Multiple PE from USB

[andy_le2k]

Hi everybody,

Recently I managed to make multiple XP instalations from USB work and I also figured out a way to do multiple Vista installs from the 1 usb hard drive.

So now what I want to do is multiple PE's from the usb hard drive. I can get multiple WinPE2 to boot by just copying and editing bcd entries but when I try to get more than 1 BartPE on the usb txtsetup usually gives me errors for missing files.

What I've tried so far:

attempt 1:

hex edited peldr and changed every instance of "minint" to "mini01"

3 instances were changed but when it loads into txtsetup stage it gives errors.

attempt 2:

renamed the <minint> folder for each flavour of PE, for example -

<mini01> - ERD Commander

<mini02> - Bart PE

<mini03> - UBCD4WIN

so each time i want to use one of the flavours I have to log into DOS or any other OS, rename the desired folder to <minint>, reboot and load the PE but that still won't work.

ilko_t? jaclaz? cdob? Anybody want to help?

Thanks a lot.

[ilko_t]

Hi,

Look here and the following replies:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...=21312&st=0

http://www.msfn.org/board/boot-install-USB...640#entry659640

http://www.msfn.org/board/boot-install-USB...751#entry664751

In short:

Is your PELDR the original SETUPLDR.BIN renamed? Use an original file for simplicity.

Copy SETUPLDR.BIN in USB drive root as PELD1, PELD2 and PELD3.

ERD commander- change the first occurrence of txtsetup.sif in PELDR1 to notsetup.sif. This is to prevent setupldr.bin using txtsetup.sif from root and use the one in minint. Change all occurances of minint to mini01. Copy ERD commander to \mini01.

Bart PE- change the first occurrence of txtsetup.sif in PELDR2 to notsetup.sif. Change all occurances of minint to mini02. Copy Bart PE to \mini01.

UBCD4Win- change the first occurrence of txtsetup.sif in PELDR3 to notsetup.sif. Change all occurances of minint to mini03. Copy Bart PE to \mini03.

Use makeBS.cmd:

makeBS U:\PELD1 /a "Start ERD Commander"

makeBS U:\PELD2 /a "Start Bart PE"

makeBS U:\PELD3 /a "Start UBCD4Win"

This will produce the needed bootsectors and add the relevant entries in your boot.ini. Change U: to your USB drive letter.

Next you will need to take care of PROGRAMS folders. Look at the first link above.

Another way- would you like using RAM boot? Are those 3 installation small enough to fit in memory on all the computers you intend to use on? That will make the solution easier.

Yet another option- use multiple partitions, use Grub4DOS to launch each of them.

ilko

edit: use gsar for changing minint to mini0x

gsar -i -o -s\minint -r\mini01 stld1

Should change 2 occurrences, PE booted fine.

I could not find a way to change only first txtsetup.sif using gsar.

Edited April 7, 2008 by ilko_t

[andy_le2k]

Always helpful,

Thanks so much ilko_t, currently stuck at work but will try this out as soon as I get home.

See the real reason why I need this to work is because I think WinFLP boots into a custom PE and then installs the .WIM image.

I tried booting into a normal BartPE and launch the WnFLP setup directly but this won't work, so hopefully being able to boot into more than 1 PE will allow me to install WinFLP directly from usb and completing my ultimate hard drive which will have every single OS and admin tool I could possibly need.

Also, I use grub4dos which can chainload the loaders directly without boot sectors so I don't think I will need to run makebs.cmd (it's a great tool don't get me wrong).

What is this ram boot method you speak of? I probably won't use it because I need to be sure it is compatible with all systems and some of the PE's are 200MB+.

Edited April 7, 2008 by andy_le2k

[ilko_t]

The only idea for using makeBS is if you start with ntldr/boot.ini to be able to start PE without using another menu (grub4dos), it's entirely up to you what to use

WinFLPC does work from USB, just the same way as a regular Bart PE, played with it some time ago. I don't think you are going to have troubles with that.

Reconsider using multiple partitions, it's an easy way, instead of all the HEX editing.

I think you should have no problems having UBCD4Win on first partition, custom Bart PE on second and WinFLPC on third.

Use grub4dos to start each of them:

title Start UBCD4WIn from 3rd partition

root (hd0,2)

chainloader /minint/setupldr.bin

title Start WinFLPC from 2nd partition

root (hd0,1)

chainloader /minint/setupldr.bin

and so on.

The only limitation that you can have four primary partitions, booting from extended is possible afaik, but cannot give you details.

Another limitation could NOT to have txtsetup.sif and winnt.sif on first partition, as setupldr.bin may try to read them first and HEX editing would be necessary.

[andy_le2k]

Reconsider using multiple partitions, it's an easy way, instead of all the HEX editing.

Yeh I thought about multiple partitions especially while I was messing around with the multiple Vista stage. The only thing is that I would hate to plug my usb hard drive into a computer and have 10 additional drives come up, anyway to hide them but setup still pick them up?

