Add Easy2Boot to your Ventoy USB drive

It seems that LongPanda has now put extra checks into Ventoy so that it now checks the MBR for grub2 boot code. This means that being able to make and add 'Official Ventoy' images as described here has now been updated! You can also use 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' which is included in E2B.

Add E2B to Ventoy

Ventoy is improving all the time and it is now pretty good at booting most payloads, however it does not support Legacy installs of  Windows 95/98/Me/XP/2000 and it's DOS and legacy ISO support is a bit weak. You may also find that E2B may work with some Linux payloads where Ventoy fails (but make sure the ISO files are contiguous as required by E2B!).

The good news is that you can easily add legacy E2B (not agFM) to an existing Ventoy USB drive as follows:

New Ventoy eBook is now available - 'Getting started with Ventoy'

I have been slaving away over a hot keyboard for weeks now writing an introductory eBook (PDF) on Ventoy and it is now finally finished!

You can get this new manual/user guide now for only $5 from Payhip here (10% discount if you buy more than one eBook).

Even though it is written specifically for Ventoy users, it also applies to 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' which is a slightly modified version included with Easy2Boot.

As with all my eBooks, all future revisions are free - just keep the original confirmation email and download any later revisions if they appear (you can subscribe too).

This new eBook is up to date and can be used with the latest Ventoy v1.0.56 which was released today.

Please let me have any feedback (good or bad!).

P.S. The developer LongPanda provides Ventoy for free and also constantly maintains it. You can make a donation to support LongPanda and Ventoy here.

eBook: Getting started with Ventoy

If you would like to learn more about Ventoy and how to use the ventoy.json configuration file, learn what are the best options to use when creating your Ventoy drive, learn how to boot ISO and other payload files from Partition 3 of the Ventoy drive, run Linux files with persistence, automate the installation of Windows, install Windows 11 to a non-TPM system, create your own themes, etc. then it's all here!

Getting started with Ventoy (v1.00 - 2021-10-22)
Contents:
Chapter 1 - Introduction ...  5

Easy2Boot v2.10 is now fully released

 I have updated the easy2boot.xyz, easy2boot.com and FossHub sites with the new v2.10 of E2B.

I received no feedback (good or bad!) from the pre-release, so I hope its OK.

Here are the changes:

Which is the best Clonezilla-based backup ISO?

 If you have a large E2B USB drive (up to 2TB), then you can easily boot from a backup ISO file and save the backup onto the same E2B USB drive (or any other connected drive or network drive).

The E2B USB drive can be made using the 'Gear wheel' button on Make_E2B.exe so that the MBR partitions are as follows:

Ptn1: 127GiB NTFS
Ptn2: 1GiB FAT32
Ptn3: NTFS (remaining space)
Ptn4: (must be unused for E2B use)

We keep Pnt1+Ptn2 size below 128GiB because some Legacy BIOSes are buggy and will not access sectors beyond 128GiB on USB drives. If you are not concerned about these Legacy BIOSes (which can even be found on quite recent BIOSes) then you do not need to limit the Ptn1 size.

The following ISOs can boot on Legacy and UEFI64 systems using E2B\agFM\Ventoy.

Add Windows 11 to E2B and E2B v2.10 pre-release

You can download a Windows 11 ISO from the official Microsoft page here (3rd option). You need to select Windows 11, then the Country (note: 'English'=American whereas 'English International' = UK and all other English-speaking countries).

System specifications for Win11 are here.

The Microsoft checker app is here.

There is also way to install Win11 on a non-TPM system (or one that does not support Secure Boot or does not have enough RAM) - see the WIN11_TPM_FIX_README.txt file in the \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN11 folder for details and the screenshot below...

Note that Win11 may refuse to add any updates if your system is sub-spec.

You can also tweak Ventoy to install to a non-TPM/non-Secure-Boot system in a similar way (see here).

If you are using E2B v.2.10 then it will already have an \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN11 folder for the Win11 ISO.

E2B v2.10 Pre-release is here and has the following changes:

Add Strelec WinPE 21-07-2021 to E2B

 You can download the recent Sergei Strelec ISO from here.

Copy the ISO file to your E2B drive \_ISO\WINPE folder. I renamed the file to

WinPE10_8_Sergei_Strelec_x86_x64_2021.07.21_English_.isowin.iso

so that it will run from E2B and agFM. If using Ventoy and Legacy-mode, press Ctrl+W before selecting the .iso file to use the wimboot method of booting.

If you have problems booting to Strelec with E2B, please update to the latest E2B Beta v2.10g (extract .zip file and run UPDATE_E2B_DRIVE.CMD).

Boot directly from Sergei Strelec WinPE

Add CloudReady (ChromeOS) to Easy2Boot\Ventoy

 Ventoy v1.0.51 includes experimental support for CloudReady (Neverware\Google) and FydeOS (both are versions of ChromeOS).

Since 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' v1.0.51 is now released, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I can boot to CloudReady from Ventoy from my E2B USB drive + IdeaPad 300 notebook!

CloudReady instructions

1. Update your E2B USB drive to the latest Ventoy version by double-clicking on the "\e2b\Update agFM\Update_to_latest_Ventoy_version.cmd" file on Partition 2 of your E2B USB drive.

