Is it possible to combine Linux ISOs with Windows 7 ISO?

[drfsupercenter]

This may sound like a strange question, but basically what I want to do is make a DVD that's an "essential Windows reinstall kit".

I do freelance computer repair and most of the computers I have worked on have had some nasty viruses that screw up Windows to the point where it's easier to just reinstall it.

Problem is, simply deleting the partition isn't enough most of the time since viruses can infect the MBR and boot sector.

My essential tools are DBAN to wipe the hard drive, GParted to make a partition that fills the drive (to avoid that stupid System Reserved nonsense) and then the Windows installation disc.

DBAN is only about 2MB and GParted is like 120, both of those should fit on a single layer DVD along with the Windows install files.

I am familiar with tools like XBoot and other Linux multiboots that use syslinux or GRUB, but the problem is that Windows 7 is a tricky bugger and will crash if you try to load it using one of those.

Anybody know if there's a way to take a Windows 7 ISO and successfully launch it from a multiboot so I can combine it with DBAN and GParted?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello mate, you don't need any of those 3rd party tools, have a look through this first tutorial linked below, the Windows installer will do everything you need.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Secure Erase / Wipe : Definition and Methods




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[drfsupercenter]

That's a lot more complicated than just typing "autonuke" in DBAN, LOL

It's not that I don't trust Windows' partition handling, I've just found that using Linux to make partitions has done a better job in the past.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

If you say so mate.

 

[drfsupercenter]

Just because I'm anal and like doing things the way I'm used to, do you know if it's possible to combine the Windows 7 disc with other ones to have a multi-boot menu?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I'm not sure if anyone has gotten this to work yet for what you want, I haven't fooled with it personally though I've been seeing posts about it.

YUMI - Multiboot USB Creator (Windows) | USB Pen Drive Linux
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[SIW2]

Yes, it is.

Grub4dos works fine for me.

Example menu.lst

default 0
timeout 10
gfxmenu /Boot/GFX-BOOT.GFX
 
title SIW2PE
chainloader /BOOTMGR

title MemTest86+ 4.20
kernel /Boot/IMG/MEMTEST.BIN
lock
 
title Parted Magic
find --set-root /[B]pmagic_2012_3_24.iso[/B]
map /[B]pmagic_2012_3_24.iso[/B] (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)
  
title Boot from internal Hard Disk
rootnoverify (hd0)
chainloader +1
 
iftitle [if exist (hd0,0)/bootmgr] Load Vista/Win7/Win8 from HD
root (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)/bootmgr
 
iftitle [find /ntldr] Load NTLDR NT/2K/XP
find --set-root /ntldr
chainloader /ntldr
  
iftitle [find /sbin/init] Find and Boot Linux with menu.lst already installed
find --set-root /sbin/init
configfile /Boot/grub/menu.lst
 
iftitle [if exist (fd0)+1] Floppy (fd0)
chainloader (fd0)+1
rootnoverify (fd0)
 
title CommandLine
commandline
 
title Reboot
reboot
 
title Halt
halt

Just because I'm anal and like doing things the way I'm used to, do you know if it's possible to combine the Windows 7 disc with other ones to have a multi-boot menu?

 

[drfsupercenter]

Hm, interesting.

YUMI doesn't really work well for me, but XBoot does. I can try using XBoot in grub4dos mode instead of syslinux to see if that works...

 

[SIW2]

Put as may iso's as you like.

Use this entry - replace bolded with exact name of each .iso, which must be on the root of the drive.

title Parted Magic
find --set-root /pmagic_2012_3_24.iso
map /pmagic_2012_3_24.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

They need to be contiguous, so defrag each .iso first with wincontig, or similar.

 

[drfsupercenter]

What do you mean by contiguous? When I've used XBoot it was never a problem just putting them all in a folder.

 

[Kaktussoft]

How often do you do this?

diskpart
sel disk 0
clean
exit

And all is gone!!
So what's the real problem?

 

[SIW2]

If you make the iso's yourself with mkisofs - you may need to defrag them.

 

[drfsupercenter]

Kaktussoft, I'm pretty sure that doesn't touch the MBR or boot sector. It just deletes the partition.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Kaktussoft, I'm pretty sure that doesn't touch the MBR or boot sector. It just deletes the partition.

MBR is the FIRST 512 bytes of the disk! It contains:

• disk signature. Not that important for this problem
• partition table. All partitions are gone.
• master boot code. Code that normally does: Find active primary partition. Load its volume boot sector and run it.

diskpart
sel disk 0
clean

Clean command writes 0's to first 1 MB of physical disk. Please explain how a virus, worm or rootkit could survive.

Master boot record - Wikipedia

 

[drfsupercenter]

Ah, didn't realize it wiped the MBR.

Now, the grub4dos stuff is really only for flash drives, I can't figure out how to make a bootable CD ISO using it. I did get a flash drive to have all 3 images including Windows 7 successfully.

 

[Kaktussoft]

SARDU - Multiboot USB or DVD Builder

 

[DUAStacy]

I have in the past Dual-Booted Linux and 7/xp/vista. What i did was simply download an Ubuntu ISO which also comes with a free GRUB Boot Loader. When installing the OS it should show a partition manager where you can specify how much space you wish to use for Linux and for Windows 7 (Don't worry you can access your windows 7 files from Linux).

Completing that the boot loader will show allowing you to select which OS you wish to use. If you are unhappy using this method may I recommend a virtual PC to run Linux off of.