With the development of computer technology, the user has a huge number of opportunities. Not all even advanced users use all possible processes. For example, the creation of a multi-boot flash drive for many remains a mystery to this day. But in fact, the process itself is not something complicated. For him, it is not necessary to call specialists for help.
For what?
What is a multiboot flash drive and why is it needed? It stores a set of distributions and applications, thanks to which you can install any operating system, restore, delete it and conduct many other useful operations.
If you ever called the wizard, you noticed that he also has a similar flash drive. The drive usually stores all the necessary information that will help fix errors in the system, reinstall or restore it.
Now the creation of a multi-boot flash drive is not as relevant as a couple of years ago.
Preparation for the process
In order for the whole process to go correctly, you need to adhere to some conditions. In general, creating a multi-boot flash drive with multiple operating systems can occur in several ways. For example, a user can download a finished media image with different boot options.
If you need a more individual setting, you will have to do everything manually. So, initially you will need to prepare the flash drive itself. To do this, you can install the program WinSetupFromUSB.
You will also have to use different distributions. It all depends on what exactly you need to create a multiboot flash drive. For example, you can get the ISO images of the distribution "Sevens", "Tens" and recovery utilities.
In addition, you need to use a USB flash drive that would put everything we need to upload to it. Usually 16 GB of free space is enough.
Utility
As mentioned earlier, the program for creating a multi-boot flash drive is WinSetupFromUSB. Of course, you can use other utilities, but this one is the most simple and intuitive program.
In addition to the fact that the software is free, it can create not only a multi-boot, but also a bootable USB flash drive. For some users, difficulties arise when the utility starts. The fact is that the program has an English interface. Therefore, many users are immediately lost in its capabilities.
In this case, you can try to find another program that would help with a multi-boot flash drive. But most programs have a simpler and less functional option.
WinSetupFromUSB
This is an ideal program for creating a multi-boot flash drive. Many users have a question, where can I download this utility? It just so happened that the official site is rarely located on the first page of search results. Therefore, users find themselves on third-party resources, which confuse them with their download instructions and stuff the program file with advertising viruses.
To prevent this from happening, it is best to immediately find the official website of the utility and download the program from there. On May 16, 2017, the latest update of this utility version 1.8 was released.
Creating a multiboot flash drive
First you need to connect the USB flash drive to the computer. After open the program WinSetupFromUSB. The name of our flash drives should appear in the list of media. After that, click on the Bootice button. A new dialog box opens, in which you will need to select the Perform Format option. It will help to format our flash drive before new information gets on it.
Of course, you can format in other ways. For example, a system utility is perfect for this. But in this case it is not so important. It is important to remember that when formatting, all data from the drive will be permanently lost.
Further creation of a multiboot flash drive with OS and programs involves the use of the USB HDD Mode item. Having selected this item, it is enough to click “Next Step”, and then specify the NTFS format.
A dialog box appears that warns the user that the flash drive will be formatted, and accordingly, all data will be deleted. Just accept the process. After that, you will have to wait a while until a notification appears on the desktop that the formatting was successful.
Next, we again get into the start window of the utility. Here you need to select the Process MBR section. A new dialog box opens, in which you need to put a checkmark in front of the second item Grub4Dos. Next, click on the Install / Config button. Next, information appears again in which nothing needs to be changed. Just click on the Save to Disk button.
Sources
This is a program to create a multiboot USB flash drive will require you to specify the sources for multiboot. After the last action, you need to open the program again. In the main window, you can see the field for specifying the path to the necessary files. Therefore, it is better to send all distributions and utilities to one folder in advance.
In this case, it is important to understand that the path address should not lead to a specific file, but to the folder in which it is located. Specialists advise mounting the system distribution images on a PC or unpacking all the images in a special folder on the computer. In the latter case, you can use any archive that can work with the ISO format.
In the same dialog box below, you need to select the checkboxes and specify the folders with files. For example, if you need to download Windows XP to a USB flash drive, then you need to select the corresponding checkmark opposite this item, and then specify the address for the Windows distribution itself.
To throw a program like Live CD onto a USB flash drive, you need to put a checkmark in front of the used bootloader, and then specify the path, but not to the folder, but to the specific extension file “.iso”.
