Question regarding the "Win Vista / 7 installation disc (bootable)" guide

[Horaxon]

Well, first of all, Hello everyone!

 

The Guide (How to create a Windows Vista / 7 installation disc (bootable) using ImgBurn) is pretty straightforward and self-explanatory, so my compliment on that.

 

My question: Can I use this method to create a bootable DVD for using a BIOS flash utility. The utility says it is DOS based, but I don't believe that is the issue here.

 

I suppose a bootable DVD created this way somehow automatically starts a "setup.exe" for the Windows Installation.

So I need to modify this autorun behaviour in order to get a command prompt.

 

The technical "difficulty" of a bootable disc is accessing the optical disc drive using a driver included on the medium, I would guess.

 

So I believe this should be possible...

 

 

Kind Regards

Horaxon

[LIGHTNING UK!]

No, that guide would be no good.

 

You need a DOS bootable disc that loads CD-ROM drivers, which then gives you access to the rest of the stuff burnt on the CD (i.e. the BIOS update).

 

Most BIOS can be updated within Windows these days or via a USB memory stick when you're in the BIOS screen. There might even be a bootable ISO image you can just burn as-is. I guess it depends on which machine/motherboard you have

[Horaxon]

I somehow knew this wouldn't be that easy

 

 

But what is "etfsboot.com" good for then? Does it always automatically start Windows Setup?

 

My mainboad is a intel DZ77GA-70K.

So far only one out of two BIOS update procedures via USB stick has been successfull, so I thought that I use a DVD next time, just to be sure.

 

The description of the BIOS update says:

Iflash BIOS Update / Integrator Toolkit BIOS Files [GAZ7711H.86A.0053.BI.ZIP] - A DOS-based utility to update the BIOS regardless of operating system. It requires a CD or a USB flash device. This download also provides the necessary files for Intel® Integrator Toolkit. Support and FAQs for Intel® Integrator Toolkit are

 

(For Reference, taken from here.)

 

But this ZIP file unfortunately does not contain a bootable image :-)

 

So what do I have to do now?

 

 

Regards

Horaxon

[LIGHTNING UK!]

etfsboot.com is a Microsoft thing, I have no idea what it actually does - but it's not going to load a random exe for you or get you into DOS.

 

A DOS bootable usb stick with the flasher and firmware binary on it should be all you need. I really wouldn't waste time with a bootable CD, I certainly didn't back when I was running an Intel motherboard.

[Horaxon]

Well, my plan was using a bootable optical medium because the last attempt with an USB stick failed.

 

I think its a bit astonishing that a bootable DVD with a DOS environment seems to be a somewhat exotic request ;-)

 

Why are this kind of disc image files so rare?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I'm sure if you google for them you'll find a DOS bootable floppy disc image that loads CD-ROM drivers. Add that as the bootable image part of a disc you burn and you're away.

 

There's no way of knowing (without burning it and testing it) if it'll support your machine and CD-ROM though.

 

If you find one that does support your machine, all you have to do then is add the firmware flasher and firmware binary to the disc. Then from the command prompt once the disc has booted you'd change to the drive letter of the cd-rom and load the flasher.

 

The flasher/firmware files on the CD won't be any different to what you'd have copied to your DOS bootable USB stick so I don't see why it would be any more reliable.

[Horaxon]

But what about the 1.44 MB limitation of a floppy disc image? Or can I put the flasher util and the BIOS file (which are of course too large) on some kind of second partition on the disc?

 

My ODD is a Pioneer BDR-207EBK.

The bootable .ISO image file from Memtest86+ (www.memtest.org) seems to work. Can't I somehow use that image file?

 

On the other hand, when I tried the update via USB stick I used the "F7" method (thats how Intel calls it), which is just the BIOS file on a stick, so nothing bootable or DOS.

So maybe I should try it with a DOS bootable USB stick. But I can't create one with the functionality integrated into Windows, right?

 

Since you have used that method before, what would you recommend? A certain software tool for creating said USB stick?

 

Regards

Horaxon

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Yup, that's exactly what you do and how bootable discs work

 

The boot image is stored in it's own little 'El Torito' area on the disc (which, to be fair, can be any size you like). The *normal* data files are visible on the bootable disc like they are on any other disc, it's just the boot image itself (and contents of it) that aren't visible.

 

That's why the boot image needs to load CD-ROM drivers. They're what gives you access to all the *normal* stuff on the disc.

 

For what seems to be a fairly generic boot disc for CDs, you could try here... http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/cdrom/ or here http://educ.jmu.edu/~jarvislb/utils/boot_cd.html

 

Back when I made my bootable USB stick (many moons ago), I used some HP tool for the job.

 

Google 'hp dos bootable usb' and you'll get a ton of results, one of which I'm sure will be of some use to you

[Horaxon]

Well, nice. Sounds familiar, I remember having used Bart's Boot CD some long time ago. ;-)

Feels like a very distant past...

 

I also remember some HP USB tool, think I've seen that one before.

This was officially distributed by HP, if I remember correctly. I wish I had the link from back then.

Maybe one of you guys here still have that link?

 

I searched some other forums, some folks mentioned this WinUSB Maker tool (http://www.joshcellsoftwares.com/2012/06/WinUSBMaker.html)

Does anyone know it, is it good?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

It's easy to find with Google

 

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HP-USB-Disk-Storage-Format-Tool.shtml

 

I've never used nor heard of that other one you mentioned... but then I've had no reason to go hunting for such things since I made mine with the HP one.

[Horaxon]

Well okay, so thanks for all your help.

 

Let's consider this case as closed.

 

 

Regards

Horaxon