E2B v2.16a Beta

While testing all the .wim files in Medicat 21.12, I found that the Lockpick.wim file would not Legacy-boot from the Easy2Boot menu system.

All the other .wim files seem to Legacy-boot OK (except for the DiskGenius.wim file which seems to load and briefly display the WinPE Desktop and then immediately reboot on E2B, agFM and Ventoy???).

Easy2Boot 2.15 and previous versions booted a .wim file by using a default boot.sdi and bootmgr file and it creates a BCD dynamically with the name of the boot file in it. For some reason it seems to crash however on the Lockpick.wim file.

So Easy2Boot v2.16a Beta now supports the .wimboot file extension and this will load the  wim file using the wimboot method (derived from the iPXE github project and used by agFM and Ventoy).

Download E2B v2.16a from the 'Latest Betas' folder - https://easy2boot.xyz/download/alternate-download-sites/

QRUN will suggest that you try .wimboot instead of .wim, or you can just give the .wim file a _.wimboot.wim file extension and it will automatically use the wimboot method without prompting you.

e.g.

Add MX Linux with persistence to agFM

If you want to UEFI64 (or legacy) boot to an MX-Linux ISO and have persistence, you can use a .grubfm file. The .grubfm file must be the same name as the ISO file and in the same folder, e.g.

• \_ISO\LINUX\MX-21.1_x64.iso
• \_ISO\LINUX\MX-21.1_x64.grubfm

1. Copy on the two files. The grubfm file can be found on Partition 2 at "\e2b\Sample agFM menu files\LINUX\MX-21.1_x64.grubfm" folder or download from here.

2. The persistence files that will be created by MX-Linux must be stored on either Partition 2 of the E2B USB drive or Partition 3. Check that you have enough room (the default files are 8GB and 10GB but you can choose a smaller size). If you do not have a Partition 3 on the E2B USB drive then you could resize the partitions using EaseUS Home Partition Master or a similar tool. 

3. Edit the .grubfm file and change the partition number to the one that you are going to use - either 2 or 3, e.g.  line 15-17, make sure set PERSIST_PTN= 2 (or 3) as the only line and comment out any other set PERSIST_PTN= line...

Ventoy for Easy2Boot v1.0.79 pre-release is now available.

The current Ventoy for Easy2Boot is version 1.0.57 and it is getting a bit long in the tooth - so I have today edited and recompiled a new version for Easy2Boot.

I have added a link to it in the latest eBook #4:

'E2B #4 - UEFI-multiboot using the a1ive grub2 File Manager_v1.24.pdf' 

which will take you to the download file for 'Easy2Boot v1.0.79'. The password is also in the eBook (search the PDF for '1.0.79' to find it).

New! IODD ST400 Disk emulator (2.5" SATA HDD enclosure)

IODD have brought out a new disk enclosure which allows you to add your own 2.5" SATA disk drive (spinning rust or SSD). The IODD allows you to select and boot from any ISO or VHD as long is it is bootable, so there should be no issues with Secure Boot failures as long as the ISO/VHD has signed boot files.

It is called the ST400 (Amazon.com #ad). It is available from Amazon.com (USA) now for about $90 and you can add a cheap 1TB 2.5" SSD for about $100 (it does not need to be fast as the USB 3 transfer rate for the ST400 device seems to max out at around 140MB/s) - or add a spinning rust Seagate Barracuda 5TB drive for about the same price instead. The IODD Mini is approx. $130 for the 256GB SSD unit.

E2B v2.15 released (bugfix for SWP01 error in v2.14)

Please Update to v2.15. There was a problem in v2.14 (the QRUN.g4b batch file was too long as limitation of only 2048 lines of code are allowed in a grub4dos batch file).

The only change is the QRUN.g4b file and the version.txt file.

agFM v1.84 released (bugfix)

Some .img and .vhd files would not boot in Legacy mode when using the 'map' option (which runs grub4dos).

For instance, if you install Medicat to a fixed-size .VHD file, you can boot to it using E2B (as .vhdhdd) or agFM (as either .vhd or .img) or Ventoy (Ventoy requires the extension to be .img) -  so use the extension _.vhdhdd.img so that it works on all three.

You can update just by running Ptn2:\e2b\Update agFM\Download and update agFM_v2.cmd.

Note: There is a bug in E2B v1.14 - if you get a 'Cannot find label SWP01' error then please update to v2.15aBeta.

E2B v2.14 now fully released

 v2.14 is now fully released and is on FossHub for fast download.

