in PLOP this is what happens: grub> find (hd0,0) (hd0,1) (hd2,0) grub> map --status floppies_orig=1, harddrives_orig=3, floppies_curr=1, harddrives_curr=3 Number of ATAPI CD-ROMs: 0 ram_drive=0x7F, rd_base=0x0, rd_size=0x100000000 The int13 hook is off. The drive map table is currently empty. grub> geometry (hd0) drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1024/255/63, Sector Count/Size=1250258944/512 Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 Partition num: 1, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 grub> geometry (hd1) Error 21: Selected disk does not exist grub> geometry (hd2) drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S=1024/255/63, Sector Count/Size=488373984/512 Partition num: 0, active, Filesystem type is ntfs, partition type 0x07 As you can see, somehow hd1 became hd2, so of course the windows install does not work. I am shure somehow checks for this can be added in the grub4dos menus to solve this problems. By the way, is there any documentation for Grub4Dos in english? I only managed to find a help file in what seems to be chinese. Also is there any ONE official page for it? It seems like grub4dos things are scattered all over the web with no one central place for it. I don´t mind reading pages and pages of docs, but it's hard when you can´t find anything.

I am using WinSetupFromUSB on Windows 7. I guess we should not put more time into this, 2000 is almost dead anyway. I think I have only one customer still using it, in a couple of servers I haven't touched in about six years. He called the other day and it seems he is having some hardware problems. I will just use the original CDs he must still have somewhere

Thanks for your feedback. I will try to detail as much as possible. USB HD Samsung 640GB. For testing, I created a primary partition of 64GB, and a second primary partiton with the rest of the drive. I use WinSetupFromUSB to create a standard installation, using Windows XP, Windows 7, and UBCD as sources. I have 2 test machines: PC1: SATA HD, SATA CD-ROM, does not boot from USB-HD PC2: SATA HD, IDE CD-ROM, boots from USB-HD and reaches Windows XP partition screen in text mode setup (WORKS OK) PC1: (AsRock P4VM800 motherboard) Booting from SATA CD-ROM using PLOP 5.0.11, loads USB-HD menu, when starting Windows XP install chokes at loading KBDES.DLL, before the partition text mode screen. (ERROR) PC2: (Intel D945GCNL motherboard) Booting from IDE CD-ROM using PLOP 5.0.11, loads USB-HD menu, when starting Windows XP install also chokes at the start "unable to load \WINSETUP\XPPSP3\I386\BIOSINFO.INF". (ERROR) I cannot test PC1 with/without PLOP CD, but I can do it with PC 2 The information about geometry of hd0 and hd1 is the same with or without booting with PLOP in PC2 The only difference I see is when doing map --status BOOT FROM USB HD; floppies_orig=1, harddrives_orig=2, floppies_curr=1, harddrives_curr=2 geometry (hd0): OK geometry (hd1): OK geometry (hd2): error 21 no such drive exists BOOT FROM PLOP CD and then going into USB_HD: floppies_orig=1, harddrives_orig=3, floppies_curr=1, harddrives_curr=3 geometry (hd0): OK geometry (hd1): OK The only difference I see is in harddirves, why do i have one more (phantom) drive when booting with the PLOP CD? I dont know the grub command to list drives, maybe that can help? About renaming NTLDR to GLDR, in my standard install of WinSetupFromUSB there is no NTLDR in the USB-HD, so I don't understand what you propose. Thanks again

Trying to setup Windows 2000 to install from USB, I dusted off an old computer, and found that it does not boot from USB. It seems to set the USB HD as an USB Floppy, so I get the missing mbr-helper message from Grub4Dos. I tried my PLOP CD, and it sucessfully boots into the grub menu. When I choose the Install XP option, the first error I notice is : "Error ocurred while savedefault." Then into the Windows XP install, after the text mode loading of drivers, I get a black screen for a moment, then an error something like "The install program cannot load KBDES.DLL. Install cannot continue" (Translated) The same USB HD in another computer that boots from USB directly without using the PLOP CD installs Windows XP with no problems. The GRUB menus are the standard ones created by Winsetupfromusb, nothing changed. My guess is that PLOP somehow messes up the drive order or something like that. Any suggestions?

Done. I have already edited the files and copied the second STRINGS entries to the first STRINGS section. The strange thing is that 2000 PRO is recognized, but 2000 SRV is not. The black screen is after loading text mode drivers, no reboot. Anyway, I may just abandon this, unless you want more testing, since it is not really justified. The few computers I may need to install Windows 2000 on, probably will not boot from USB, will keep using the CD as always for Windows 2000. TXTSETUP.ZIP

Thank you both for the feedback. I edited txtsetup.sif and added wks_id = "Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" wks_id_vga = "Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional [modo VGA]" to the FIRST [string] entry. Now it seems to work, I get a 20SP4 folder in WINSETUP and a "First part of Windows 2000 SP4 setup from partition 0" entry in winsetup.lst The problem is that after the first part of the text mode setup, when it is loading drivers, I get a black screen and nothing more. It could a problem with the computer I am using, maybe its too new for Windows 2000. Will try to use an older computer and report back. Thanks again for the help. I am using WinSetupFromUSB_1-0-beta7 as I understand that is the newest version available. Maybe there should be an information window right after pressing the GO button telling what is it about to do, and a cancel option there.