Boot to an XP VHD from Windows 7/8/10 using bootmgr

If you have a USB-bootable Windows XP VHD, you can simply give it a .vhdboot file extension and it should boot using Easy2Boot.

But what if you want to boot an XP VHD file from a normal Windows 7/8/10 system (not grub4dos) that uses bootmgr (i.e. a standard non-UEFI Windows 7/8/10 system)?

Windows bootmgr can boot Windows 7 or later VHDs, but will not boot directly to XP VHDs.

However, you can boot automatically to an XP VHD from bootmgr, by using grub4dos as an (invisible) intermediary!

Any suggestions for E2B YouTube videos?

I am thinking of adding some more short YouTube videos on E2B.

Here is the list of potential videos that I am thinking about (in no particular order):

1. Adding different Hirens ISO to E2B
2. Adding VHDs to E2B
3. Tips and Tricks - Using VBOX and RMPrepUSB-QEMU without dismounting drive,  pwd 32 and 64 and AUTO extensions, menupwd and pwd - using md5, different background for menus, stopping suggestions - .isodefault, NOSUG AUTOCSM, ISOBOOT  SHIFT-ENTER, CRC32, pausing enumeration with SPACEBAR, silent boot (reduce grub4dos messages), global hotkeys, use unattend.txt or winnt.sif files with XP ISOs set PICKAUTO=YES, slow booting - use text mode, add option to text-mode boot for faster booting on slow systems, add STAMPs to E2B
4. MyE2B cfg - Reduce messages, Display background during enumeration
5. How to use E2B_Editor - heading and footer, centre headings, etc.
6. Using large fonts with E2B - set FONTH=24  - rows\cols, alternate fonts, 800 and 1024 modes
7. Set up E2B for single menu
8. How to auto-run Windows ISOs from a menu
9. How to make XML files to auto-install Windows ISOs.
10. How to remove Windows XP menus from E2B  NOWINXP
11. Setting up a language and keyboard in E2B - change language mnu, add choice in MyE2B.cfg
12. Protecting E2B  - .pwd, md5 encrypted passwords, menupwd, using pwd in extensions, master pwd in MyE2B.cfg, monthly PIN code, set expiry date, clone protection, Protect.cmd
13. Configuring CSM menu - set a default timeout, delete unwanted entries, use your own menu and background CUSTOM folder
14. Tips for speeding up E2B - reduce files, text mode, etc.
15. How to add STAMPs to E2B
16. How to make and use E2B under linux
17. Using .key and .xml files with Windows ISOs on E2B

If you have any suggestions for Easy2Boot YouTube videos or want to vote for some of these, please use this link to anonymously send me your requests (no login or personal details needed) or add a comment below.

For a list of all my current YouTube videos, click here.

E2B v1.80h Beta available

A few changes in 1.80h (g had a bug!):

1. FASTLOAD can now be used with $$$$CONFIG .mnu files (\_ISO\e2b\grub\menu.lst changed).

2. I have added the \_ISO\e2b\grub\checkdate.g4b batch file. It can be used in a MyE2B.cfg batch file as follows:

# set 14 day expiry date from 28th March 2016
call /_ISO/e2b/grub/checkdate.g4b 2016 03 28 14 SILENT
if not "%CHECKDAT%"=="OK" echo E2B EXPIRED! && halt
set CHECKDAT=

If used with a blank \_ISO\e2b\grub\SDATE.txt file (should be approx 1K in size) then you can set a time limit from the day that E2B was first booted as follows by just calling \_ISO\Expire.g4b:

Install Debian from the DVD1 ISO using Easy2Boot

I previously described a method of installing Debian from a CD ISO file here. You can also use the LiveCD to install Debian or the net-installer ISO.

debian 8.4.0 Cinnamon

However, this method appears not to work when using a DVD-1 ISO because it cannot find the 'CD' to install the packages which are kept on the DVD after installing the base files.

Hurry - less than 100 days to go before the free Windows 10 upgrade expires!

There are now less than 100 days to go before  the free upgrade offer from Windows 7/8/8.1 to Windows 10 expires.

If you don't want to install Windows 10 just yet, why not just boot to a Windows10ToGo VHD from your E2B USB drive.

If you are repairing or re-installing Windows 7/8/8.1 systems, why not offer the customer a free Win10 upgrade activation so he/she is registered for free, even if they don't want to install Windows 10 just yet?

Using the latest version of Windows10ToGo (TH2 version), boot on any Win7/8/8.1 system, start the activation wizard and enter the Win7/8 Product Key that was used to activate that same system previously (you can use ProduKey or Magical Jelly Bean key finder on the system first, to display the old Windows 7/8/8/1 Product Key, if it is not on the COA label).

Windows 10 should then 'phone home' (internet access is needed) and activate the Windows 10 ToGo OS. If you have no internet connection, you can phone Microsoft to ask for an activation key (you will need to quote the long number displayed by the activation wizard).

Once this is done, then that system will be registered with Microsoft for Windows 10 and you can then install Windows 10 on it at a later date.

It does not matter if you use a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 10, but you will need both 'Core' and 'Pro' versions so that you can activate the matching version on each of your systems.

To create WinToGo VHDs, see my previous blog post.
For details on obtaining Windows 10, and for ISO- and UEFI-booting, see here.

Various Hirens ISOs and Gandalf PE with Easy2Boot

I have been experimenting with various Hirens ISOs with E2B and came up with this table which you may find useful:

If Windows PE boots and loads all the Desktop icons correctly, you should get the number noted in the last column.

Run android x86 + >4GB persistence via UEFI & MBR (from an NTFS partition)

In a previous blog post, I described how you could MBR-boot to android x86 with a persistence file.

To UEFI-boot, we need to create a FAT32 .imgPTN partition image. However, this limits us to a <4GB data.img persistence file.

Here is how to have a >4GB persistence file and UEFI-boot by using an NTFS partition to hold the android boot files and persistence file.

Add archbang linux + persistence to E2B

The archlinux ISO must be installed, it is not a 'LiveCD', however archbang does come in LiveCD format. Here is the .mnu file for getting the ISO to boot with a persistent volume.

Files on E2B drive (FAT32 or NTFS or exFAT):
/_ISO/LINUX/MNU/archbang-010316-i686.iso
/_ISO/LINUX/MNU/archbang-010316-i686_persistent.mnu
/arch-rw-010316

GoldMemory test (and other memory tests to add to E2B)

I came across another memory test today. GoldMemory by Michal Tulacek is shareware and available in two versions, standard (limited 30-day free trial shareware <4GB) or Pro ($29 - at least 16GB).

Detect keyboard status and hide menu entries in E2B

We can detect the status of the keyboard using grub4dos to read the BIOS Data area.
For instance, we can tell if CAPS LOCK or SCROLL LOCK was on or not.

Here is a simple grub4dos batch file which will report the keyboard status as detected by the BIOS (not all keys may be reported accurately under a VM):