E2B v2.02 released

v2.02 is now live and is just a small update to E2B.

• Latest WinContig.exe (small bugfixes wont affect 99.9% of users)
• Add support for .isoagfm extension (same as .isodef)
• Update new ChocBox.cmd and ChocolateStore.exe (now requires .Net 4.8)
• Bugfix in Make USB cmd - if  user specifies 32GB FAT32 then it failed to format it.

If you want to install offline Chocolatey packages using the offline SDI_CHOCO install process, you will need to make the packages using ChocolateStore. However, it no longer worked because .Net 4.8 is now required to download the package files. The developer has just updated the executable, so now we are back in business.

In case you didn't know, once you have set up a Windows SDI_CHOCO configuration on your E2B drive, you can quickly install Windows with the correct locale/language/country options, Windows components, add extra missing drivers (auto-detected and installed), install applications (online or offline Chocolate) and your own app packages and tweak the final settings. During installation it actually speaks to you to let you know what's going on at each stage (if you have speakers connected).

Get the latest eBook revisions for free!

In case you didn't realise it, if you have purchased any eBooks, you can get the latest versions for free!

Just click on the download link sent to you by Payhip and you can download the latest version.

Up to 5 downloads per eBook are allowed, but if you need more, just let me know. The four E2B eBooks have all been updated just recently.

• eBook #1: Getting started with Easy2Boot v2.17.pdf
• eBook #2: How to install Microsoft Windows using Easy2Boot v1.6.pdf
• eBook #3: How to make a UEFI multi-boot Easy2Boot USB drive v1.00.pdf
• eBook #4: UEFI-multiboot using the a1ive grub2 File Manager v1.6.pdf

• Getting started with grub4dos_v0.95.pdf

agFM 1.43 now available

v1.43 changes:

• Special extensions (e.g. .iso3g, iso64, imgptn2364pwd) are now not listed in the agFM menu list if the criteria does not match
• Fix for partition 4 needing to be erased after selecting an ISO using partnew\easy2boot option.
• True Hide\Unhide .cfg files in \e2b\Sample agFM Menu files\MISC\
• Latest grubfm
• .iso323gb, .iso3gb, .iso4gb, .iso644gb extensions now recognised
• F1 now displays total memory in system
• if using 'pwd' string in the extension, you must set pwd variable in your user startup menu (e.g. set pwd="Hi Steve") - beware of incorrect keyboard scan codes if using AZERTY or QWERTZ keyboards!

To update, just run \e2b\Update agFM\Download and Update agFM.cmd.

File extension suffixes:

The order is critical for agFM:  23 AUTO 32\64 3GB\4GB pwd

The supported extra file extensions exist as files in the \boot\grubfm\types folder.

For example, if you have

• \_ISO\LINUX\Ubuntux64.iso64
• \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN10\Windows 10 64-bit.iso64

then they will not be listed if you boot on a 32-bit system.

If you have

• \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN10\Windows 10 64-bit.iso4GB

then it will only be listed on a system which has 4GB or more of RAM.

• \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN10\Windows 10 32-bit.iso32 

will only be listed on a system with a 32-bit CPU.

Let me know if you have any problems.

agFM v1.42 available

agFM v1.42 adds these changes:

v1.42 2020-04-16 

• Latest grub2 with new partnew command option and stat -r command
• True Hide and True UnHide .cfg files to protect partitions 1 and 2 (experimental)
• support .imgPTN extensions with 23, auto, 32\64, pwd, 3GB\4GB (must be in that order). Not all combinations are supported.

The website download will not be updated for a day or two.

supported .imgptn* extensions.

imgptn
imgptn23
imgptn2332
imgptn2332pwd
imgptn233gb
imgptn234gb
imgptn2364
imgptn23644gb
imgptn2364pwd
imgptn23auto
imgptn23auto32
imgptn23auto32pwd
imgptn23auto64
imgptn23auto64pwd
imgptn23autopwd
imgptn23autopwd4gb
imgptn23pwd
imgptn32
imgptn32autopwd
imgptn3gb
imgptn4gb
imgptn64
imgptn644gb
imgptn64autopwd
imgptn64pwd
imgptnauto
imgptnauto32
imgptnauto64
imgptnautopwd
imgptnpwd

These files will be still listed in the agFM File Manager menu system but will not run if the system conditions do not match.

