Easy2Boot v1.33 and MakePartImage

Easy2Boot v1.33 is a small update to v1.32 for .imgPTN image files.

The MakePartImage (MPI) cmd script is almost finished and is pretty robust now (v0.010 at the time of writing this blog). 

I would encourage anyone who wants to add UEFI booting (or Win7/8 Installs from a hard disk without needing a Helper Flash drive as well), to try MPI out and make a few .imgPTN files to add to your E2B USB drive.

Just contact me for the unzip password and promise to give feedback about what worked and what didn't.

I will be happy to answer any questions (but please read the info on this site first).

I have about 10 Beta testers so far (special thanks to Krishna!), but the more feedback I get, the more confident I will be of releasing the MPI pack.

Things to consider are, different OS's (XP through to Win 8.1Update), localised OS's (Chinese XP to Indian Win8.1Updated), different ISOs ranging from Windows Installs, HitMan Pro and Hirens to 100's of different linux distros, paths and filenames containing odd characters, slow systems and super-fast ones, running E2B under a VM or QEMU, recovering an E2B drive that won't boot after loading a 'bad' .imgPTN file, etc. etc.

In the MPI, I have also included a few scripts to help you. One will convert all .iso files in a folder to .imgPTN files. Another will list any .ISO files in a folder that does not have a corresponding .imgPTN file. 

The whole process is no more complicated than.

1. Run MPI and point it at your ISO file to make  an .imgPTN file (a partition image)

2. Copy the .imgPTN file to your E2B drive and make it contiguous (RMPrepUSB - Ctrl+F2 or run WinContig)

3. Boot from the E2B drive (in MBR\CSM mode) and choose the menu option for your .imgPTN file

4. To boot in UEFI mode - choose reboot from the CSM menu and pick the UEFI boot entry from you UEFI-BIOS menu.

Once you have finished, boot from the E2B drive in MBR mode again and select the E2B menu option to 'switch' it back and reload the E2B menu.

You can still have 1 or 2 partitions on the E2B drive (or even 3) and use .imgPTN files.

Have fun!

Steve