USB bootable drive with image loader?

Mercutio · 15 Jul 2012 at 23:53

Just wondering if this is possible.

A USB bootable loader that then lets you mount and run a bootable ISO image from a choice of several.

Basically a way of having various OS install disk images on a single USB pen and pick which to load. Would be nice if it could also be capable of running various disk tools from a menu too (eg the norton ghost bootable loader, partition software etc).

I do a lot of "helping friends" with computers so just having a bunch of tools I can immediately get at regardless of the state of their operating system would be rather nice. Obviously being able to re-install whatever OS they have on their system running from an image on the USB drive would then be handy too.

d_brennen · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:01

I know you can have several live Linux distros on a USB drive. Getting Windows (of any variety) to run from USB is such a faf to not be worth it. Getting Vista and 7 to install from the same USB drive is doable, not sure how myself but some kind of white man magic with Linux would probably be involved

This might help out as a start

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/xboot-multiboot-iso-usb-creator/

Mercutio · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:12

Yeah, that's what I'm after. Not running from USB but mount and launch an image of the install disk. I'll check the link

d_brennen · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:16

Let me know if it works out, haven't tried myself (have two 4GB pen drives with Vista and 7 OEM on my keychain)

Mercutio · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:25

Well it seems xboot is what microsoft are using for windows 7 and 8 test installs (if you go to download windows 8 preview it suggests downloading a "windows usb/dvd boot creator" thing that talks about windows 7 preview a lot). I assume it can do both. The MS utility (when complete) calls the USB drive "xboot" so we shall see.
Trying it now with my windows 7 disk image and the windows 8 preview image

I'm going for the same idea though. I have a tiny, tiny adapter that add just enough contacts and circuitry to turn a microsd card into a USB drive. It's fractionally smaller than a postage stamp and hangs off my keychain.

Having that able to fire up the win7/win8/whatever installers would be awesome

bledd · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:27

d_brennen · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:29

Does the Microsoft branded tool not format the drive before copying files though?

Mercutio · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:32

d_brennen said:
Does the Microsoft branded tool not format the drive before copying files though?

Yup, that one you linked seems to eventually want to do the same too

Edit: Failed installing to my sandisk cruzer but I think that's down to the funky U3 CD-rom drive the thing emulates when you plug it in. Trying a more vanilla one (and so far, so good).

d_brennen · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:45

No I mean that it want's to format before it copies any ISO, thus squashing any hope of making a multiboot drive. All bootable USB drive programs will want to do some kind of formatting initially

Mercutio · 16 Jul 2012 at 00:58

Yeah but the format is (I assume) to install it's own bootable menu loader thing. It can then boot ISO's once it's got it's loader into memory. I think that's how it's going to work.

xboot SEEMS to work but I can't get it to do anything once it's created. Trying YUMI.

Mercutio · 16 Jul 2012 at 09:39

As for yumi, it seems it can only do one windows based install. It converts the ISO back to files etc. Once done it removes the option to put another windows installer on the disk.

Try and use the "other ISO" option and while it will boot, it seems windows setup can't get at it's files properly.

Seems we will need to keep our windows installs on different sticks. If it's like win 7 then we can have a "all versions" installer though.

PiKe · 16 Jul 2012 at 09:42

So basically you want it to boot and give you a choice of OS to install?

d_brennen · 16 Jul 2012 at 09:54

I thought about doing that early in the year, briefly, but 4GB PNY pen drives were about £4.50 at the time

LizardKing · 16 Jul 2012 at 10:11

Similar to Yumi is Sardu
http://www.sarducd.it/
irc
it does allow you to have XP / 7 on the same stick but not 7 and vista.

tribz · 16 Jul 2012 at 11:36

Hi,

I've got one of these and I wouldnt be without it.

Copy all your ISO's onto it and choose which one you want to boot from on the built in menu and then it emulates a DVD drive on boot up with the ISO mounted. I've got all my workstation, server and utils ISO's on it.

You can also use it as a hard disk.

d_brennen · 16 Jul 2012 at 12:12

Looks the business, not too expensive either. Good shout tribz, ordering one now

tribz · 16 Jul 2012 at 12:42

You wont regret it, if you work in IT or do a lot of work repairing computers its a godsend.

I cant remember which firmware it comes with but on the website you download a firmware for what type of HD format your going to do. NTFS is probably best unless you especially need exfat.

Make a folder called _iso and copy yours ISO's into it. To use in ISO mode, hold the rocker switch up. To use in HD mode, hold the rocker switch down. I think holding rocker switch in middle position allows both to be active.

Any probs let me know.

Mercutio · 17 Jul 2012 at 08:08

PiKe said:
So basically you want it to boot and give you a choice of OS to install?

Yes.

Seems there's quite a few can do it but they can only do 1 windows OS.

Mercutio · 17 Jul 2012 at 08:21

tribz said:
Hi,

I've got one of these and I wouldnt be without it.

Copy all your ISO's onto it and choose which one you want to boot from on the built in menu and then it emulates a DVD drive on boot up with the ISO mounted. I've got all my workstation, server and utils ISO's on it.

You can also use it as a hard disk.

Yep, I think i'm gonna grab me one of those too. Very good spot. Even for other uses too, stick other images etc on there from the media library. I tend to have a small self powered external with me anyway so the iso mount feature is a definite plus