Start windows 10 Setup from a different folder

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  1. Posts : 9
    Windows 7 (x64) / Ubuntu 14.04 (x64)
       #1

    Start windows 10 Setup from a different folder


    I have download windows 10 pro and home editions with both 32 and 64 bit versions of the os by using media creation tool.I have make bootable my external hard disk by using bootsect.exe and I have copy all the necessary files at the right partition of this drive.

    bootsect /nt60 {my drive letter}:

    ** I didn't use /mbr option because I have grub installed to this disk too with 2 linux distributions. **
    After that I made this partition active by using diskpart.

    Anyway...I had no problem to start the windows setup and install (clean install) windows from there but I wanted to change the name of the folder that includes the specific version of the os to something else.
    For example for 64-bit version of the os windows 10 setup has an 'x64' folder and for 32-bit it has an 'x86' folder.Both of those folders are on the root of my external hard disk partition.
    The thing is I can change the name of this folder to 'Win10_x64' for 64-bit and 'Win10_x86' for 32-bit version.After that with the right modifications to bcd file I am steel able to boot Windows 10 Setup but when I press install I recive the message the installation can't find drivers (load driver error).
    I don't know what else I should change in order to me this work.

    I also tried (only for testing purposes) to leave 'x86' and 'x64' folders with the original names (they boot fine) and rename boot.wim file to boot1.wim to see if I get this error again.
    Of cource I gave the right commands to bcdedit to change the 'device' 'osdevice' and 'descreption' parameters for the right {guid} in order to boot the boot1.wim but I had no drivers problem this time.

    My question is:
    What is the right file (or files) I should edit in order to make the installation working without driver problem by changing the boot path for the boot.wim file?
    Are they inside the boot.wim file?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #2

    I would like to see an answer to this problem too. This is the only way I've made a 4 in 1 install media work:
    Solved How to make 4 in 1 installation USB? - Windows 10 Forums

    Change anything in the resulting folder structure and I get the same error. Use EasyBCD to boot from the Windows setup ISO - same error.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,505
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 21H1 (May 2021 build 19043.1083)
       #3

    Why don't just have two DVD-ROMs? One for installing Windows 10 home or Pro 32-bit and one for Windows 10 Home or Pro 64-bit?

    Another method would be to have a USB flash drive where you have extracted the Windows Setup files in a different folder, like W10x86 and W10x64. Include in that drive the utility imagex both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Then use a Windows 7 DVD-ROM to boot the target computer. When you see the Windows Setup menu press SHIFT+F10 to launch a command prompt. Use diskpart to create a partition to the new disk, make it bootable and format it to NTFS. Then connect your USB flash drive and use imagex to copy all Windows Setup files from sources\install.wim of the respective Windows 10 folder, depending on architecture. Restart the target computer and boot from the hard disk. Let setup finish and you are ready! The commands are these:

    diskpart
    select disk 0
    create partition primary
    format fs=ntfs quick
    active
    assign letter=W
    exit

    These create a primary partition on a new unpartitioned disk, format it to NTFS, make it bootable and mount it as W:

    At this point connect your USB drive. Since there is no C: drive yet, usually it becomes C: If not try other drive letters and use DIR to see contents and verify it is your USB flash drive. To extract the Windows Setup files use these commands:

    C:\imagex.exe /apply C:\W10x86\sources\install.wim 1 W:\

    This will run 32-bit version of imagex and install Windows 10 Pro 32-bit to the new hard disk. To install Home version replace 1 with 2. To install 64-bit version replace imagex with the filename of the 64-bit version and W10x86 with W10x64.

    Of course we are not done yet! We first must install a boot loader to the hard disk. To do that enter these commands:

    bcdboot W:\Windows /s W:
    bootsect /nt60 W: /force /mbr

    At this point you can either press the reset button or execute the following command to reboot:

    wpeutil reboot

    I know this is not very convenient, but it's still a 4-in-one alternative. Best of all, you can do this in any computer, not need to be on the target computer since at this stage no drivers are installed. After you have extracted the files you can put the disk to the final target and continue from there. From this point of view is more convenient than a 4-in-1 DVD-ROM. Beware though! If you use your own computer to prepare the disk, make sure no other disk is connected or you risk wiping your own disk with diskpart! It's safer to do it on the target computer with no other disks installed. If the disk has two partitions and you only want to format one for Windows, I recommend doing that on another computer and skip the diskpart steps.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #4

    Hmmm.... and to think all I have to do is just boot from my USB flash drive. My boot options are Windows 32bit setup, Windows 64bit setup, Macrium Reflect Free, or MiniTool Partition wizard.

    If I pick either of the Windows setups, the next option is Home or Pro. Or the other options start either Macrium Reflect Free or MiniTool Partition Wizard. Seems pretty convenient to me - except I would like to find a method to add Windows Insider build setup to my flash drive.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 9
    Windows 7 (x64) / Ubuntu 14.04 (x64)
    Thread Starter
       #5

    spapakons said:
    Why don't just have two DVD-ROMs? One for installing Windows 10 home or Pro 32-bit and one for Windows 10 Home or Pro 64-bit?