Also, I tried your method above there and it doesn't work, maybe its my work's workstations but it just goes to blank screen without any loading on the comp or the usb drive.

Edited April 7, 2008 by andy_le2k

[wimb]

I could not find a way to change only first txtsetup.sif using gsar.

copy /y %usbdrive%\minint\setupldr.bin %usbdrive%\PELDR
makebt\gsar -sBT:x00:x00:x00\:x00:x00:x00txtsetup -rBT:x00:x00:x00\:x00:x00:x00notsetup %usbdrive%\PELDR %usbdrive%\peldr.new -b -f 
if exist %usbdrive%\peldr.new copy /y %usbdrive%\peldr.new %usbdrive%\PELDR
if exist %usbdrive%\peldr.new del %usbdrive%\peldr.new

As being used in USB_MultiBoot_8.cmd

wimb

Edited April 7, 2008 by wimb

[andy_le2k]

I could not find a way to change only first txtsetup.sif using gsar.

copy /y %usbdrive%\minint\setupldr.bin %usbdrive%\PELDR
makebt\gsar -sBT:x00:x00:x00\:x00:x00:x00txtsetup -rBT:x00:x00:x00\:x00:x00:x00notsetup %usbdrive%\PELDR %usbdrive%\peldr.new -b -f 
if exist %usbdrive%\peldr.new copy /y %usbdrive%\peldr.new %usbdrive%\PELDR
if exist %usbdrive%\peldr.new del %usbdrive%\peldr.new

As being used in USB_MultiBoot_8.cmd

wimb

Wow thanks for that wimb.

You ever thought (I know this is a lot to ask) of making your next release able to detect if there is already an xp source or pe already on the drive and have the option to create another co-existing source on the usb? I mean with all that's out there already about multiple sources, all that's left is for you to work your batch magic I would think.

Anyways, when trying your gsar command I get this:

gsar: command error, multiple search & replace requires the 'o' option

[wimb]

Anyways, when trying your gsar command I get this:

gsar: command error, multiple search & replace requires the 'o' option

The code consists of 4 lines (not 5) which you see when you copy the lines to notepad

Actually Using Option -o is easier like,

copy /y U:\minint\setupldr.bin U:\PELDR
makebt\gsar -sBT:x00:x00:x00\:x00:x00:x00txtsetup -rBT:x00:x00:x00\:x00:x00:x00notsetup U:\PELDR -b -o

where U: refers to your USB-Drive

wimb

Edited April 7, 2008 by wimb

[andy_le2k]

Maybe this won't be relevant here, the above method works fine btw.

What doesn't work is UBCD4WIN, if any of you guys get a chance, try it out. See if you can build it and make it boot from a usb hard drive.

It boots fine for me but when it gets into the PE I get an error "File not found" for the Prelogon program. It works fine though if booted from a CD which is odd.

I know this is UBCD4WIN's error but just want to see if you guys can get it to work using the above method.

[ilko_t]

Yeh I thought about multiple partitions especially while I was messing around with the multiple Vista stage. The only thing is that I would hate to plug my usb hard drive into a computer and have 10 additional drives come up, anyway to hide them but setup still pick them up?

How about hide (hd0,3) and unhide (...) in grub4dos for each partition?

Maybe this won't be relevant here, the above method works fine btw.

What doesn't work is UBCD4WIN, if any of you guys get a chance, try it out. See if you can build it and make it boot from a usb hard drive.

It boots fine for me but when it gets into the PE I get an error "File not found" for the Prelogon program. It works fine though if booted from a CD which is odd.

I know this is UBCD4WIN's error but just want to see if you guys can get it to work using the above method.

Same here, if UBCD4Win is the only one, why don't you leave it in minint and change the rest?

Another option is to ask the question in ubcd4win.com and/or 911cd.net forums.

ilko

[andy_le2k]

Same here, if UBCD4Win is the only one, why don't you leave it in minint and change the rest?

Another option is to ask the question in ubcd4win.com and/or 911cd.net forums.

ilko

It seems this error only happens if UBCD4WIN is created on a Vista machine, tried rebuilding in XP and it's all good.

[wimb]

Reconsider using multiple partitions, it's an easy way, instead of all the HEX editing.

USB_MultiBoot_8.cmd was used for realising multiple PE from USB-Harddisk having two Partitions.

Simply by running the program twice.

First BartPE plus XP Setup Folders are Installed on First Partition as usual.

Then UBCD4Win is Installed on Second Partition, using Empty XX_Content Source Folder and No Copy of XP Source.

In GRUB4DOS menu.lst on First Partition one has to make adjustment for launching UBCD4Win

title UBCD4Win - Load PELDR From USB-HD 0 - Partition 1
root (hd0,1)
chainloader (hd0,1)/PELDR

This works, no problem with manual hexediting and no conflict of PROGRAMS folders

USB_MultiBoot_8.cmd does all the work