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UFD_FORMAT and BOOT_USB - Make Bootable USB-Drives

usb tutorial vhd format uefi

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#26 wimb

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Posted 25 March 2013 - 11:10 AM

-
*** Update BOOT_USB ***


  • Changed - Program Version - latest version is 7.4

 
 
Download  - BOOT_USB_74  - mirror
 
Run BOOT_USB.exe and Extract to simple path
 
:cheers:
 


#27 ambralivio

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Posted 14 November 2013 - 04:42 PM

@ Wimb,

 

I have successfully used your Boot_USB tool for building a USB HD drive with Win7 & XP VHDs inside (on a NTFS partition), bootable through a Grub4Dos menu.

 

I am very happy with it, but I would like to add also the possibility to boot a MS-DOS 7.x to this portable HD, on its own partition (no image, chainloadable with Grub4Dos), in such a way I could also write to it and save files there.

 

I have made several trials but none of them succeed, so the question is :

After having built the USB HD with the necessary VHDs (all placed on a NTFS partition), how can I add the MS-Dos operative system, on its own FAT32 partition ?

 

The question arises due to the fact, as you know, that Dos would highly prefer to stay within the first 8 GB of the HD - and this will not be possible, since this space is already filled with the (NTFS) VHD container !

Maybe, should I use the Goodells's procedure described in :

 

http://www.goodells....ot/w98lba.shtml

 

for patching the 8 GB-boundary or any other trick ?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

:cheers:

 

ambralivio



#28 wimb

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Posted 14 November 2013 - 06:05 PM

3 Solutions that may work ....

 

1.The best is may be to redo making the Multi-Boot USB-Drive

In that case you can first create the FAT32 partition and then make the second partition formatted NTFS.

 

2. Another approach is use additionally an USB-Stick with FAT32 and bootable with MS DOS 7.1 (from Win98)

(may be not what you want, but it might quickly solve your problem)

Then you can boot with Grub4dos on USB-harddisk and find IO.SYS on USB-Stick and chainload to MS DOS 7.1

 

I have MS DOS and Freedos Superfloppy Image made with Make_IMG

7. Make_IMG.exe - Make and Install Boot Image File - Type IMG or ISO

 

http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=21883

 

3. You can create FAT32 partition after NTFS partition on USB-harddisk and use that FAT32 partition Or FAT32 USB-Stick as space to write files.

So you boot Grub4dos on USB-Harddisk and chainload MS DOS  IMG file loaded to RAM and write files to FAT32 partition on USB-harddisk or Stick

 

:cheers:

 

MS DOS SuperFloppy on FAT32 USB-Stick

 

Attached File  MULTI-MS-DOS.png   11.97KB   2 downloads

 

 

 



#29 ambralivio

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Posted 14 November 2013 - 07:03 PM

Thanks Wimb for the suggestions, but I'd have some comments/doubts, for each of them (point by point) :

 

  1. In this case, when I use Boot_USB for inserting each VHD, the tool asks for the Boot partition. If I indicate the FAT32 partition, I receive a warning that the tool will not work on a FAT32 partition. Or, maybe, should I hide the FAT32 pertition ?
  2. I wouldn't like to use 2 USB drives (as I noted that some system often refuses to boot with 2 USB drives attached). Anyway, are the Superfloppy images writable ?
  3. This third possibility is not so much clear. Could you elaborate it?

I might be wrong, but I remember that in one your old post related to MS-DOS and the correct CHS to use, you proposed to build a VHD (about 500 MB).

If so, what about this possibility and how-TO-DO it ?

 

:cheers:

ambralivio



#30 wimb

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 08:19 AM

Use UEFI_MULTI to make your Multi-Boot USB-Drive (see Screenshot in previous post)

http://reboot.pro/to...boot-usb-drive/

 

In your case e.g. use following approach:

 

First Prepare Portable USB-Harddisk to have MBR and 2 Primary partitions
1 - Boot   partition - Primary with FAT32 Format and Size e.g. 8 GB - Set Active
2 - System partition - Primary with NTFS  Format and Size e.g. 50 GB
 
Also use Make_IMG to make Superfloppy BTMSDOSX.img  of 25 MB                
 
Then use UEFI_MULTI to add BTMSDOSX.img and your XP and Win7 VHD Boot Image files
- BTMSDOSX.img will be copied to FAT32 Boot partition
- VHD on NTFS System Partition can be booted as FILEDISK or from RAMDISK
7/8 VHD on FAT32 Boot Partition can only be booted from RAMDISK
 

Booting with Boot Manager Menu = > Grub4dos => Superfloppy Image - BTMSDOSX.img

In MS DOS you can read / write on FAT32 USB Boot Partition



#31 ambralivio

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 10:02 AM

In your case e.g. use following approach:

 

First Prepare Portable USB-Harddisk to have MBR and 2 Primary partitions
1 - Boot   partition - Primary with FAT32 Format and Size e.g. 8 GB - Set Active
2 - System partition - Primary with NTFS  Format and Size e.g. 50 GB
 
Also use Make_IMG to make Superfloppy BTMSDOSX.img  of 25 MB                

 

Thanks a lot Wimb, I'll give it a try.

A last 2 questions before starting the task :

Is the Superfloppy BTMSDOSX.img  only limited to 25 MB, or may I increase up to 200-500 MB ?

And, is there any constraint on CHS ?

If possible, this could give me more flexibility and freedom...

 

:cheers:

ambralivio



#32 wimb

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Posted 15 November 2013 - 12:53 PM

A last 2 questions before starting the task :

Is the Superfloppy BTMSDOSX.img  only limited to 25 MB, or may I increase up to 200-500 MB ?

And, is there any constraint on CHS ?

 

 

SuperFloppy has fixed size of 25 MB and AFAIK there are no constraints on CHS ....







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