E2B v1.B9j Beta available + grub4dos bug discovered

This version fixes the issue where Make_E2B_USB_Drive.cmd did not make a CONTIG.ISO file when requested.

It also now searches on Partition 3 for partition image files which have no file extension.

e.g.
Ptn1: \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN10\Win10 x64.imgPTN23    (FAT32 boot files)
Ptn3: \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN10\Win10 x64    (NTFS >4GB INSTALL.WIM)

The Win10 x64 file (which has no extension) can either be in the root of the volume or in \_ISO or in the same path as the .imgPTN file. The file name should not have any dot in it or else it will be treated as having an extension.

This means the .imgPTN23 file can be the FAT32 boot partition and the file with no extension can be the NTFS volume containing your large install.wim file. You can secure boot and install >4GB install.wim files in this way. Instructions are on the agFM E2B page here.

Grub4dos bug discovered!

agFM v1.19 now available

v1.19 2020-02-25 - This version has a few bug fixes and improvements. The main one is support of .imgPTN and auxilliary partition images on partition 3 (no extension).

• WinBuilder ISOs (e.g. Gandalf) now should work correctly (no yellow triangle desktop icon) when using (map) option or .isoPE file extension.
• Support multiple .imgPTN files
• Add support for WinPE .ini files and wipe on boot
• Wipe \autounattend.xml and \unattend.xml in case booting from a Windows Install partition
• Latest build of a1ive grub2 - improved File Manager

See the agFM page for more details.

About .imgPTN files

agFM v1.17 available

This version has a few bug fixes, the menu font has been changed too and a1ive has added fat file rename\copy support to grub and the agFM menu system.

ESET + persistent updates instructions now revised

The previous Eset blog article was tested (with much frustration) by 'Pusher' who could not get the Eset SysRescue app to auto-run.

It turns out that my instructions were wrong and the ext3 persistence file must be copied from a working Eset flash drive (as detailed in a previous blog).

I have revised the previous instructions now and provided a download for the persistence file to make it easier to set up.

Sorry for any frustration that this may have caused anyone!

Trouble finding WinPE ISOs?

Recently, it seems very hard to find WinPE ISOs such as Gandalfs PE,  Bob Omb's WinPEs, Medicat, DLC Boot, etc. and some websites (like theoven.org) seem go up and down faster than a tarts knickers!

Other sites just seem to be blocked (by Windows? AV? Browser?) and request a username and password but don't let you sign up first!

Google also seems to have a hard time returning meaningful results too.

After a few hours of looking for various bootable ISOs I eventually found:

https://www.fcportables.com/boot-iso/

They seem to have a good selection and the download is not too hard to get to!

P.S. I am not recommending this site and have no connection with it. Please ensure you take any necessary anti-malware precautions when downloading from it!

agFM v1.16 available

This version has a few bug fixes to the SAMPLE_startup_menu.txt file.
E2B v1.B9i Beta is also available which has a few small bugfixes to the Make_e2b_usb_drive.cmd menu.

agFM v1.15 now supports a user theme menu

a1ive has very kindly added support for a user-configurable theme or a user-specified text+wallpaper menu system.

v1.15 includes a slightly modified theme.

Configure a startup menu with a background for agFM

Currently, the agFM menu system can either use the internal theme ('slack') or you can switch it to Terminal mode

However, you can define a startup menu and populate the menu entry with specific payload entries of your choice.

The startup menu will use the same 'slack' theme, but you can change it to use a non-themed menu.

You can specify the resolution (1024x768 recommended), text colours and either a pure colour background or a wallpaper image (stretched or normal and you can use .png, .tga, .jpg or .jpeg).

rev 2.15 of eBook #1 How to make a multiboot USB drive using Easy2Boot now available

The new version has a few small revisions.

Getting started with Easy2Boot_rev2.15.pdf

Use the download link in the email that was sent to you if you want this version.

Latest release of agFM v1.14 and E2B Beta v1.B9h available

agFM has improved support for WinPE ISO booting. If the extension is .ISO then choose the 'Install Windows' option. If the extension is .isoPE then it will automatically use that option.

E2B v1.B9h has an improved Make_E2B_USB_Drive.cmd script (used to make an E2B drive) which allows you to define up to three partitions and automatically downloads and adds the current version of agFM to the new E2B drive.