Examples
If you have '64' in the file extension then it will not load on a system with a 32-bit CPU.
If you have 3GB in the file extension then it won't load if the system has 4GB or more of memory.
If you have 4GB in the file extension then it won't load if the system has less than 4GB.
If you have 'pwd' in the file extension then you will need to enter a password. The password is set in your user startup menu - e.g. set pwd="secret123".

The True Hide and UnHide .cfg files are experimental. The True Hide will cause the NTFS ptn1 and the FAT32 ptn2 partitions to be inaccessible. You should still be able to UEFI-boot or MBR boot however. If you UEFI-boot to a True-Hidden drive, press F2 to get to the agFM menu and run the Unhide cfg file. Do not use these unless you are well experienced!

• True Hide Ptn1 and Ptn2.cfg
• True Unhide Ptn1 and Ptn2.cfg

True Hide protects the partition from being accessed\infected. You can still boot from a hidden partition and then unhide the partitions when you want to boot a (Windows) payload.

a1ive grub2 File Manager v1.41 available

v1.41 2020-04-15 

• Bugfix to allow non-contiguous Windows Install ISOs to run
• Latest grub2/agFM from a1ive
• A few French language corrections

Just run the update .cmd script from the agFM partition e2b folder to update.

a1ive grub2 File Manager v1.40 now available

To update run "\e2b\Update agFM\Download and update agFM.cmd" from the USB drive.

• New initial startup menu
• Latest agFM grub2
• Improve French
• Add "\e2b\Update agFM\Download and update agFM_v2.cmd" for improved update experience so no 7z.exe and 7z.dll errors on update, etc.

The new startup menu is "\boot\grubfm\startup_default.cfg".  It has no timeout set and is in English.

If you create or have your own "\boot\grubfm\startup_menu.txt" file then the default startup_default.cfg file will not be used.

The new startup menu just lists the non-empty menu folders in \_ISO\ so the user can quickly access any of the files in each folder. If you have switched in a .imgPTN file, then the 'Restore E2B Partitions.cfg' file will also be listed.

Let me know if you like it. If you prefer to have no startup menu and just see a list of all the partitions as before, then just make an empty "\boot\grubfm\startup_menu.txt" file.

Note that the F1-F6 hotkeys will still work in this menu even though the small icons are not displayed.

If you want to 'tweak' this menu, just copy the startup_default.cfg file to startup_menu.txt and then edit the startup_menu.txt file.

Do NOT edit the startup_default.cfg file or the config file because the next time you update, they will be replaced!

Excellent new Decomputo YT video series in Spanish

In the past Decomputo has provided some excellent videos on E2B. Here is his latest one on E2B v2.

He promises more to come...

Are you French, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese? Please help!

The a1ive grub2 File Manager menu system is now available in more languages, thanks to some users adding translations in Crowdin. However, we still need your help.

Please refer to the previous blog for details of how to add a translation.

ChocBox.cmd script seems to be broken!

The ChocBox.cmd script allows you to make Chocolatey offline packages for the SDI_CHOCO install process.

This allows you to install Chocolatey packages without needing an internet connection.

You could run ChocBox.cmd (after installing chocolatey) on a Win10 system and it would download and make the package files.

It seems to be a powershell SSL issue and the ChocolateStore developer does not seem to be active, so I am a bit stuck!

UPDATE: The dev has fixed ChocolateStore.exe. Please update to E2B v2.02a Beta if you want to use ChocBox.cmd.

Hack into any Windows User Account from a UEFI Secure Boot

A cheaper (i.e. free, but less convenient) alternative to Kon-Boot, is to use the well-known UtilMan.exe hack to create a new Admin account.

Easy2Boot contains two XML files which allow you to semi-automate the hack process which works even on Windows 10 systems. It will backup the hacked files for you and automate the creation of a new ADMIN account. By using a different XML file, it will also undo the hack.

This should work on UEFI32, UEFI64 and MBR\Legacy systems.

Since we can usually Secure UEFI64 Boot to the agFM menu system, this means we can even hack a Secure Boot-enabled system (as long as the Kaspersky efi shim is not blacklisted in the target systems DBx UEFI firmware list!).