2. Download a version of CloudReady. I use the free Home version 64-bit Image file from here.

3. Unzip the .ZIP file that you just downloaded and copy the  6GB file to your Easy2Boot USB drive. Since this will only work under Ventoy, I made a \_ISO\VENTOY folder on my E2B USB drive.

4. Rename the .bin file extension to .img.

CloudReady only supports UEFI, so you need to UEFI64-boot to agFM and then run Ventoy.

Now you should be able to sign into your Google account. If you have two-factor authentication enabled, you will need to confirm via your mobile phone (enable Bluetooth and Location detection on your phone).

Once logged in successfully, any future boot to the CloudReady img file will just require your Google account email and password.

Note: You will need to test using a real system as Virtual Box did not seem to work for me. I successfully tested on an IdeaPad 300.

FydeOS

I used 'mirror 2' to download the 2GB .img.xz file and then unzipped it to make a 7.3GB .img file.

I had problems using the trackpad on the IdeaPad300 with this distro and it appears to be a version aimed at China, so I did not test it by logging in.

Ventoy for Easy2Boot v1.0.51 now available

 The latest version of Ventoy (v1.0.51) is now available for download.

See here for changes.

1. Download the Easy2Boot version of  Ventoy-1.0.51-windows.zip file from here.

2. Drag-and-drop the .zip file onto the \e2b\Update agFM\Add_Ventoy.cmd file which you will find on the second FAT32 partition of your E2B USB drive.

3. Follow the simple prompts (basically type Y and ENTER).

The server is now updated with version 1.0.51 as of 2021-08-30. You can now easily update Ventoy by running:

 \e2b\Update agFM\Update_to_latest_Ventoy_version.cmd.

The Transcend JetFlash 920 USB drive is fast - but is it legal?

I bought and received a Transcend JetFlash 920 (#Amazon ad link) today which was advertised as USB 3.2 Gen 1 and with a capacity of 128GB - but is it legal?

This is half the depth and length of the SanDisk Extreme!

Get the official Microsoft Win11 Preview ISOs

 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewiso

It seems to need at least 30GB of disk space.

It seems to allow an easy offline account option too.

Not sure why a fresh install from a new Win11 ISO needs to download a newer version?

Latest E2B+agFM Betas now support grub4efi

You can now have the same E2B menu system in both MBR\Legacy mode and UEFI mode! 

grub4efi by chenall\yaya2007/a1ive is the UEFI version of grub4dos.

Most of the commands in grub4efi are the same as used by grub4dos.

The latest Beta of E2B now contains grub4efi.

How to update your E2B USB drive

Check your system for Win11 compatibility

 A new app which is downloadable from github or the Microsoft Store is provided by 'ReadySunValley'.

It must be run in Admin mode...

It does not seem to be an official Microsoft app however.

Windows password bypass utility 'PassPass' in E2B now updated to work with recent Windows 10 versions

 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.

Ventoy for Easy2Boot 'seven-of-nine' themes

 

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.

More information in my eBook 'Getting started with Ventoy'

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 for Easy2Boot v1.0.47 download available

 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.

Ventoy 1.0.47 release

1. Optimizations for booting openwrt
2. Support some floppy images in Memdisk mode
3. Remove the 2TB limit for the reserved space in Ventoy2Disk.exe
4. Fixed a bug when booting big boot.wim file.
5. Compatibility improvement for WinPE which contains PECMD.EXE
6. Fix Parabola rEFInd booting (#989)
7. Add check for the built-in browser in WebDeepin.sh
8. Speedup md5sum/sha1sum/sha256sum/sha512sum command
9. languages.ini update
10. New image support
    HBCD_PE_x64.iso v1.0.2 (Legacy + UEFI)
    MocaccinoOS-MATE-0.20210714.iso (Legacy + UEFI)

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!

How to configure Ventoy to skip the Windows 11 TPM and Secure Boot check

 I have written a How To article here.

We can use an XML file to run the registry bypass hack automatically.

P.S. Six different Ventoy themes can be downloaded from here. The ventoy.json script will choose one at random.

agFM v1.73 released

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...

agFM v1.72 and 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' v1.0.46 are now fully released

These latest released versions will be installed if you make a new E2B drive, or you can update an existing E2B USB drive:

Instructions - update to agFM  v1.72

Instructions - update to Ventoy for Easy2Boot v1.0.46

Latest E2B is v2.10b (for Win11) - download .zip file and extract files to a new folder and run Make_E2B.exe and then use the Update_E2B button or just extract the files straight onto your E2B USB drive's Partition 1.

How can you check using a Windows batch file what AntiVirus s/w is active?

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...

Install Windows 11 using E2B and agFM onto any system

 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

Tip: If you suspect this cmd file is not being run, add an extra line at the bottom which will wait for you to press ENTER:

pause

4. Copy the \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN10\Windows 10 Pro (no prompt to repair).xml file to \_ISO\WINDOWS\WIN11 folder (your ISO must include Win11 Pro Edition - if not use a different XML file - e.g. Win10 Home, etc.)

You should now have the following files: