How to create a USB Windows XP/Vista installation drive


     
   

   
         
   

First of all, I did not author anything in this guide, except for the screenshots. I will take credit for the hours and hours I spent compiling this guide, but nothing more. I invented none of this.

I originally created this guide for myself, just for reference, so I would not have to commit any of these techniques to memory. As I started taking notes along with the screenshots, it occurred to me that it would not take much more additional time to make it into a tutorial. If it can help someone else save the time, so much the better.

But first, special thanks and credits need to go to:

wimb and jaclaz (http://www.msfn.org/board/forums.html) most of the ideas in my guide came from their posts on said forum

Bart Lagerweij (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/) for everything WinPE related

Dino Nuhagic, the father of nLite and vLite (http://www.vlite.net/ http://www.nliteos.com/)

Disclaimer: I have tried to be as thorough as possible in the creation of this guide. But I am not perfect. I cannot be held responsible for any errors made in this guide that may lead to ill consequences for the end user of this guide. I regret I cannot offer any support for this guide either. By clicking on the below link, you agree not to hold the author of the attached guide, or any of the authors mentioned above responsible for any results, good or bad, that happen as a result of information you obtain on these pages.

Click here to continue on to the guide

Throughout the guide I will make reference to some additional tutorials that mesh with the whole project of making this multiboot thumbdrive.

How to nLite your Windows XP installation source

How to vLite your Windows XP installation source

How to create a Windows Pre-installation Environment (BartPE)

How to create a DOS boot image with NTFS support

How to mount a virtual CD (.iso)