Need an ultimate USB drive - Windows 8 + WindowsPE + DOS in UEFI mode possible?

Discussion in 'Application Software' started by MonarchX, Feb 6, 2014.

  1. MonarchX

    MonarchX MDL Expert

    May 5, 2007
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    I want an all-one flash drive that will contain Windows 8.1 AIO, WindowsPE for Backupper software, and MS DOS. It must be bootable in UEFI environment.

    Wanting Windows 8.1 AIO is self-explanatory. Backupper is a program used to make/clone drive images. To restore images - one needs to create a bootable WindowsPE drive using Backupper software. I also want MS DOS so that I can use the drive to flash hardware ROMs/firmwares, etc. My PC is using UEFI environment, so the drive needs to be compatible be able to detect/see UEFI OS/drives, etc., BUT does not necessary have to be UEFI-bootable because I can enable Compatibility Mode in BIOS/UEFI to allow non-UEFI booting. I also want to place huge backup files on it, so exFAT is likely the only possible file format I can use, right?
     
  2. cocachris89

    cocachris89 MDL Senior Member

    Mar 1, 2013
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    Hirens boot CD (also have image/clone software builtin) and then you can chainload windows 8.1
     
  3. Whiznot

    Whiznot MDL Member

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    #4 Whiznot, Feb 8, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2014
    Easy2boot doesn't work for UEFI so some other solution is needed.

    EDIT: Brain freeze. I actually have used Easy2Boot with an Asus UEFI board to perform a recovery with a Macrium Reflect ISO. Maybe E2B will do every thing you want. Give it a try.
     
  4. steve2926

    steve2926 MDL Member

    Nov 13, 2010
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    #5 steve2926, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2014
    Easy2Boot does not support UEFI (now does!). It uses grub4dos which is MBR BIOS/CSM mode only.
    You could simply copy the contents of your AIO Windows ISO to the E2B drive (FAT32). Then as UEFI boot (if the BIOS recognises it), it would boot to Windows install in UEFI mode, but in MBR mode, it would boot to Easy2Boot (and you could add a E2B menu entry to chainload /bootmgr which would then run Windows Setup in MBR mode).
    As you need to run DOS, I would suggest you keep the E2B partition as FAT32. That way you can simply copy your flash files and executables onto the drive - boot to E2B - boot to DOS - and then run the flash batch file.
    You can use the FreeDos files included with RMPrepUSB (just copy them to the E2B drive root) and then add a menu entry to chainload to /kernel.sys.

    WindowsPE/Backupper will only be bootable in MBR mode via Easy2Boot. But maybe you could boot to Win8 Installer, press SHIFT+F10 to get into WinPE and then run Backupper from the WinPE used by the Win8 installed???

    You could have a second partition for your images (NTFS or exfat)?
     
  5. Mutagen

    Mutagen MDL Addicted

    Feb 18, 2013
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    #6 Mutagen, Mar 16, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2014
    I too was a little overwhelmed with the 100+ tutorials on the RMPrepusb site. Wasn't that intuitive to see where to start. Went to YouTube and started with steve2926's latest tutorials. Wow, I was soon cooking just after the first one, but the latest three tutorials have shown me virtually everything I need for my purposes. Fantastic app., really love the QEMU emulator which lets me test without rebooting. Also like the diagnostics and backup/restore functions.

    No offense to the apps. I deleted (Sardu, Yumi, XBoot); but for me, RMPrepusb/Easy2Boot is the answer to my needs.
     
  6. EFA11

    EFA11 Avatar Guru

    Oct 7, 2010
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    it is a great set of tools for sure