E2B v2.10eBeta has an updated version of PassPass which should now work with recent Windows 10 versions (2020/21).
Using PassPass you can bypass the password entry required for any Windows Local Account.
It does not work on Microsoft online (email) accounts however.
More details on PassPass here.
See the sidebar 'Useful pages' for a link to download the E2B Beta versions from the Alternate Download websites.
P.S. E2B v2.10f has revised patches which also works on Win11 Beta x64.
A simple Ventoy theme with the 'Seven of Nine' background is available here.
These themes can be used on 'official' Ventoy drives too not just for E2B.
It also contains the Windows 11 TPM patch registry xml files for Pro and Home.
It includes a \ventoy\ventoy.json file, so be careful not to overwrite your own ventoy.json file (if you already have one).
Ventoy 1.0.47 was released today on the ventoy.net website.
I will release the new E2B 1.0.47 version fully after a few weeks, but if you don't want to wait...
1. Download the 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot" v1.0.47 .zip file from here.
2. Drag-and-drop the ventoy-1.0.47-windows.zip file onto the \e2b\Update agFM\Add Ventoy.cmd file located on the 2nd partition of the E2B USB drive - follow the instructions.
See https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_news.html for detail.
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to always get the latest versions and news!
Thomas came across a problem with agFM recently when booting to Windows ISOs. He was not able to boot to the Windows ISOs on a specific model of notebook:
The same stick and method was used on tons of notebooks of the previous model Lifebook U7410.
It just fails with the new Model Lifebook U7411.
(Fastboot disabled, Secureboot disabled)
Booting the ISO with .isodef works, but I need to use .isowin for using unattended.xml. When starting the ISO using .isowin (even directly without unattended.xml), it stops loading with the following message:
\"Loading (memdisk)/boot/grubfm/null.cpio
# GRUB Environment Block
installiso=\\\\_ISO\\WINDOWS\\WIN10\\Win_10_2004.2_64BIT_Ger_EDU.ISO
##############
##############
error: xz file corrupted or unsupported block options.
Add: (wimboot)/bootmgfw.efi -> bootmgfw.efi
Add: (envblk)/null.cfg -> null.cfg\"
In the past, I have had a few people report the same .xz error but I have never been able to reproduce it...
Windows Defender is the standard Windows Antivirus software that comes with Windows 10 and it does a pretty good job.
However, many people like to install 3rd-party AV and anti-malware software too.
In fact, some people may be running 3rd-party AV software without even knowing it!
For instance, many types of Acronis backup products may also install Acronis Cloud Protect without you even being aware of it.
One way to detect AV software and Services is to trawl through the Windows task list and try to recognise the names of the software products but I wanted to write a small .cmd Windows batch file to show the user what AV software was installed and if it was enabled or not so that I could add the code into the E2B Make script to warn the user that they have AV s/w installed and it may be blocking write access to their USB drive's boot sector.
Here is what I ended up with...
E2B and agFM can automatically run the registry hack to skip the Windows 11 TPM\RAM\SecureBoot checks.
1. First update to agFM v1.72 or later version (just over-write files on Partition 2 with the latest download) and also update to latest E2B v2.10 Beta which has the WIN11 folder support (run Make_E2B.exe as Admin and click on the Update E2B button). Download areas for latest Betas
2. Copy your Win11 ISO to the \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN11 folder.
Download Win 11 ISO from here. Select 'Latest Dev Channel' - Cumulative Update for Windows 11 (10.0.22000.51) (untick 'Integrate updates' option for faster build and download). The fewer Editions you tick the quicker the build - I ticked Home\Core + Pro. The download and build of the ISO may take a few hours or more!
Note: If you only tick one Edition, the Install.wim that is made is non-standard and does not contain an XML file. I suggest you include at least two Editions.
