Install Windows 98/Me from E2B

I was asked about installing Win 98 recently and I pointed the user to an old blog post here (although why anyone would want Win 98 or Win Me is beyond me - it is hardly usable now!).

However, that blog post was written before we had .imgPTN files, and it struck me that we could use the MPI Tool Kit to create a .imgPTN file that we could map as a large floppy disk. That we we could boot from it as a large floppy and install Windows 98/Me.

I have updated that old blog post now with instructions on how to set it up for E2B.

The process should work for any DOS-based payload, not just Win95/98/Me installs. You do need to add the DOS boot files to the .imgPTN file before use, however.

The .mnu file looks like this:

# http://rmprepusb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/install-windows-98se-from-iso-with.html
# Drag-and-drop Win98.iso onto MPI_FAT32 to make a .imgPTN file (increase size by a few MB)
# Unzip [BOOT]\Boot-1.44M.img contents from ISO into the root on the .imgPTN file
# Shoud work with most DOS-based ISOs - edit this file with the correct file name and title

title Install Win98\n Install Win98 using .imgPTN file
map $HOME$/Win98_SE.imgPTN (fd0)

map --hook
set A=
if exist (fd0)/IO.SYS set A=1
if exist (fd0)/KERNEL.SYS set A=1
if not exist A set /p A=ERROR: No DOS boot files found in .imgPTN file! && chainloader /grldr
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
#set just one HDD and one floppy
map --harddrives=1
map --floppies=1
root (fd0)
chainloader /IO.SYS || chainloader /KERNEL.SYS

E2B v1.77 will support the .imafdhdd0 file extension which does the same as above.

P.S. If the DOS-based ISO is small, you can simply rename the .imgPTN file to .imanousb and you won't need a .mnu file - it should have an \IO.SYS or \KERNEL.SYS boot file in the image.