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Windows 7 Setup folder to USB method in 1.2?


naithkk

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I'd like to apologise if this has been asked before, but I searched and didn't find the answer I was looking for.

In 1.2, the Windows 7 "setup folder" method of creating a USB installer seems to be missing (a previous beta version had that feature where you can point to a directory containing Windows 7 setup files/directories). Is that no longer supported in favor of ISO to USB or are there steps I am not aware of in creating a Windows Setup using a source from a directory?

Please advise, thank you.

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You are correct, in all newer 1.x versions an ISO file is expected as NT6 (Vista and later) source. There is no way to provide directory as a source.

Question is, of course:

Is this by design? (or - say - temporarily and will be made available in a next release)?

jaclaz

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It's by design, and been like this in all recent versions. The other options will be expecting sources as ISO files in next versions too.

The plan is to have only one field to add sources and program to decide what the source is with help of user if its type cannot be determined automatically.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Hello!

i have long time not working with such things and iam very rusted :/

currently i want to recreate my usb hdd and usb stick

this is the first i have seen that now just an ISO is supported, this brings me to a problem because i always used source folder because i can easy modify things and update source, like adding drivers/utilities/silent installers and auto activation, this all should go to the specified source folder or is there an other way to manage this and let the ISO untouched?

Hmmm? :)

 

regards

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Do you need to multiboot several NT6 sources? If not, you could always use the previous 1.0 beta versions, beta8 for example, they would copy source as it is, flat files structure.

 

If you need multiboot, you may try using autounattend.xml placed on the root of a USB removable disk, in case of a USB fixed disk, it has to be in root of the ISO for example, or in root of image 2 in boot.wim.

 

Or if autounattend.xml doesn't work for you, you could edit the ISO files directly on the USB disk, if boot.wim does not change, just an extra step when customizing.

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my goal is to have three partitions on my usb stick and should compatible with all computers

1st(priority) big ntfs for w7/8(i made an w7/8 aio iso) and maybe XP on the same then just two partitions, last one(fat32) for boot tools and linux

editing iso is not really inconvenient, for example if i need to add/update massstorage drivers it will take much time especially on usb 2.0 stick :/ and if somethings going wrong i need to do the whole process again.

but anyway, iam on very early stage, right now iam hangin how i should format the usb stick, there are many ways i have seen...also i dont know much about uefi and if i need this...?

i need to research about this, right now its all too much for me, i just need a push in the right direction :)

Edited by Weed
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UEFI is a new system firmware, replacing the ageing BIOS. Most, if not all modern PC/Laptops come with UEFI, at the same time most of them providing an option to boot in BIOS mode for backward compatibility.

UEFI can boot from FAT32 formatted partition, no matter active or not, partial support for NTFS, manufacture dependant and very rare. There is also an NTFS UEFI driver which might help. In general, if you are going to boot in UEFI, stick with FAT32.

XP setup from a FAT32 partition could be painfully slow, NTFS would be times faster.

 

Multipartition- if using USB stick seen as removable, versus fixed (hard disk) type, Windows by default recognizes only the first partition. There are workarounds, but in my opinion not worth the troubles, given the small benefits.

 

If USB stick is seen as a fixed disk, such as SanDisk Extreme for example, multiple partitions are not an issue with Windows. In this case you can have FAT32 partition for UEFI boot and Windows 7/8 sources and perhaps some Linux ISOs, and a NTFS one for the XP sources.

 

My general advice would be to get the mentioned SanDisk Extreme, which is recognised as a fixed disk, make 2 partitions, first FAT32 acrtive and second NTFS, and leave the remaining 2 partition entries unused, to be able to boot Linux ISOs with persistence space if needed. The mentioned UFD is also insanely fast, especially on USB 3.0 mode.

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Thanks for this useful answer!

you say fat32 is slow when installing XP, the same goes for W7/8 or not? because this is the reason why i choose NTFS, anyway another one is i have .wim which is more then >4GB big

i dont know the advantages about the uefi, i just need the usb stick for installing the OS's or doesnt it boot from this stick when the PC/Laptop have UEFI?

also do i choose to format with grub4dos or grub2 in my case?

thanks for the advice with the stick, i was anyway thinkin to buy a new one and what i have read its a good and fast one and also cheap the 64GB variant, i will buy this next week! its really standard recognised as a fixed disk or do i need to flip the bit?