    Another method would be to have a USB flash drive where you have extracted the Windows Setup files in a different folder, like W10x86 and W10x64. Include in that drive the utility imagex both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Then use a Windows 7 DVD-ROM to boot the target computer. When you see the Windows Setup menu press SHIFT+F10 to launch a command prompt. Use diskpart to create a partition to the new disk, make it bootable and format it to NTFS. Then connect your USB flash drive and use imagex to copy all Windows Setup files from sources\install.wim of the respective Windows 10 folder, depending on architecture. Restart the target computer and boot from the hard disk. Let setup finish and you are ready! The commands are these:

    diskpart
    select disk 0
    create partition primary
    format fs=ntfs quick
    active
    assign letter=W
    exit

    These create a primary partition on a new unpartitioned disk, format it to NTFS, make it bootable and mount it as W:

    At this point connect your USB drive. Since there is no C: drive yet, usually it becomes C: If not try other drive letters and use DIR to see contents and verify it is your USB flash drive. To extract the Windows Setup files use these commands:

    C:\imagex.exe /apply C:\W10x86\sources\install.wim 1 W:\

    This will run 32-bit version of imagex and install Windows 10 Pro 32-bit to the new hard disk. To install Home version replace 1 with 2. To install 64-bit version replace imagex with the filename of the 64-bit version and W10x86 with W10x64.

    Of course we are not done yet! We first must install a boot loader to the hard disk. To do that enter these commands:

    bcdboot W:\Windows /s W:
    bootsect /nt60 W: /force /mbr

    At this point you can either press the reset button or execute the following command to reboot:

    wpeutil reboot

    I know this is not very convenient, but it's still a 4-in-one alternative. Best of all, you can do this in any computer, not need to be on the target computer since at this stage no drivers are installed. After you have extracted the files you can put the disk to the final target and continue from there. From this point of view is more convenient than a 4-in-1 DVD-ROM. Beware though! If you use your own computer to prepare the disk, make sure no other disk is connected or you risk wiping your own disk with diskpart! It's safer to do it on the target computer with no other disks installed. If the disk has two partitions and you only want to format one for Windows, I recommend doing that on another computer and skip the diskpart steps.

    I know all of those things.You are missing the point.I can boot my Windows 10 Setup if I want without problems.I can also create an AIO installer with both (home and pro) editions if I want.I could even include Windows 7 and windows 8 versions inside the install.wim easily.
    My point is to achieve to start Windows 10 Setup for every architecture from a folder with a different name.My main target is to include Windows 7 and Windows 8 Setups while I have separated folders for every setup into one partition of my external hard disk and add values for each one on bcd file of the bootloader.
    For example: I want a folder Win7_x86 for 32-bit Windows 7 and Win7_x64 for 64-bit Windows 7.The same thing for win8 and win10.

    Anyway thanks for your answer but I don't have problem to install Windows on my internal hard disk. I want to configure the setup right so they can be installed without the "load driver error" normally.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #6

    Jimysbil said:
    Anyway thanks for your answer but I don't have problem to install Windows on my internal hard disk. I want to configure the setup right so they can be installed without the "load driver error" normally.
    And when you figure it out, please share it with at least me, because I want to know too!
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 3,505
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 21H1 (May 2021 build 19043.1083)
       #7

    If your bootable USB flash drive uses the Windows Boot Loader, you could use a utility such as EasyBCD to easily modify the boot entries. However, I don't know how you can configure the utility to change the boot entries of the USB rather than those of your Windows system. The safer would be to work with bcdedit in an elevated commant prompt, but this is not too easy. All you need is to modify the appropriate boot entries to load from the specific folder you want.

    Moments like these you wish you had a simple boot.ini file like in Windows XP which you would modify by Notepad...
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #8

    spapakons said:
    If your bootable USB flash drive uses the Windows Boot Loader, you could use a utility such as EasyBCD to easily modify the boot entries. However, I don't know how you can configure the utility to change the boot entries of the USB rather than those of your Windows system. The safer would be to work with bcdedit in an elevated commant prompt, but this is not too easy. All you need is to modify the appropriate boot entries to load from the specific folder you want.

    Moments like these you wish you had a simple boot.ini file like in Windows XP which you would modify by Notepad...
    Doesn't work. Tried it. The Windows setup will give you the message the installation can't find drivers (load driver error). The Windows 10 setup ISOs must be extracted to exactly the root of the USB drive and the folder structure must be retained exactly. And you can't add extra images to the install.wim files either - at least not an insider build image any way.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3,505
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 21H1 (May 2021 build 19043.1083)
       #9

    In that case, maybe you can partition your USB Flash drive so each version is at the root of a specific partition. Then use the boot loader to load each setup. If the USB Flash drive is large enough and you make each partition adequate, sounds like a solution.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #10

    spapakons said:
    In that case, maybe you can partition your USB Flash drive so each version is at the root of a specific partition. Then use the boot loader to load each setup. If the USB Flash drive is large enough and you make each partition adequate, sounds like a solution.
    Maybe, haven't tried that yet.
      My Computer


 

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