I wanted to install Windows 7 on my netbook, but I didn’t have access to a Windows environment from which I could run bootsect.exe or install Grub4Dos; so I figured I’d install Grub2 on my USB disk using Ubuntu, have Grub2 chainload Grub4Dos, and finally let Grub4Dos chainload the Windows installer. This worked for me:
- Prepare a fresh NTFS partition on the USB disk /dev/sdX and mount it at /mntX1, then copy all files from the Windows installer disc or image into /mntX1
- Install Grub2:
cd /mntX1; sudo grub-install --no-floppy --root-directory=/mntX1 /dev/sdX; sync - Download the latest Grub4Dos, and unpack grub.exe into /mntX1
- Create /mntX1/boot/grub/grub.cfg:
set timeout=0
set default=0
menuentry “Install Windows” {
linux16 /grub.exe --config-file=”root (hd0,0); chainloader (hd0,0)/bootmgr”
}
I was surprised that such a complicated setup actually worked. Be sure to substitute your own values for /mntX1 and /dev/sdX. In the Grub4Dos config, (hd0,0) refers to the first partition on the boot disk; you’d need to change that if you want to boot the installer from a different partition.
I actually had to do the same thing a few weeks ago, but I just used this:
http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-create-bootable-windows-7-vista-or-xp-usb-flashpen-drive-with-a-single-click-must-try/
which I found to be very simple.
You know if you just copy the contents of a windows vista/7 install disk to a thumbdrive, it works…
I’ve done that on windows using xcopy, no reason it shouldn’t work on linux. Fat32 format, too.
You know, that only works if you have the nt60 bootloader (or nt54 for WinXP) on that drive. Without a working bootloader, the BIOS would not know how to boot. Installing GRUB is the same idea.