 

i also tried researching how i make this for my current stick (lexar triniton jumpdrive 32gb) with the manufacturing tool Innostor IS902E, but i dont see any option for RMB

Edited by Weed
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Not necessarily a need specifically for a Sandisk Extreme.

 

*Any* USB 3.0 stick using a Sandforce will do, see:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19827-sandisk-extreme-pro-usb-30-flash-drive/

 

Almost *any* "common" USB 2.0 or 3.0 stick by using its Manufacturer Tool (risky :ph34r:) can be set as "Fixed".

 

jaclaz

 

Recommending it specifically not because of the fixed disk type, but mostly because of the speed/price ratio, which seems to be one of the best in my research, in addition to the lifetime warranty. Kingston DateTraveler Workspace for example at similar speeds is twice the price.

What I usually do is to look at usbflashspeed.com and start researching prices/reviews/speed tests for the fastest drives.

 

 

Thanks for this useful answer!

you say fat32 is slow when installing XP, the same goes for W7/8 or not? because this is the reason why i choose NTFS, anyway another one is i have .wim which is more then >4GB big

i dont know the advantages about the uefi, i just need the usb stick for installing the OS's or doesnt it boot from this stick when the PC/Laptop have UEFI?

also do i choose to format with grub4dos or grub2 in my case?

thanks for the advice with the stick, i was anyway thinkin to buy a new one and what i have read its a good and fast one and also cheap the 64GB variant, i will buy this next week! its really standard recognised as a fixed disk or do i need to flip the bit?

 

i also tried researching how i make this for my current stick (lexar triniton jumpdrive 32gb) with the manufacturing tool Innostor IS902E, but i dont see any option for RMB

 

It's the XP, not tested 2003, FAT32 driver and reading lots of small files, details. Any later Windows version is fine.

 

i dont know the advantages about the uefi

 

Mostly GPT partition scheme support. Secure boot on the other hand, but in my opinion it's just Microsoft limiting users of using other OS.

 

 

also do i choose to format with grub4dos or grub2 in my case?

 

No idea where you are seeing those options, isn't it MBR type? Use grub4dos one if that's the case.

 

 

thanks for the advice with the stick, i was anyway thinkin to buy a new one and what i have read its a good and fast one and also cheap the 64GB variant, i will buy this next week! its really standard recognised as a fixed disk or do i need to flip the bit?

 

I got 2, both arrived as fixed disks.

 

i also tried researching how i make this for my current stick (lexar triniton jumpdrive 32gb) with the manufacturing tool Innostor IS902E, but i dont see any option for RMB

 

I've no idea about this particular tool. You may find another one with this option, if chipset supports it at all, at flashboot.ru.

 

In general, I'd avoid messing with the controller, unless it's last resort (read dead drive), or it's a really cheap one I don't mind losing. Most tools come with an interface, quite far from user-friendly, and of course they are not intended to be, besides, one can hardly find a guidance with the configuration or the options.

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Recommending it specifically not because of the fixed disk type, but mostly because of the speed/price ratio, which seems to be one of the best in my research, in addition to the lifetime warranty. Kingston DateTraveler Workspace for example at similar speeds is twice the price.

What I usually do is to look at usbflashspeed.com and start researching prices/reviews/speed tests for the fastest drives.

Good :), and I know how you are in perfect good faith :yes:, but still one thing is recommending among the available choices a given one, and another is making it sound like it is the only option.

If you re-read your post it sounds (at least to me) more like an ad for the specific make/model than a technical advice.

Carpenter's example ;):

Q. What kind of tool do I need to drive nails into wood?

A1. A hammer.

A2. A Stanley FATMAX Xtreme® AntiVibe® Curve Claw Nailing Hammer.

A3. Any hammer preferably with a a longish handle and head weight between 200 and 400 g, would do, personally I have had a very good experience with the tools manufactured by Stanley, I have a FATMAX Xtreme Hammer and I find it a very good tool.

@Weed

As explained in the given link *any* of the fastish USB 3.0 "new generation" sticks are using a Sandforce chip, and they are different from the "common" sticks we are used to because they are actually a USB to SATA bridge connected to a SATA SSD, so they are all set to "fixed".

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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Ahh, you are ruining it Jaclaz, recently purchased lots of SanDisk shares ;)

 

Seriously, OP asked for a push in a direction, I am of course sharing my push in my direction. Other opinions and directions are always welcome, just as yours.

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