There were a few small changes including tweaks to QRUN.g4b and E2B_Editor.exe since the 2.14 version that I made available a few days ago on the Beta Alternate Downloads OneDrive site. You can update again to the full release version if you wish.

The E2B_Editor.exe utility now displays the X-Y co-ordinates of the cursor as well as the colour of the pixel under the cursor in the floating tooltip - as shown below. This may assist you when setting STAMP and ANIMATION co-ordinates. 

Easy2Boot v2.14 available

E2B v2.14 DPMS is now available here. I will put it on FossHub in a few days but I thought I would make it available to blog subscribers here first.

E2B v2.14 is now fully released.

Here are the changes (please feed back any issues if you find any ASAP):

More tips to save on gas/oil/electricity energy bills

If your house has a hot water tank (not a combi-boiler/direct water heater) then a simple tip is to just set the timer so that the hot water will come on for only an hour or so in the morning and then switch off for the rest of the day.

The water in a well-insulated tank will stay quite hot for the rest of the day and should still be warm enough in the evening to do any washing up, face washing, etc. if required (especially in the summer).

Obviously, if you use too much hot water during the day then it will go cold, but you can adjust the timer accordingly. The idea is to not use energy to keep the tank of water hot when you really don't need it to be hot. It is a shame that we cannot have two temperature settings for the hot water because we really only need very hot water when we have a bath\shower and need more than one tank-full of hot water.

Also, if you do not use a lot of hot water in the morning for a shower or bath, then instead of adjusting the temperature by mixing in some cold water, just turn down the hot water thermostat to reduce the temperature of the water in the hot tank. Try reducing the hot water temperature by 2 deg C each week until you find the lowest temperature that suits your usage and preferences.

In Summer we don't really need really hot water from the sink taps anyway and it seems silly to heat a whole tank of water up for the whole day. The rooms near the hot water tank will be cooler too if it is not on all day.

Most domestic appliances are cold-fill only (because most houses have directly heated hot water and it is considered 'more efficient'), however if you have a tank full of hot\warm water available during the day, it is more efficient to use a hot+cold-fill washing machine or dish washer and make good use of that warm water instead of just letting it cool down slowly during the day.

In the winter, you may need to adjust the timer and thermostat settings again.

Free newspapers and magazines for 3 months!

Why not cancel your daily newspaper and magazine subscriptions, save money and also help to save trees at the same time?

Sign up before the end of this month and Readly will give you 3 months for free. After that they will charge you the reduced rate of £8.99 a month for the next 12 months (£9.99 thereafter). You can cancel any time (even in month #3 of the free trial period).

agFM v1.83 released

 The new version has a few changes

v1.83 2022-07-21

• Add \e2b\update agFM\GetLatestVentoyPluginFiles.cmd.
• Improve download speeds. Fix problem of .imgPTN switch-in operation sometimes detecting difference in MBR and offering to restore instead of switching in new imgptn.

GetLatestVentoyPluginFiles.cmd – this downloads the latest plugins required by Ventoy for some functions (Windows vhd plugin, Windows wim plugin, Linux persistence .dat files in a .zip file, bootable ISO to remove Ventoy Secure Boot whitelist key from UEFI BIOS NVRAM).

The files are copied to the \ventoy folder on Partition 1 of the E2B USB drive.

To update your E2B drive, run Make_E2B.exe and click the Update E2B button or run "\e2b\Update agFM\Download and update agFM_v2.cmd".

Note: E2B v2.14 will be also available soon and then I hope to produce a new 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' version.

'Getting started with grub4dos' eBook updated to v1.02

I have updated this eBook.

If you have purchased the eBook already, you can get the updated version using the link in the order confirmation email that you would have received from Payhip.

Other Articles

https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2022/08/ventoy-for-easy2boot-v1079-pre-release.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2022/06/how-to-make-for-zero-cost.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2022/04/ebook-updated-how-to-make-1000-month.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2022/03/easy2boot-v212-released-new-ebook.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2022/03/are-you-looking-for-good-website-or.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2022/02/getting-started-with-ventoy-v107.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2022/01/ebook-getting-started-with-ventoy-v106.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2021/12/ebook-getting-started-with-ventoy-v105.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2021/10/ventoy-ebook-rev102-now-updated-for.html
https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2021/10/ventoy-ebook-now-available-getting.html

FakeFlashTest v1.1.4 updated (now much faster!)

I wrote FakeFlashTest many years ago when a 16GB Flash drive was considered top of the range and very expensive. Time has moved on since then and Flash memory chips are now cheaper and larger.

