Create a Bootable USB drive with VistaPE


USB drives have become a ubiquitous commodity. Many people have one and some carry their USB drive on their keychain. This provides easy access to handy data such as passwords, games, photos, etc.
VistaPE is the preinstall environment for the installation of Windows Vista. When you first boot to a Vista DVD, the GUI screen you see during installation is VistaPE. It was designed for use on DVD's and USB drives. It provides a graphical environment using a small amount of resources. It's very flexible in that you can add components to provide additional features.
Having a VistaPE bootable USB drive has some additional advantages:

- Familiar interface where you can run Windows programs
- Browse the Internet without leaving a trace on the host PC
- Remove undeleteable spyware and viruses
- Flash the BIOS in a clean environment
- Diagnose computer problems

Being able to remove spyware and viruses is an incredible handy ability. You should be able to remove all of those problems since they won't be able to start automatically. I've used mine many times to get rid of nasty viruses on other peoples computers.
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FER/3ICH/FK7OAA0E/FER3ICHFK7OAA0E.MEDIUM.jpg
Here's how to create a VistaPE USB drive:

What you need:
USB drive (128MB minimum, 1GB+ preferred)
Winbuilder 75 Beta 4 (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=23551&sdtid=705972&sdfid=17&u2=http://winbuilder.net/download.php?list.12)
Windows Vista DVD (preferred) or Windows Automated Installation Kit (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=23551&sdtid=705972&sdfid=17&u2=http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c7d4bc6d-15f3-4284-9123-679830d629f2&DisplayLang=en)
Computer with Windows XP or Vista

Let's get started!

Step 1 Copy Vista to the HDD


Copy the contents of the Vista install DVD to your HDD. This speeds up the whole process. Alternately, you can use the Windows AIK, though you will have reduced features. I recommend using the Vista DVD files.

http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F40/OSW8/FAWRI3UL/F40OSW8FAWRI3UL.MEDIUM.jpg

Step 2 Running Winbuilder

Winbuilder is a single file. Once you've downloaded version 75 Beta 4 (latest currently available) from Winbuilder's (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=23551&sdtid=705972&sdfid=17&u2=http://winbuilder.net/download.php?list.12) website, extract it to a folder on your hard drive and then run it.
Deselect everything except for the VistaPE Core option.
I unchecked some other options to speed things up, you can select applications that you want integrated into VistaPE.
Click download. This will take some time as it downloads scripts and files necessary for this operation.

(You may want to extract Winbuilder to a folder on your C: drive. This may fix some issues. Thanks Aitrus)

http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FWK/FYTK/FK7OAA0Y/FWKFYTKFK7OAA0Y.MEDIUM.jpg


Step 3 Setting up VistaPE

Now that we've downloaded the necessary files and scripts, we need to tell Winbuilder where the Vista files are.
Click the Paths button. Enter the location of your Vista files from step 1.
Optionally, you can specify where you want to output the VistaPE files and VistaPE ISO.
Click Play.

http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F6T/H740/FK7OAA13/F6TH740FK7OAA13.MEDIUM.jpg


Step 4 Intermission

The build process takes some time. Take a coffee break. Chat with some friends. Play an instrument. Or download programs to run on your VistaPE drive. I recommend putting some anti-spyware and antivirus utilities on it.
Or just stare at this picture...
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FRS/TIZU/FAWRI3Y1/FRSTIZUFAWRI3Y1.MEDIUM.gif

step 5 Copy VistaPE to your USB drive

Now that VistaPE is ready, you can have Winbuilder setup your USB drive.
Click the Script button
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F4Q/MK1S/FK7OAA1C/F4QMK1SFK7OAA1C.MEDIUM.jpg
On the left column, expand the Finalize folder
Click on Create ISO/CD/USB

Click on the folder to set the root directory of your USB drive and browse to your USB drive
Click on the Make USB Boot Device button
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Step 6 Formatting and Copying Files to the USB drive

At this point, the HP USB format tool should pop up. Select your USB drive from the list. You can select the quick format option to speed things up. Click the Start button to format the USB drive

*WARNING: All contents of the USB drive will be erased!
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FBN/3YM1/FK7OAA1V/FBN3YM1FK7OAA1V.MEDIUM.jpg

Once the drive is formatted, you should see a dosbox with files being copied to your USB drive
After that, the GRUB4DOS utility should pop up. This will put the required info onto your USB drive to make it boot to Grub4Dos.
Click on the Disk radio button
Use the drop down to select your USB drive
Click Install
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FLA/HNVQ/FK7OAA26/FLAHNVQFK7OAA26.MEDIUM.jpg
That's it! Your USB drive should now be bootable to VistaPE!



step 7 Boot to it!

