A question on bootable USBs


  1. JamieFell
    Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       New #1

    A question on bootable USBs


    Hello guys,

    I want to place some bootable recovery tools on a USB so when I'm on the move I can carry that instead of CDs.

    My question is this, I have 2 .iso files that I want on one USB stick. Is it possible to dual boot with USBs? So for example when you have a PC with both Windows 7 and Vista you get to choose which to boot and it boots. Would it be possible to do the same but with a USB? So when you turn the PC on it says "Select which .iso you wish to start".

    I assume you would create 2 partitions then stick an .iso file on each but I'm a bit stuck. Is this idea even possible?

    Many thanks in advance.
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  3. Golden
    Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       New #2

    Hi,

    Yes, it is possible. Many multiboot programs unfortunately can only handle a single Windows ISO. Have a look at these:

    YUMI
    UNetBootin

    Regards,
    Golden
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  4. strollin
    Posts : 3,371
    W10 Pro desktop, W11 laptop, W11 Pro tablet (all 64-bit)
       New #3

    ...
    Last edited by strollin; 04 Oct 2012 at 07:13. Reason: Duplicate post
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  6. strollin
    Posts : 3,371
    W10 Pro desktop, W11 laptop, W11 Pro tablet (all 64-bit)
       New #4

    What you need is this: Zalman ZM-VE200. At first glance it seems just like any other 2.5" external USB enclosure but it has the ability to emulate a bootable USB CD/DVD Drive. You can literally store hundreds of ISOs on it (any OS) and boot from whichever you choose. I have one and I have dozens of ISOs on it and no longer need to carry a stack of disks around. There's even the ZM-VE300 model that works with USB 3.0.
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  7. JamieFell
    Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    Thank you for the swift responses! Strollin, that looks pretty nifty, however I only need something basic and would rather save money, plus I live in the UK.

    Golden, I checked both links but the YUMI one does the job fantastically. I just tested it and it works like a charm! Thank you so much!
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  8. Golden
    Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       New #6

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  10. strollin
    Posts : 3,371
    W10 Pro desktop, W11 laptop, W11 Pro tablet (all 64-bit)
       New #7

    Glad the YUMI thing worked out for you. The limitation of those types of multi-boot creators is that they generally only work with a limited subset of OSes, check the known issues section on the YUMI website and you'll find lots that don't work. The neat thing about the ZM-VE200 is that it works with ANY ISO and setup consists simply of copying the ISO to the drive.
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