Bootable USB Flash drives

I got it working!

1) You need to format a floppy as an XP MSDOS startup disk.
2) Run the HP tool (http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/fi...oad/20306.html) to make the USB drive bootable.
3) Copy all files from the floppy (including hidden files) to the USB drive (do NOT overwrite existing files on USB)
4) then use netbootdisk (http://www.netbootdisk.com/) to make it actually work. This involves modifying the MakeDisk.bat to find the USB's drive letter as opposed to A:\. By modifying Logon.bat to run ghost from a network share!

It works great and is a lot faster than a floppy! Now all i need to do is work out the command line to run ghost, load a specefic image file and then restart and my life will be complete (well, almost :wink: ).

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...98082612540625

Thanks for that, I am now a fuller person!

The HP Tool is no longer available on the HP website. Can anyone send it to me or put it in the downloads section.

Thanks

Here's a mirror.

http://www.down911.com/SoftView/SoftView_2705.html

Hope you can read Chinese. :)

Thanks works a treat!!!

I have been using the USB stick to boot most of the computers fine, however some are telling me that there is a "Missing Operating System" or "Error Loading Operating System" when I try to boot them from the USB drive.

Looked in the BIOS and have enabled all the USB booting options, including setting it as the Primary and only boot device.

Can anyone help!!!!!!

Flash the bios?

Tried that, but it doesn't work?

OK, serious bonus points for someone that can give me a good method for booting off a USB pen (easy part) then accessing files on a USB hard drive at USB 2 speeds. I'm thinking for easy non-network ghosting.

Super mega bonus points if you can do this with NTFS on the USB hard drive (ntfsdos might do that part)

Wouldn't it be easier to make the USB hard drive bootable?

If you do that, you tend to get USB 1 speeds, I think because you're using your BIOS's USB support

The HP utility doesnt support all flash drives so you need to test them before buying them. my supplier tests them for me before shipping and i get them £7.15 for a 128MB stick. The Disgo ones definately work and they say they tested kingston data traveller 128's for us too, i have also tested and am using CNMemory sticks too. I have written a guide with all the tools and utilities needed to create the bootable drives for my staff to use here.

I am willing to share it.

Updated Guide
Thanks to HP updating their USB Flash tool it is now even easier to boot from USB.
Pre-requisites
Windows XP StartUp Floppy Disk
HP Drive Key Boot Utility
Universal Network Boot Disk


Instructions
1: Create a windows XP startup disk (if you haven't already). To do this put a floppy disk in a Windows XP PC > Open My Computer > Right-click floppy drive > Select Format... > Tick "Create an MS-DOS StartUp Disk" > Click Start.
2: Run the HP Drive Key Boot Utility > Work your way through the wizard choosing "Create New or Replace Existing Configuration" > Choose Floppy Disk > Choose "Image from Drive A:"
3: If all you want is a bootable flash drive then you can stop now. If you want to boot to a network and load a ghost image then continue
4: In the NetBootDisk folder then edit the MakeDisk.bat file. Change A: to the letter of your Flash Drive (e.g. F: ) > Run the batch file.
5: If you want to boot to ghost on a network share and load a file the create this logon batch file in the fileCopy folder >
REM --- Automatically run Ghost from a network share ---
@echo off
echo Mapping V to \\Server\Share
net use v: \\Server\Share
v:
echo Loading Ghost
ghost.exe -clone,mode=load,src=V:\Image.gho,dst=1 -sure -rb6: Stick the drive in the USB port on the computer you want to ghost and voila :wink: !

Hi All

I've been testing bootable USB drives and have now got the RM Build disk working. And touch-wood it has worked in every machine tried so far.

My next step is to create multiple partitions on the USB stick and have a different floppy image in each and use a boot loader.

Has anyone tried something similar?