Next, it will be enough to start the process and wait a while. After the copy is completed, the utility offers some kind of license agreement, which is still not clear what it is used for. Therefore, many experts advise to abandon it and just continue to work. After the utility finishes its work, it will notify the user with a corresponding message in the dialog box.
Other options
Despite the fact that the previous version is the most common, it has some disadvantages. For example, using WinSetupFromUSB, you cannot simultaneously record the installation images of the Seven and the Eight, or two different Sevens. To do this, find a program to create a multi-boot flash drive with multiple operating systems.
To write to the drive two Windows 7, you need to use the program Easy2Boot and RMPrepUSB. The first utility is important not to be confused with paid software with a similar name EasyBoot. Many believe that this option is much more complicated than the previous one. But in fact, if you carefully understand, then there is nothing complicated in it.
Software installation
Naturally, at the first stage, you need to install all the necessary programs. It is worth noting immediately that both utilities are safe. Although, if you check Easy2Boot through a special anti-virus scanner, you can notice a couple of threats. But in general, they are associated with tasks that are implemented in this way and are not dangerous to the system.
Both programs can be installed safely and free of charge from official sites.
Process of creation
Creating a multiboot flash drive with Windows 7 is worth starting with the RMPrepUSB program. You need to run this program and go through some points:
- First we find the item “Do not ask questions” and put a checkmark in front of it.
- Next, select the maximum size and any volume label.
- In the section with the boot sector, you need to select the Win PE v2 option.
- In the line with file systems and options you need to choose the one that suits you. For example, FAT32 works with many operating systems, but does not support files larger than 4 GB. If the last item is important to you, then select the NTFS file system with the Boot option from the HDD. The same option should be chosen in the case of FAT32.
- Next, check the box “Copy system files from the following folder” and then specify the path to the archive with Easy2Boot. It is important to remember that it should not be unpacked. After that, a dialog box will appear in which you need to answer “No”.
- Next, click on the “Prepare disk” button. It will be a kind of formatting drive.
- At the last stage, click the "Install Grub4Dos" button. A notification appears again in which you need to select "No."
Then the program can be minimized and proceed to the next step. You need to go to the contents of the drive and find the ISO folder. Creating a multiboot USB flash drive will require you to transfer all available images to the appropriate folder.
For example, if you need to download a Windows 8 distribution on a USB flash drive, then find the Windows folder on the USB flash drive, then WIN8 and put the ISO extension file there.
When you transfer all the images and arrange them into folders, you will need to deploy the RMPrepUSB program. In it, go to the main menu, select the line Make All Files on Drive contiguous. After the process is completed, the flash drive is ready.
Problems
When using the last method of creating a bootable USB flash drive, some errors may appear. Using Easy2Boot, you may encounter an error that says that the media driver is missing. What to do to fix it?
As always, for the process itself you will need a flash drive, the RMPrepUSB program and USB-HDD, or a drive with Easy2Boot. After everything is ready for work, you need to create the “firewood” of the Easy2Boot virtual drive. This process is very similar to creating a multi-boot flash drive, which was described above.
Open the RMPrepUSB program again and select the “Do not ask questions” item. Next, follow the steps already described. The only thing that the label for the volume will be Helper, the file system and the option you need to select FAT32 Plus Boot from the HDD, and then everything goes according to the instructions already described.
After you click the “Install Grub4Dos” button, you need to go to drives with Easy2Boot, then find the ISO folder, the Docs folder in it, and then the USB flash drive Helper Files folder. All data that will be located here must be transferred to a USB flash drive.
Thus, the virtual drive is prepared, it must be combined with Easy2Boot. To do this, disconnect the drive from the computer, run the RMPrepUSB utility, and then use the "Run from QEMU (F11)" item. At the moment when the download starts, you need to return the USB flash drive to the computer and wait for the process to complete.
To check whether it was possible to combine the drive with Easy2Boot, you need to close the dialog box, go to the USB flash drive with the utility and look at two files with the xml extension. If AutoUnattend and Unattend weigh 100 Kb each, then the process was successful. If all else fails, then it is worth repeating the last point with the combination of the drive and Easy2Boot.