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Can't Get There From Here
#1
Ventoy newbie here.  Been reading Ventoy forum and many others for days.

Years ago I used something called USBoot to create a bootable Windows XP installation on a USB flash drive.
This worked extremely well since I went full time Linux starting around 2006.
But that was many laptops and hard drives ago.
I see now that it looks like USBoot has died.

So here's my current problem.  I have an HP dv7t-7000 notebook @2012 with a good Intel i7-3620MQ 8-thread CPU that I've upgraded over time to max memory 16GB.
The HDD in this machine has now died.  Taking with it my Windows 7 Home Prem and Fedora Linux installations. I have a backup of all my personal stuff so I'm not worried about that. I bought a new SSD drive and this time I'd like to do something like a USBoot USB for my Windows 7 Home Prem and then just have Linux on the SSD.  I haven't needed Windows except for a couple old programs like tax software and for my engine dyno simulation software and for things like BIOS flashing (damn HP for ever changing from DOS based to Windows based BIOS flashing but I digress).  So I still need it but not very often.

So right now I have no machines with Windows.  I do have Linux machines.  So how do I go about using Linux to create a Windows installation on USB that'll boot UEFI? 
As the title says, to me it looks like Can't Get There From Here. Sad
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#2
1. Use Ventoy Linux version to create a bootable USB in your linux system.
2. Copy the windows ISO file to the bootable USB stick in your linux system.
3. Reboot your computer and select USB to boot and you will boot into Ventoy and then select the Windows ISO file to boot.
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#3
(04-29-2022, 01:27 AM)longpanda Wrote: 1. Use Ventoy Linux version to create a bootable USB in your linux system.
2. Copy the windows ISO file to the bootable USB stick in your linux system.
3. Reboot your computer and select USB to boot and you will boot into Ventoy and then select the Windows ISO file to boot.

I downloaded the linux tar gz file for 1.0.74.
Expanded it.
And none of the GUI options would run bc my glibc is 2.15 which is too old.
So I went with the script version but it refuses to install.

[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$ sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdc
[sudo] password for greno:

**********************************************
      Ventoy: 1.0.74  x86_64
      longpanda admin@ventoy.net
      https://www.ventoy.net
**********************************************

Disk : /dev/sdc
Model: PNY USB 3.2.1 FD (scsi)
Size : 115 GB
Style: MBR


Attention:
You will install Ventoy to /dev/sdc.
All the data on the disk /dev/sdc will be lost!!!

Continue? (y/n) y

All the data on the disk /dev/sdc will be lost!!!
Double-check. Continue? (y/n) y
dd: invalid status flag: `none'
Try `dd --help' for more information.
Write data to /dev/sdc failed, please check whether it's in use.
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$ sudo lsblk
[sudo] password for greno:
NAME                                                MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINT
sda                                                    8:0    0 447.1G  0 disk 
├─sda1                                                8:1    0  500M  0 part  /boot
├─sda2                                                8:2    0  64.1G  0 part 
│ └─vg_renog13--1-lv00 (dm-1)                        253:1    0    64G  0 lvm  [SWAP]
└─sda3                                                8:3    0  382G  0 part 
  └─luks-cc282d6b-3831-448d-afa8-a53b30ee98e6 (dm-0) 253:0    0  382G  0 crypt
    └─vg_renog13--2-lv00 (dm-2)                      253:2    0  382G  0 lvm  /
sdb                                                    8:16  0  1.8T  0 disk 
└─sdb1                                                8:17  0  1.8T  0 part  /home
sdc                                                    8:32  1 115.5G  0 disk 
└─sdc1                                                8:33  1 115.5G  0 part  /run/media/greno/USB321FD
sr0                                                  11:0    1  1024M  0 rom 
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$ sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdc

**********************************************
      Ventoy: 1.0.74  x86_64
      longpanda admin@ventoy.net
      https://www.ventoy.net
**********************************************

Disk : /dev/sdc
Model: PNY USB 3.2.1 FD (scsi)
Size : 115 GB
Style: MBR


Attention:
You will install Ventoy to /dev/sdc.
All the data on the disk /dev/sdc will be lost!!!

Continue? (y/n) y

All the data on the disk /dev/sdc will be lost!!!
Double-check. Continue? (y/n) y
dd: invalid status flag: `none'
Try `dd --help' for more information.
Write data to /dev/sdc failed, please check whether it's in use.
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$

Nothing is using the USB stick.
How to get Ventoy to install?

Here's what the new USB stick looks like in GParted.


Attached Files Thumbnail(s)
   
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#4
log.txt:

