Say "No" to burning bootable CDs, DVDs from ISOs

The recently released (09 Sep 2010) Acronis True Image Home 2011, with its tighter integration with Windows 7, is an altogether different visual treat.

It facilitates writing the bootable recovery module into a removable drive - perhaps a pointer to the way the world will go.

Have been using memory sticks for this type of thing for some time now.
Found this very good app from Corsair, makes it very easy.
Liberkey has a lot of non-bootable apps, with the Corsair app you can add any ISO, edit the menu and you can have hundreds of bootable apps on one memory stick.
Mine has over 300 on it now.


It's quick and easy to do, you can add many helpful apps to the bootable memory stick.

The Seven forums tuts are good.

MS-DOS Bootable Flash Drive - Create

Install Windows 7 from USB Pen Drive Using Grub4Dos

Using the same source and Grub method mentioned above, the Corsair site has a nice version: How to Create the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive.

Select the utility you wish to use and it will be loaded. The versatility of this tool is apparent once you begin to use it. The two default utilities, Memtest86+ and FreeDOS, are invaluable during system builds and trouble shooting.

Your flash drive can become a virtual toolbox of utilities that you can carry in your pocket as opposed to carrying archaic floppy disks or bulky CDs and DVDs. You also have the option of far greater storage capacity when using a USB flash drive. Your USB flash drive will still be fully functional as a removable storage drive. This is a great tool for testing memory or running programs from a DOS prompt such as firmware or BIOS updaters. The only real limits are the drive size and your creativity.

After the bootable USB memory stick is prepared just add the program ISO file and do a quick edit of the menu, you'll have a menu list to choose from when you boot from it.
I added LiberKey (listed in FREE Great Programs for Windows 7) to mine, it has a lot of good support apps (305 applications) and a nice interface, not bootable but very nice selection of support programs.

You can add ISO files, edit the menu so they are listed.
Add any files/folders and still use you USB memory stick as you would normally.

If you want to write an ISO to a pen drive. Do a search for "Universal-USB-Installer". It writes ISO"s to a pen drive makeing it bootable. I found a version at Ubuntu 10.10 site.

I think it depends completely of what you want to do with the .iso. If, e.g., you want to install it on a virtual machine, it is usually better to keep the .iso in the system and load it directly from there. However, if you need a data recovery option because your system is on the blink, a bootable CD of a Linux distro may be handy. The same for programs like Partition Wizard.

Ponmayilal said:

Thanks to Dave76 for his valuable inputs, I completed my trials with Multiboot pendrive today.

I used Multiboot ISOs-USB-Creator 2.1.3.5 from here . The advantage is that the menu includes Boot First Hard Drive (HDD), Restart and Shutdown options apart from the Custom Multiboot entries.

The screenshots:





And thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread.

Your welcome.

That is a great program for memory sticks.
Really like the Boot First Hard Drive (HDD), Restart and Shutdown options, will add them to mine.

Thanks

Your welcome, glad you found the information useful.

It is a very useful way to use ISO's. Took some searching and trials to find a couple of easy to use options.

Hopefully some easier ones will be found soon

Glad that you found the answers to all your queries here in this thread and thanks for your appreciation.

This thread meandered through various stages before culminating in the multiboot ISO pendrive with inputs and comments from many heads here.

First, it was booting from ISOs stored in the HDD using EasyBCD.

Bill2 then provoked me for good ...*chuckles*

Bill2 said:

This is old stuff.... But then again, theres comfort in cd/dvd because if the boot manager is corrupted etc., this method wont work.

It then went on to writing a bootable ISO into a pendrive using UltraISO.

Out came the comment that there are only cases that can hold a maximum of six pendrives. :) (hmmm... each bootable ISO will require a pendrive)

Then came the multiboot ISO pendrive that can boot from as many ISOs as you can put or fit into the pendrive. The "breakthrough" here came from Dave76. I wonder whether even Dave76 knows what it was. Here it is.

Dave76 said:

...... You can add ISO files, edit the menu so they are listed......

Yes, though I had this program on my comp for over six months, the noob I was or still am, I had assumed that it will work only with the ISOs listed by the software author.*chuckles again*

That one line and a great leap for me. ( I thankfully remember Neil Armstrong. )

So then, here you have all that you need ( a three-in-one) as per your convenience and need, to boot from ISOs without writing them to any optical media.