All we need is a WinPE or Windows Install ISO. I use a standard Windows 10 Install ISO because it will have the latest chipset and USB drivers in it and I can use the same ISO to re-install or repair Windows if I need to.

Requirements

1. E2B+agFM USB drive
2. \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN10\Windows10_x64.iso  (any WinPE\Win ISO should work)

Method

We first need to reboot the Windows target system and configure it so that it will restart in Safe Mode on the next boot.

This is for two reasons:

1. To ensure that Windows is not in a sleep (fast boot) or hibernate state.
2. To boot to Windows in Safe Mode which temporarily disables Windows Defender and so prevents it from un-doing the UtilMan.exe file hack.

This can be done without needing to log in to any Windows account on the target system.

Once the Windows target system is set to boot into Safe Mode on the next boot, then we just need to UEFI-boot to E2B+agFM and select the Windows\WinPE ISO and the Load UtilMan - Hack Windows XML file...

After the files have been patched under WinPE, you will then reboot to Windows and type [WinKey]+U after booting into Safe Mode and then type 2 quickly...

Besides creating a new Admin account, it also launches the Window Control Panel password app. to allow you to change any account password.

For full step-by-step instructions, see the UtilMan Hack page on the E2B website.

P.S. The way to avoid this hack is to set a BIOS password, do not allow USB booting in the BIOS options or/and use BitLocker.

How to UEFI64 Secure Boot to Kon-Boot and break into a Windows account without needing a password

The good thing about Kon-Boot is that is does not change any files on the target system disk - it is all done in memory.

However, the current  previous Kon-Boot licensing system restricted you  into making licensed bootable USB Flash drive of only 16GB or less. 

This 16GB limitation is apparently applied because some BIOSes will not successfully MBR-boot to grub4dos if the USB drive capacity is larger than 16GB. This was true on some very old systems about 20 years ago, but AFAIK, it is not required for systems that are in service today. So the limitation makes no practical sense to me, except to prevent more sales of Kon-Boot licences so that it can be installed onto larger USB drives including large Easy2Boot USB Flash drives and USB hard-disk drives! In fact, what is more important, is that they should create a second Primary partition on the USB drive because there are still systems about which require this for MBR\Legacy booting!

Note: later versions now have no 16gb restriction after I asked them to remove the restriction 😉

 

Since Kon-Boot v2.7 one purchased license allows user to install on one and only one selected USB pendrive. Meaning the newest version will be installed only on this one selected USB pendrive (newest Kon-Boot files will be generated only for this device and they will not be visible in the installation package). For usability purposes, older versions of Kon-Boot will be allowed to be installed on a separate USB pendrive.
In short the BIOS part version can be older, the UEFI kon-boot part gets updated and locked to the USB drive on installation.

Kon-Boot does not, per se, support Secure Boot...

However, we can make a E2B+agFM USB Flash drive which can Secure Boot and break into Windows without needing a user password (as long as they don't use a Domain account and have USB Booting enabled in the BIOS settings).

I have included full details of how to make a Secure Boot version of Kon-Boot on an E2B+agFM USB drive in version 1.4 of eBook #4. So just use your confirmation email link to download the new version of the PDF.

Tip: You know it has worked if it takes 1-2 minutes to boot to Windows after this message!

If it boots very quickly then it hasn't worked (check there were no error messages displayed).

If you get a red 'Guru meditation' text screen, then you are not using the correct USB drive that you originally licensed - see FAQ.

P.S. I find that using a hacked Windows system can sometimes cause security issues with some apps and browsers, etc. So whether I use Kon-Boot or the UtilMan XML hack in Easy2Boot, once I get into Windows the first thing I do is make a new Admin account and then reboot (and undo any hack if required). I then have full admin access on an unhacked (unmodified) Windows system. The new Admin account can be removed after I have finished fixing the system or retrieving files, etc.

agFM v1.38 is now available

If you boot on a Secure Boot UEFI64 system, you may sometimes get a Secure Boot error when booting certain ISOs - e.g. Parrot OS.

The way to avoid this is to use the F4 Settings menu and 'Install override security policy' just before you boot from the ISO...

The latest version of E2B's agFM now does this for you automatically when you select the (partnew/Easy2Boot) or (map) boot options.

