How can i make USB HDD with multiple windows installations.

[AndreiV]

Hi everybody,

if the title doesn't make much sense, ill try to explain it here, and sorry if my English is bad, its not my native language.


Here is my problem, i have an 160gb USB HDD, which i intend to use to install windows at work. since we have different PC setups (i.e. old desktops, old laptops, new laptops) i have to use different versions of windows, (7, 8, XP).


On my USB HDD, i want to make 4 partitions, one for XP, one for Windows 7, one for Windows 8 and the last one for drivers and utilities. I want to do it this way cause its allot easier to carry a single drive instead of 4-5 flash drivers which can be misplaced or lost.


Thanks in advance.

 

[Kaktussoft]

You want the installationset of winxp on 1 partition, installationset of win7 on anorher partition and so on?
Drivers can be put on seperate partition easily: Make folders name winxp, vista, and win7 and put the drivers there.

 

[Mark Phelps]

... I have an 160gb USB HDD, which i intend to use to install windows at work. since we have different PC setups (i.e. old desktops, old laptops, new laptops) i have to use different versions of windows, (7, 8, XP).


On my USB HDD, i want to make 4 partitions, one for XP, one for Windows 7, one for Windows 8 and the last one for drivers and utilities. I want to do it this way cause its allot easier to carry a single drive instead of 4-5 flash drivers which can be misplaced or lost.


Thanks in advance.

Sounds like you want to use the USB drive as a way of INSTALLING any of four different Windows versions, right?

If that's the case, you do NOT want to install TO the USB drive; instead, you want installation media COPIED to the USB drive.

 

[Sub Styler]

you will need to modify the boot.ini of the partition thats active to allow the other setup entries to be selectable

 

[alphanumeric]

That may end up being a lot of work. As far as I know each OS uses it's own particular version of the Pre-installation Environment. Google
Also have a look here, http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

 

[AndreiV]

thx for the replies,

i found YUMI, and it almost works.

i can place the iso`s in a folder on the usb drive with YUMI and the instalations all start from the menu, the only problem, when installing after the 1st screen a window pops up asking for "media driver", anybody have any ideeas what those drivers are ?


http://joeyfoo.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/win8drivererror.jpg?w=624

the screen shot says it all.


thx

 

[alphanumeric]

It may be asking for the SATA driver? One way around it is to go into the BIOS and switch to IDE mode for the install then switch back to AHCI.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61869-ahci-enable-windows-7-vista.html?ltr=A

 

[Sub Styler]

thx for the replies,

i found YUMI, and it almost works.

i can place the iso`s in a folder on the usb drive with YUMI and the instalations all start from the menu, the only problem, when installing after the 1st screen a window pops up asking for "media driver", anybody have any ideeas what those drivers are ?


http://joeyfoo.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/win8drivererror.jpg?w=624

the screen shot says it all.


thx

That message can be caused by a corrupt image. Download the correct image from digital river and replace it.

 

[AndreiV]

they are not corrupt, i use the same images on flash drives, and work just as intended.


edit:

downloaded another iso from digitalriver ... same thing.

and also , in the bios on the laptop im am trying it on, i don't have option for ahci/sata

 

[Kaktussoft]

they are not corrupt, i use the same images on flash drives, and work just as intended.


edit:

downloaded another iso from digitalriver ... same thing.

and also , in the bios on the laptop im am trying it on, i don't have option for ahci/sata

Does ISO work when extracted to usb and boot from it? I mean you don't see the error you described?

 

[AndreiV]

they are not corrupt, i use the same images on flash drives, and work just as intended.


edit:

downloaded another iso from digitalriver ... same thing.

and also , in the bios on the laptop im am trying it on, i don't have option for ahci/sata

Does ISO work when extracted to usb and boot from it? I mean you don't see the error you described?

yep, it works. only when i try to make it multiboot the error appears.

 

[gregrocker]

I use UltraISO Software To Create Bootable USB Flash Drive. Remove the ei.cfg file from Sources folder once it's extracted and you'll have an all-versions Win7 installer. You can then also extract to folders on the stick Win7, Vista and Win8 in 64 and 32 bit - whichever you use most. XP is a dead OS.

Whenever one of these OS's installers is needed to be booted, put the extracted folders that are currently in the root of the stick into their folder and place the desired OS's folders into the root for booting. This easy manual method saves endless failed attempts to make an all-versions installer stick with a boot menu.

There is a method here to merge the all-versions 32 and 64 bit into the same installer ISO: creating a 2 OS thumb drive - Windows 7 Help Forums. Then you'd only need the extracted files for WIn7 and Vista. XP is too old to bother with and requires different bootsecting of the stick.