So FFT v1.1.4 is now much faster and will dynamically adjust it's algorithm to cater for larger drives. Most drives should take less than 5 minutes to test now (and some a lot less).

You can find the latest version here.

Easy2Boot v2.14i Beta available

The developer yaya2007 has fixed the UDF ISO bug in grub4dos, so DLC Boot ISOs that are in UDF format (and maybe other ISOs that had problems booting under E2B) are now fixed in E2B v2.14i.

2.14i also has a new menu entry in the UTILITIES menu to display CPU information. Thanks to a1ive for writing the cpuid utility for grub4dos..

2.14h can now boot Tails ISO files (without persistence) even if your E2B USB drive is a fixed disk.

Note 2022-07-13: 2.14i and later uses the latest version of grub4dos which has a BUG! You will get problems with some operations (e.g. Windows Install ISOs give  unattend error). Awaiting fix from the developer (grub4efi has same bug!). Late news: Fixed in latest release 2.15.

    

New CPU Info menu entry

 

Don't miss the bargains on Amazon (12th July)

Amazon Prime Day is 12-13th July this year. There will be loads of special offers but only for Amazon Prime Members.

Membership costs $14.99 a month (£7.99 in UK) and you get free delivery and free Amazon Prime Video too.

Prices will be different in USA.

However, you get a free 30-day trial (#Ad), so sign up now and watch some movies, grab the bargains on July 12th/13th and then (if you really want to), cancel before the end of the month and it won't cost you a penny.

You must check these four things on your computer at least once a year

If you have purchased a new computer, perhaps have built your own PC or have a PC/notebook which is over a year old, you should check these things now and at least once a year.

Introduction

Modern computers are able to monitor various temperatures, fan speeds and voltages throughout the system. You can easily download software to display these values (often the BIOS setup/configuration menu system will display them too). Using SMART, we can also find out about the health of our internal disk drives too.

If you have received a new or second-hand system recently, a typical problem is that during transportation, the CPU heatsink may have come loose. This would mean that your CPU will get too hot and when this happens, modern PCs will usually 'throttle back' and go slow to avoid permanent damage to the CPU. 

If you have a computer that is a few years old, the thermal paste between the CPU and the CPU heatsink may have dried out. Again, your CPU may be getting too hot.

Also, if your PC\Notebook is older than a year or so, it may have accumulated dust and cobwebs! This can seriously affect the air flow through the system and can thus cause the hard drives and CPU to overheat.

If you have overclocked your system, you will need to be particularly careful, because you are probably running it at its maximum performance capabilities - any overheating may cause damage or a system crash!

Some monitoring programs which I recommend you to try are:

How to fix Windows Startup program errors (e.g. HP printer drivers/programs)

 After uninstalling some programs from your Windows system, you may find that as soon as you log in to your Windows account, you see some Windows dialog boxes which are reporting missing programs or DLL files, etc.

This is usually because the Uninstaller has forgotten to remove all of the programs or services that it had originally installed and configured to run on startup. There are two types of mechanisms which could be causing this:

agFM v1.81 released plus E2B Beta v2.14h (with DLC Boot 2022 v4.0/4.1 ISO support)

agFM v1.81 is now released and supports the latest DLC Boot 2022 ISO.

E2B v2.14i Beta and v2.15 is also available which also supports the June 2022 DLC ISO and has UDF ISO bugfix in grub4dos.

For DLCBoot 2022 ISO UEFI64 booting from agFM please use agFM v1.88 or later.

easy2boot.com now redirects to easy2boot.xyz

I have set up a redirect from the old .com site to the new WordPress easy2boot.xyz home page now and some of the old .com URLs will even redirect to the equivalent page on the xyz site!

Please let me know if you find any bad links!

How to make $$$ for zero cost while you sleep!

Do you have some knowledge, information, know some 'secrets', hints and tips, great gluten-free recipes, good websites/blogs/social media sites/forums, etc. which may be valuable to others, then why not write some eBooks. Although I sell an eBook called 'How to make $1000 a month from the internet' for just $3 in my eBook store, I am going to show you how easy it is to sell eBooks world-wide for absolutely no cost and very little effort once it has been written and is set up for sale.

The great thing about eBooks is that it is passive selling. Once it is available for sale you just sit back - everything (sales, delivery, payment) is automatic and it is very simple to set up too!

If eBooks aren't your thing, musicians can sell their own music files, photographers can sell their photos and artists can sell their graphics downloads. You can make and sell courses and coaching products on a subscription basis too (typically using Zoom, setting milestones, etc.).