Parrot OS can thus be given the .isodef file extension and it should secure boot without needing to use F4 - Install override security policy first.

Update agFM

To update to the current released version of agFM, run the .cmd file on the agFM partition:

DrWeb LiveDisk (with non-persistent updates!)

I have updated the blog for DrWeb here and also provided a downloadable .imgPTN23 image file which can be used by E2B and agFM for UEFI64 booting. It seems however that the updates are not persistent even using a flash drive made with their utility!

eBook #4 PDF on agFM has now been revised

Download the latest version using the URL in your confirmation email from Payhip.

As well as some typos, it has updated and added information to be consistent with the latest version of agFM.

agFM v1.37 available with Ukrainian language + updates and new agFM video uploaded

I have uploaded a new video demonstrating agFM v1.37 and the best way to add ISOs for AV, Windows Install, WinPE, Linux, etc.

1. Latest agFM build
2. Update languages - add Ukrainian uk_AU
3. Change bootup message
4. Add \agFM_version.txt file to hold agFM version number
5. Update the SAMPLE_startup_menu.txt file and add in new variables
6. Add .isowin type
7. Add sample .cfg files for DLCBoot and nbrt.
8. Fix UEFI not booting as drive 0 issue

Download from Alternate Downloads area for a1ive grub2 File Manager.

Don't know why, but the volume is fine before I upload it to YT, but then it's always too quiet when streaming from YT - it's very annoying!

agFM v1.35 with updated German, Spanish, Hebrew and Polish languages

agFM v1.35 has updates for German, Spanish, Hebrew and Polish translations.

To update, just extract the files to your FAT32 2nd partition and overwrite the existing files.

See previous blog post on how to easily modify any of the language strings.

Many thanks to the translators who have contributed so far.

Call for help with agFM translation - it's easy!

As you may have noticed, the a1ive grub2 File Manager supports different languages, however many words and phrases have not yet been translated. This is where you can help...

You can easily add or revise a translation using the crowdin app. This is a web-based app which allows you to simply type in the translation for each word or phrase used by the agFM menu system.

To translate

1. First create a new crowdin account. You can sign-in in a number of different ways. Don't forget to confirm your email address when the request is emailed to you (check you Spam folder if it does not appear).

Crowdin

2. Click the language you would like to translate. e.g. French

3. Click "fm.pot" and start translation. (e.g. https://crowdin.com/translate/grub2-filemanager/8/en-fr)

4. Select each word or phrase from the left-hand side and type in the translated word or phrase (1) and save it (2). Do this for each entry (there may be more than one page).

5. Once translated, the crowdin bot will create a pr automatically (https://github.com/a1ive/grub2-filemanager/pull/126)"

I will then compile a new version of agFM after a few days.

E2B eBook #4 updated

I hope you are well and have not suffered seriously from Corona.

One of my neighbours, a lovely old lady called Irene, sadly died yesterday, so please make sure you look after your vulnerable family members and friends during these difficult times.

eBook #4 on agFM and UEFI-booting

I have just updated eBook #4 to v1.2. So please use the URL you were sent to get the latest version.

You could also check that you have the latest versions of the other eBooks too.

Since you may be self-isolating now due to Corona, it might be a good time to actually read the eBooks and maybe get your multiboot USB fully working with all your payload files?

E2B eBooks

P.S. eBook #4 is still at the reduced price of $7 (RRP $10) and you can get 10% off ALL the eBooks when you purchase more than one.

E2B v2 YouTube video is up

agFM v1.34 now released

This version has a few small bugfixes...

• F1 now shows true Secure Boot status
• En-us language added to F4 Language menu
• Fix clover UEFI32 bug in \e2b\alive grub2 filemanager.mnu

To UEFI32 boot to Clover, you will need to update the alive grub2 filemanager.mnu file in your E2B \_ISO\MAINMENU folder. The previous version sometimes boots to UEFI64 instead of UEFI32!

To update. you can click on "\e2b\Update agFM\Download and update agFM.cmd" to download the latest release version and then extract it to the root of the FAT32 agFM partition #2.

Look at the date of the README.md file to see what version you have.

P.S. eBook #4 on agFM has been updated to v1.1.


P.S. This latest Bangood Special Offer made me smile...