Stick your USB drive into your test computer and boot to it. You may need to change your boot priority in the BIOS. Some systems have an option to press F12 (or some other key) to bring up a boot menu to boot to your USB drive. The first screen you should see is the Grub4Dos screen. Depending on how fast your system is, you should get to the VistaPE desktop in less than a minute.
Good Luck!

http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FEB/QZ5A/FK7OAA2M/FEBQZ5AFK7OAA2M.MEDIUM.jpg

Video of all the steps (http://www.vibada.com/misc/media/video.php?flvvideo=VistaPE.flv&width=800&height=600)
The video is about 4 minutes long, but it actually took about 20 minutes for the whole process. The added time is because of downloading and compiling the project.
Blissin wallpaper (http://toxygen01.deviantart.com/art/blissin-19950393) in the video.

Let me know if there's something confusing. I'll add some additional information later.

Good info. I'm going to give it a try.

Good info. I'm going to give it a try.

Let me know how it goes. :)

Can you still store tools on the key with this?

Can you still store tools on the key with this?

Yep. Look at the App section of VistaPE in Winbuilder. There are scripts that autoload those apps into VistaPE. You can also run standalone apps (usb friendly apps) just by copying it over. It also looks like you can run .Net apps if you select the w_dotnet.script. Haven't tried that yet though.

My list disk does not show the USB, it only shows my main harddrive partition. How do I make it detect the harddrive?

My list disk does not show the USB, it only shows my main harddrive partition. How do I make it detect the harddrive?

Nor does mine. I think that diskpart utility only works on NTFS partition formats. Thats why as he said only XP, Vista, and possibly Win 2000 has the diskpart utility. The computer only allows the USB drive to have FAT or FAT32 partition... Maybe the guy who posted this didn't know this or actually try it himself first.

It only detects my main drive.

I believe though you can also make the USB bootable by just formatting the thing through my computer. The boot files are on the vista dvd anyways. Ill try and post back here once I know.

Ok for starters there is just so much wrong with what Flea posted or may complications there of you would run into if you followed it (no offense Flea but you need to just double/triple check yourself before posting a walk-through of sorts).

Problem "Diskpart cannot see USB flash drive".

Solution:
Windows Vista, 2000, XP all have the "diskpart" utility. However only Vista can see removable drives in the list when having used the "diskpart" > "list disk" command.

But this doesn't even need to be in the steps because the USBDevice script (which gets downloaded in the package with Winbuilder automatically) will format the USB device anyhow.

If you want to know the rest i recommend reading this walk-through. It is the only thing that got mine to work.

http://grandstreamdreams.blogspot.com/2008/02/vistape-winbuilder-011-basic.html

I may later re-iterate Flea's walk-through with some changes later on.

Thanks.

Can you tell me the best (fastest, smallest) usb drive for making a bootable drive, and running applications on it? Thanks a lot!!!

Ok for starters there is just so much wrong with what Flea posted or may complications there of you would run into if you followed it (no offense Flea but you need to just double/triple check yourself before posting a walk-through of sorts).

Problem "Diskpart cannot see USB flash drive".

Solution:
Windows Vista, 2000, XP all have the "diskpart" utility. However only Vista can see removable drives in the list when having used the "diskpart" > "list disk" command.

But this doesn't even need to be in the steps because the USBDevice script (which gets downloaded in the package with Winbuilder automatically) will format the USB device anyhow.

If you want to know the rest i recommend reading this walk-through. It is the only thing that got mine to work.

http://grandstreamdreams.blogspot.com/2008/02/vistape-winbuilder-011-basic.html

I may later re-iterate Flea's walk-through with some changes later on.

Waiting for an update :whistlin:

After a long hiatus, I've updated a large part of it and added a video. Hopefully, it'll make things easier for everyone.

There was one last issue where once all steps were completed with the VistaPE some users Usb's wouldn't boot or have an error during booting and it wouldnt finish.

Via the makers website they say you need to make sure your "winbuilder" contents are located in the C:/ drive.

Instead of the desktop or my documents, directly drag and drop the folder or create the folder in C:.

Reason being there are admin file permissions that are required when copying files to the usb device, and if they don't copy with admin privileges those files will not work or boot properly during the boot process (if on desktop or my documents these permissions do not get copied over). This is not the case for everyone but if you experience the issue that is why.

Insuring the Winbuilder folder and the contents for copying to the usb are put in the C: will give them those privileges and you will not have an issue booting.

Great walk through Flea

Sorry for Offtopic and my bad english, but has somebody the link for the Wallpaper in the Video from flea?

It would be grateful :D


Greetings,

tarabas

Sorry for Offtopic and my bad english, but has somebody the link for the Wallpaper in the Video from flea?

It would be grateful :D


Greetings,

tarabas

Here's the the Blissin wallpaper. His DeviantArt (http://toxygen01.deviantart.com/art/blissin-19950393)site. Enjoy :)

Here's the the Blissin wallpaper. His DeviantArt (http://toxygen01.deviantart.com/art/blissin-19950393)site. Enjoy :)

Thank you very much :)