The page describes creating an Install/Repair “Tool” out of a USB Flash stick (at least 4GB or 8GB to hold an Win7 install DVD) that can boot multiple “images” or utilities. Images such as Ubuntu (i.e. the LiveCD installer), the Windows Recovery/Repair DVDs (Windows 7 and Vista), Windows XP installer, and other operating system install and repair tools. Other utilities can be tools such as Parted Magic, FreeDOS (via a “floppy” image), BartPE, UltimateBootCD, and many others.

If you have something to suggest, please see this thread in the forum

There are many ways to create a multiple OS/image booting disk. This page, currently, only discusses a windows tool called “WinSetupFromUSB” (instructions based on version 1.06b). (http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/120444-how-to-install-windows-from-usb-winsetupfromusb-with-gui) WinSetupFromUSB is composed of several other tools for preparing and testing the flash drive. It ultimately installs Grub4Dos as the primary bootloader. Grub4Dos then offers to “chainload” another image or tool, such as Ubuntu or the Windows 7 Recovery DVD.

WinSetupFromUSB requires being run within Windows (XP, Vista, or 7). I have not testing running it from wine from within Ubuntu [If anyone tries this, please update].

Note: The USB stick must be FORMATTED with windows. I have not be able to get Ubuntu to format a FAT32 partition that the Windows 7 Recovery DVD or Windows XP installer will accept (it returns an error condition instead of booting). However, the PARTITIONS could be created with Linux, which will allow you to create extra partitions for linux related files (linux is not limited to only recognizing the first partition on USB removable media). [If someone figures out how to get Ubuntu's “mkfs.fat” to format acceptably to Windows Recovery/Install boot loaders, please update this.]

Download http://www.datafilehost.com/download-deec7fdd.html (version 1.06b), and unpack.

Run program “winsetupfromusb_1-0-beta6.exe” (image of slightly older version of tool: http://img192.imageshack.us/f/magicalsnap200912261858.jpg/)

Partition/format drive with the BootIce tool (using the WinSetupFromUSB application): make sure the correct flash drive is selected at the dropdown box at the top, Click “Bootice” to start the bootice tool. In BootICE: Change bootsector (MBR) to Grub4Dos . “Perform Format”, optionally with multiple partitions if you want to leave space for linux partitions. “Process MBR” use grub4Dos. Use default settings, and “Save to file.”

For background info on bootice http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8986

WinSetupForUSB installs Grub4Dos as the bootloader on the USB Flash stick. Adding a tool amounts to copying the image to the drive and adding “instructions” for Grub4Dos on how to boot it.

Some tools, such as Windows XP Installer or the Windows NT-6 OSes (e.g. Windows 7 or Vista) can not be directly copied as an a single ISO file. The WinSetupForUSB tool handles the necessary file translation to the proper place on the drive. It also creates the Grub4Dos Menu entry (i.e. instructions on how to chainload) for you.

Note: WinSetupFromUSB only supports one Windows 7/Vista DVD, sorry. You must choose one: Win7 Install, Win7 Recovery, Vista Install, or Vista Recovery.

Get the DVD image. I used Windows 7 Recovery: http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/windows-7-system-repair-discs/

Mount the DVD image. WinSetupFromUSB requires access to the files on the DVD, and as Windows does not natively mount ISO files, you will need a tool to “mount” the DVD iso image to a windows drive (i.e. “u:”). I used magic disk http://www.magiciso.com/tutorials/miso-magicdisc-overview.htm

Add the DVD to the flash drive (using the WinSetupFromUSB application): make sure the correct flash drive is selected at the top, check the box next to “Vista / 7 / Sever 2008” and click ”…” to browse to the folder containing the windows boot files (i.e. “u:\” if the iso was MOUNTED at letter “U”). Then click “Go”

I recommend including a Linux LiveCD (Ubuntu or another), as Linux is a flexible and powerful tool without requiring install on a harddrive of the machine you are building/fixing/updating.

While WinSetupForUSB includes an option to automatically create a Menu entry for a “linux iso file”. I prefer to manually add Ubuntu.

Download the Ubuntu LiveCD (http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download). I recommend Desktop 32bit for general repair tasks. Copy the “iso” file to the Flash stick.

Open the Grub4Dos Menu/configuration file [your flash drive letter]:\menu.lst and add the following at the end of the file:

title Ubuntu 10.04 Desktop
find --set-root /ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso
map /ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso quiet splash noeject noprompt --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
boot

Get your image ready. This works great with a copy of XP-installer modified with nlite. If you only have an ISO file, mount it to a drive letter with a tool like magic disk http://www.magiciso.com/tutorials/miso-magicdisc-overview.htm

Add the image to the flash drive (using the WinSetupFromUSB application): make sure the correct flash drive is selected at the top, check the box next to “Windows 2000 / XP / 2003 Setup” and click ”…” to browse to the folder containing the windows boot files (i.e. “u:\” if the iso was MOUNTED at letter “U”). Then click “Go”

Note: Windows XP Installer requires a reboot halfway during install so the WinSetupFromUSB tool includes a option to “boot from harddisk” after the first half (i.e. “text mode”) is complete. You will need to select that option until the computer boots to a desktop.

Note: Windows XP uses a limited USB driver that only operates at USB 1.0 speeds. This may make the process take a little longer than if using a CD. But hey, we're using USB to install 'cuz EEE's don't have CD drives.

See this page for XP specific details: Installing Microsoft Windows XP from usb device (usb-stick, usb-hdd, SD card) simpler method