Code:
############# Ventoy2Disk -i /dev/sdc [x86_64] ################
Fri Apr 29 12:35:03 EDT 2022
decompress tools
MODE=install FORCE= RESERVE_SPACE= RESERVE_SIZE_MB=0
hexdump test ok ...
mkexfatfs test ok ...
vtoycli fat test ok ...
tool check success ...
check tool work ok
Trying to umount /run/media/greno/USB321FD ...
############# Ventoy2Disk -i /dev/sdc [x86_64] ################
Fri Apr 29 12:35:31 EDT 2022
decompress tools
MODE=install FORCE= RESERVE_SPACE= RESERVE_SIZE_MB=0
hexdump test ok ...
mkexfatfs test ok ...
vtoycli fat test ok ...
tool check success ...
check tool work ok
root permission check ok ...
install Ventoy ...
/dev/sdc2 not exist
############# Ventoy2Disk -i /dev/sdc [x86_64] ################
Fri Apr 29 12:45:04 EDT 2022
decompress tools
MODE=install FORCE= RESERVE_SPACE= RESERVE_SIZE_MB=0
hexdump test ok ...
mkexfatfs test ok ...
vtoycli fat test ok ...
tool check success ...
check tool work ok
Trying to umount /run/media/greno/USB321FD ...
root permission check ok ...
install Ventoy ...
/dev/sdc2 not exist
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#5
The dd version in your system is too old  and doesn't support status=none option.
You can remove this option with the following commands and retry.
Code:
sed -i "s/status=none//g" Ventoy2Disk.sh
sed -i "s/status=none//g" tool/VentoyWorker.sh
sed -i "s/status=none//g" tool/ventoy_lib.sh
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#6
It looks like it succeeded but with some warnings:





Code:
[greno@renog13-lin01 ventoy-1.0.74]$ sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdc
[sudo] password for greno:

**********************************************
      Ventoy: 1.0.74  x86_64
      longpanda admin@ventoy.net
      https://www.ventoy.net
**********************************************

Disk : /dev/sdc
Model: PNY USB 3.2.1 FD (scsi)
Size : 115 GB
Style: MBR


Attention:
You will install Ventoy to /dev/sdc.
All the data on the disk /dev/sdc will be lost!!!

Continue? (y/n) y

All the data on the disk /dev/sdc will be lost!!!
Double-check. Continue? (y/n) y
512+0 records in
512+0 records out
32768 bytes (33 kB) copied, 0.0189501 s, 1.7 MB/s
delete /dev/sdc1


Create partitions on /dev/sdc by parted in MBR style ...
Done
Wait for partitions ...
partition exist OK
create efi fat fs /dev/sdc2 ...
mkfs.vfat 3.0.12 (29 Oct 2011)
success
32+0 records in
32+0 records out
16384 bytes (16 kB) copied, 0.393813 s, 41.6 kB/s
Wait for partitions ...
/dev/sdc1 exist OK
/dev/sdc2 exist OK
partition exist OK
Format partition 1 /dev/sdc1 ...
mkexfatfs 1.3.0
Creating... done.
Flushing... done.
File system created successfully.
mkexfatfs success
writing data to disk ...
446+0 records in
446+0 records out
446 bytes (446 B) copied, 0.242498 s, 1.8 kB/s
dd: warning: partial read (320 bytes); suggest iflag=fullblock
1985+62 records in
1985+62 records out
1046177 bytes (1.0 MB) copied, 0.0664447 s, 15.7 MB/s
dd: warning: partial read (390 bytes); suggest iflag=fullblock
63748+1788 records in
63748+1788 records out
33311766 bytes (33 MB) copied, 2.77682 s, 12.0 MB/s
16+0 records in
16+0 records out
16 bytes (16 B) copied, 0.337267 s, 0.0 kB/s
4+0 records in
4+0 records out
4 bytes (4 B) copied, 0.00534649 s, 0.7 kB/s
sync data ...
esp partition processing ...
Open ventoy efi file 0x610ac0
ventoy x64 efi file size 1810432 ...
Open bootx64 efi file 0x610ac0
Open ventoy ia32 efi file 0x610f10
ventoy efi file size 1216512 ...
Open bootia32 efi file 0x610ac0

Install Ventoy to /dev/sdc successfully finished.

Copied the Windows ISO onto the USB flash drive and rebooted.
It did boot the USB and I can see the Ventoy menu.
I selected the Windows ISO menu item and it started the Setup.
But at install locations there was no USB location to choose.
I had run this Setup before from DVD with a blank USB flash drive inserted.
Inside the Setup it would list the USB but when you tried to select it as the target it would error and tell you USB installation not supported.
How is using Ventoy going to change that so I can install Windows to a USB flash drive?


Attached Files Thumbnail(s)
       
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#7
This is a limitation of Windows itself. You can not install Windows 7 on an USB stick. So there's nothing Ventoy can do.
There is no differenct no matter you install linux to HDD or to USB. But for Windows, there always be many limitations.
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#8
(04-30-2022, 05:07 AM)longpanda Wrote: This is a limitation of Windows itself.  You can not install Windows 7 on an USB stick. So there's nothing Ventoy can do.
There is no differenct no matter you install linux to HDD or to USB. But for Windows, there always be many limitations.

Ok, thank you.
It looks like I need to find the old Windows-based Lexar tool, BootIt aka USB Format that can change the Removable Bit in the micro-controller inside a flash drive.  This tool apparently only worked for certain flash drives (that probably all used the same micro-controller) and would brick flash drives that it didn't work on.  So there's a small risk of losing the flash drive.  It's equivalent to flashing a BIOS only you're changing the micro-controller firmware inside the flash drive itself.  Why this works for installing Windows on a USB flash drive is because it causes Windows to think that the USB flash drive is a fixed local disk instead of a removeable drive.  This allows Windows Setup to use the USB flash drive (marked as a fixed local disk) as a installation drive target.  So for me, I'm going to have to borrow a Windows machine to see if I can flip the Removeable Bit in this PNY USB flash drive I bought.  Then if that works hopefully I can get Windows to install itself onto it.
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