3. Create a .cmd text file which has exactly the same name as the Win11 ISO file and place the following three lines of code in the .cmd file:
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig" /v "BypassTPMCheck" /t REG_DWORD /d 1
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig" /v "BypassRAMCheck" /t REG_DWORD /d 1
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig" /v "BypassSecureBootCheck" /t REG_DWORD /d 1
The new E2B Beta is here.
It adds a \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN11 folder.
I have also speeded up the loading of the Main Menu if you have lots of files in the \_ISO\WINDOWS\xxxx folders. The Main menu no longer shows you how many payload files are present as they are no longer counted.
I installed a version of Win11 using VBox and E2B legacy and agFM UEFI64 successfully.
To update, just extract the files onto your USB drive.
To avoid the Win11 'compatibility check' you can install Win11 using WinNTSetup.
If you install to a Virtual Machine, the 'compatibility check' is skipped.
Or you can run these commands as soon as Setup is loaded to skip the checks:
I have now made an update for 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' so it is now v1.0.46.
This is not the Ventoy image files but the modified version which is directly added to Partition 2 and can be booted to without switching in an image.
I had a problem with it where it would not boot Ubuntu ISOs and many other Linux ISOs unless Partition 2 was exactly 32MB in size - this is now fixed.
You can find the .zip file in the Latest Beta folders.
1. Download the ventoy-1.0.46-windows.zip file
2. Drag-and-Drop the file onto the \e2b\Update agFM\Add_Ventoy.cmd windows batch file using Explorer - answer Y to copy the files across.
You should now have the latest version of Ventoy for Easy2Boot
Please report any issues.
I will update the E2B server release version to this version in a few days if no issues are reported.
For those of you following my last few blog posts, agFM v1.72d includes the latest version of the Ventoy disk image scheme.
I have tidied it up a bit and renamed some files so that they appear first in the Ventoy menu system.
Also a new .mnu file is added to the \_ISO\MAINMENU folder to allow you to restore the original E2B partitions from a Legacy boot. This is quicker than booting to E2B - then Ventoy - then grubfm_multiarch.iso - then selecting 'Restore agFM Partition 2'. It also does not need to reboot.
So as not to clutter up the MAINMENU, I have not added three menu entries to switch in the Ventoy disk image files from E2B - you can just run agFM from the E2B menu and then switch in one of the Ventoy disk image files from the agFM Legacy menu.
To try it just extract the agFM download files onto Partition 2 (make sure you have the original agFM partition on Partition 2 first - not the Ventoy 32MB partition 2!).
1. Ventoy with Secure Boot/MokManager
2. Ventoy (no Secure Boot)
3. Ventoy with Kaspersky shim - can Secure Boot as long as the Kaspersky shim is not blacklisted in the BIOS UEFI DBx blacklist database (same as used by agFM).
Please update to v1.73c if you want to try out this new Kaspersky Secure Boot Bypass version of Ventoy.
The standard Ventoy image that was made by the Make_Latest_Ventoy_Partion_Image.cmd script contained the Secure Boot enabled EFI boot files.
However, this version does not boot on many systems (such a Lenovo laptops, etc.) - I get a 'Linpus Lite' boot option but it won't Secure Boot or load MokManager.
So I have now modified the script to produce two Ventoy images, one with the Secure Boot (InSecure Boot) files and the other image which does not support Secure Boot. which is much more compatible (but won't work if Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS).
I also find that MokManager does not work on many Secure BIOSes (crashes/hangs/doesn't load) which is why E2B does not use it.
So you can now you pick which Ventoy image you want (no need for two Ventoy USB drives).
First follow the previous blog article, then...
1. Download the latest agFM v1.72b Beta version
2. Extract it to Partition 2 of your E2B USB drive
3. Run \e2b\Update agFM\Make_Latest_Ventoy_Partion_Image.cmd to make the new Ventoy image files.
You should now have two img files on Partition 2:
The startup_default.cfg file will also be updated, but you will need to change your startup_menu.txt file if you have made your own agFM startup menu.
The current 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' version is a modified version of Ventoy v1.0.35. It is a modified, re-compiled version of the 'official' Ventoy v1.0.35.
