[SOLVED] Make bootable Windows XP usb from Linux

doom_23 · 02-15-2021, 03:49 AM

Hello. I have a winxp.iso that I want to flash to an usb drive. But all programs I found can't flash Windows XP.
I tried

Code:

dd winxp.iso /dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

then flashed mbr with

Code:

ms-sys -m /dev/sdX

but it does not work. The idea I have is to use WinSetupFromUsb from wine, but I haven't been able to make usb devices visible in the last one.

Emerson · 02-15-2021, 04:08 AM

You need to make the ISO USB bootable, click the link in my footnote for instructions.

pan64 · 02-15-2021, 04:39 AM

if and of are missing (at least)

Code:

dd if=<source> of=<destination> other_flags

doom_23 · 02-15-2021, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pan64

if and of are missing (at least)

Code:

dd if=<source> of=<destination> other_flags

Yeah, I've just noticed it but in a terminal I wrote it correctly:

Code:

sudo dd if=winxp.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

yancek · 02-15-2021, 06:04 AM

Did you do the isohybrid command as windows iso files are not. The link below discusses varius methods of creating bootable USB's including a separate section on xp.

https://techgage.com/article/creatin...ve-installers/

Gad · 02-16-2021, 06:00 AM

Are you certain the flash drive works with other ISO images and able to boot to the same machine you are wanting to use?

Just curious.

doom_23 · 02-16-2021, 08:53 AM

Ok, I successfully did it. I followed by this tutorial.
We need a RUFUSLDR file. I didn't find one in the internet so I have uploaded it - http://www.mediafire.com/file/phq13g.../RUFUSLDR/file
First, format you drive with FAT32 file system. I did it using gparted.

Then run

Code:

sudo fdisk /dev/sdX

where /dev/sdX - is your flash drive. Then hit "w".

Download ms-sys from here, extract it, open terminal in the extracted folder and run

Code:

make

After compilation has been finished, go to bin directory and run

Code:

sudo ./ms-sys -w /dev/sdXY

and then

Code:

sudo ms-sys -p /dev/sdXY

Copy the files from iso to your usb drive.
Place RUFUSLDR file on the root level.
Copy NTDETECT.COM from i386 to the root level.
Copy txtsetup.sif from i386 to the root level.
Open the new copy of txtsetup.sif and Ctrl+F for [SetupData]. Right under that header, put this line:

Code:

SetupSourceDevice = "\device\harddisk1\partition1"

Then reboot your PC press "c" in your grub menu, and run these commands:

Code:

insmod ntldr
set root=(hdx,msdosy) (replace x and y as appropriate, in my case it was hd1,msdos1)
ntldr /RUFUSLDR
boot

Now install Windows XP

Emerson · 02-16-2021, 08:57 AM

I wonder what ISO you had. I used genuine XP install disk, pulled an ISO image of it and used isohybrid and dd. It worked like charm, so I wrote it down here .