The E2B version of Ventoy is exactly the same as the official version but the size check of the 32MB Partition 2 has been removed so that we can have a Partition 2 greater than the paltry 32MB installed by the Ventoy tool.
agFM v1.72a can now switch-in any 'official' Ventoy Partition 2 image file in-place of the agFM partition.
You can make the image file simply by running the Make_Latest_Ventoy_Partition_Image.cmd file:
 |
| grubfm multiarch will load the user menu in the Ventoy partition. |
To obtain your free update, use the original email that was sent to you on initial purchase.
Purchase eBooks from here. Most are just $5 each and you get a 10% discount on all of them if you buy more than one! Read some reviews to see what others have to say before you buy.
Visit https://easy2boot.xyz/blog/ for new articles as well as the posts in this blog which are listed here.
agFM v1.71
Windows 10 seems to have a nasty habit of sometimes not detecting a USB drive that had been working fine 5 minutes ago and still works OK in other systems - just not the one you are using!
I can have no problem for months and then one day, Windows 10 does not seem to recognise my USB drive because it does not list the drive volume letters in Explorer - but only if I connect it to a certain specific USB port! I can connect the same drive to a different USB port and everything works as normal.
One month it can be the lower USB 3 port and the SanDisk Extreme 3 USB drive - another time it can be my super-fast SilverStone USB 3 M.2 SSD enclosure and a different USB port. It's just pot luck!
Another issue I often come across, is that I insert a particular USB drive into a particular USB port and Windows goes into an everlasting cycle of mounting the drive and then dismounting it again and again and again ('dong-diddle-ding' - then 'ding-dang-dong', etc. etc.)! Often a reboot fixes this (as long as I first unplug the USB drive before a Windows Restart).
Here is what I do to fix USB drive issues (after trying a Windows Restart, of course)
Note: A simple Windows Shutdown is not good enough! You must use Restart or SHIFT+Shutdown so that Fast boot is not used when you next switch on.
E2B sorts payload files alphanumerically, so Ubuntu.iso will be listed after Tails.iso in the E2B menu.
E2B also supports filename prefixes in the form of _*_ (underscore - any number of characters - underscore), e.g.:
_100_Ubuntu.iso
_110_Tails.iso
These will be listed in the E2B menu as:
Tails
Ubuntu
You can also add file extension override suffixes, these too will not be displayed in the E2B menu system, e.g.
Format: _ (file extension _ [agfm (agfm file extension)] . file-extension
_100_Ubuntu_.isodef_agfmisoagfm.iso
_110_Tails_.isodef_agfmismap.iso
The agfm file override is optional. If not specified then the first file suffix will be used for both E2B and agFM - e.g. _100_Ubuntu_.isodef.iso.
These will be listed in the E2B menu as:
Tails
Ubuntu
BUT both agFM and Ventoy will list the full filename.
E2B will boot as if the file had a .isodef file extension, agFM will boot as if the file had a .isoagfm (or .isomap) file extension.
Note: If E2B MyE2B.cfg is configured to show the file extension (EXTOFF) then E2B shows the whole filename but without the prefix - e.g. Ubuntu_.isodef_agfmisoagfm.iso.
Previous versions of agFM recognised the .imgPTNREP3 file extension.
If you have a partition image .imgPTNREP3 file (e.g. hfs partition containing a bootable Mac OSX installer files) on Partition 3, you could select it in the agFM menu system and it would replace the current Partition 3 (if any) with the new image. The partition should be recognised as being in FAT/NTFS/hfs format and use the correct Partition type (e.g. hfs= 0xAF).
You can thus UEFI-boot to agFM, switch-in any image to partition 3 and then boot to it from the agFM F3 boot menu or the MAC boot menu (e.g for Catalina Installer hfs image).
To restore the original partitions, you can UEFI-boot to the agFM menu system and choose the 'Restore E2B Partitions' menu option.
