Do you want to create a bootable USB drive containing Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 installation files to avoid creating multiple bootable USB drives? Would you like to install Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 from the same USB drive? If you said yes to the above questions, you have come to the right place.
In this guide, we will show you how to create a bootable USB drive containing Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 installation files to install XP, 7, 8/8.1 and 10 from the same USB drive.
Things you need:
# Windows XP ISO file or DVD
# Windows 7 ISO file
# Windows 8/8.1 ISO file
# Windows 10 ISO
# 16 GB+ USB flash drive
Install Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and XP from the same USB drive
Step 1: Connect your 16 GB+ USB flash drive to your PC and backup all data before proceeding further, as the drive will be erased while making it bootable.
Step 2: Head over to this page and download the newest version of WinSetupFromUSB zip file. Extract the zip file to get WinSetupFromUSB folder containing separate executable for x86 and x64 versions of Windows.
Step 3: Depending on the version of Windows you’re running, double-click either on WinSetupFromUSB.exe or WinSetupFromUSB x64 to launch the software.
Step 4: Once WinSetupFromUSB is launched and running, select your USB pen drive under USB disk selection and format tools section (see picture) and select the Auto format it with FBinst option. Also, select FAT32 as file system instead of NTFS if you want your multi-boot USB to be compatible with both BIOS and U/EFI.
Step 5: Skip this step if you don’t want to add Windows XP files to the USB. Select the checkbox under Windows 2000/XP/2003 Setup and then click the browse button to browse to the i386 folder in your Windows XP DVD or ISO file. Note that if you have the ISO file, you need to mount the ISO file using third-party software in Windows 7 or using the built-in Mount feature in Windows 8/10.
If you’re on Windows 7, we suggest you go through our how to mount an ISO file in Windows 7 guide for detailed instructions.
Once you have selected the I386 folder, proceed to the next step.
Step 6: Next, select the check box under Windows Vista/7/8/Server 2008/2012 based ISO, click on the browse button and browse to the location where you have saved your Windows 7 ISO file. Select the ISO file and click the Open button.
Step 7: Now that you have chosen to add Windows XP and Windows 7 to the USB drive and make it bootable, check the Advanced options box to open Advanced Options dialog, select the option titled Custom menu names for Vista/7/8/Server Source. This will enable you to add your own custom names to your Windows 7 and Windows 8 setups in the boot menu.
Once done, close Advanced Options dialog.
Step 8: Finally, click the GO button. Click on the Yes button when you see the Warning messages. If you have selected Custom menu names for Vista/7/8, you’ll see a small dialog box asking you to enter a custom name for Windows setup. Enter a name and click OK button to allow WinSetupFromUSB begin its job.
NOTE: We’ll add Windows 8/8.1 to the USB in the next step.
Step 9: Once done, you’ll see Job done message on the screen. Don’t close WinSetupFromUSB yet as we have yet to add Windows 10 or 8 installation files to the USB. And if you don’t want to add Windows 8/10 files, you can stop the procedure here and close the application.
Step 10: In order to add Windows 8/10 installation files, select the option titled Windows Vista/7/8/Server 2008/2012 based ISO and then select your Windows 8/10 ISO file (make sure that the same USB drive is selected).
Step 11: Enable the option titled Advanced Options and then select Custom menu names for Vista/7/8/Server source.
Step 12: Finally, click the GO button. Click Yes button when you see warning dialogue boxes and enter a name for the setup when you’re asked to do so. That’s it! Your bootable USB containing Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8/10 should be ready in a couple of minutes. Good luck!
Once done, you can connect the USB drive to your PC or any other PC on which you want to install Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, and then boot from the USB. You’ll see the following screen, where you need to select the Windows setup that you would like to start.
And if your PC doesn’t support booting from USB, our how to boot from USB even if your PC doesn’t support booting from USB guide has the solution.
Rapadom says
Help please,
Made a bootable usb containg Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 tested for set up on pc, Windows 7 and 10 worked perfect but with Windows 8.1 I was able to select it from boot option but then lost use of keyboard and mouse so unable to install.
zinmin says
When boot from UBS drive, Computer show error usb 2.0 or 3.0
adversidad says
best tutorial ever, i keep coming back here when i need to do this on a new flash drive, i was able to do so as described in post with both 7 and 10 booting and ready for install. Now i will try to add 7, 10 and a lite version of 10. For those who wrote that fat32 wont support larger files, the software splits the iso automatically so u just do as in the post and everything will work like a charm.
Mohammad says
Thank you very much, helped me a lot.
this probably the best tutorial I’ve seen so far regarding the Bootable USB subject.
Shrinibas says
Best tutorial for window installation thanq very much
NITROX says
I got a problem which windows 7 ultimate pack (all 4 in one versions x32 x64 and am have 8 different windows copy) other windows good work o this i not can install but on disc work properly
installed:
ubcd
hirens
win xp sp3
win 8
win 10 x32 (5 in one)
win 10 x64
Not installed:
win 7 ultimate pack got problem:
This doesn’t seem to be valid source!
Either or all of \sources\boot.wim, \bootmgr
\boot\, \boot\BCD are missing, or source is not supported.
WTF missing???
Test User says
Trying to set WIN10 aniversary and win7sp1. Must Add first win10 and then win7, else programs hangs.
Ivan R. Akbar says
It’s possible to add different Windows architecture / version to a single drive?
e.g Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit + 32Bit + Windows 8.1 Pro 64Bit or 32Bit + Windows 8.1 Enterprise 32Bit or 64Bit to a single drive.
Francis Willy Fernandez says
Great tutorial. I have tried to boot windows Xp, 7, 8 and 10 and all works. Thank you it saves money for buying many pen drive for creating different bootable installer….
PsuFan says
I apologize, I did not attempt this without the pictures. It does appear this works, because your only using GRUB to boot to the Windows Boot Loader and it appears this WinSetupFromUSB program injects custom code into the boot.wim to install from iso’s! Nice work.
MinhDQ says
It works perfectly !!! Many thanks to you
Dank says
This doesnt work anybody that has computer knowledge would know that it’s impossible to boot 2 windowses by 1 bootable USB (etc. Windows 8 Home and Windows 8 Enterprise can boot on same drive as 32-bit,64-bit but windows 7 windows 10 no…) Please try the tutorial before you even post it
admin says
@ PsuFan,
I have tried the tutorial and that’s why I have added screenshots. Please make sure that you’re following the instructions without any deviations.
PsuFan says
Please actually try and use your tutorial before you post something that doesn’t work, Thanks. GRUB4DOS doesn’t support Windows installers. You will get a CD/DVD driver error because it can’t find setup.exe and since they all pull setup.exe from the same folder, there’s no way to install multiple versions of Windows from GRUB4DOS.
s.h says
the ones with “the file is too large …. ” the one which suggest you to choose ntfs file system consider following steps:
1. under the format options select ntfs file system then point to your desire *.Iso file
If the same error occurs get rid of it and just click the refresh button in front of the name of your usb stick
then chose the same image and this time, BANG!!
2. at the final stage after that you have selected all of the options and before clicking GO button just change ntfs to FAT32
Ually says
HAving the error A required CD/DVD driver device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now. How to fix this tried it on different ISOs but no luck still has the error…
Rahul says
God! Y making it so damn complicated.. Just 10 minutes without these number of steps see How To Make A Bootable Pendrive For Windows 7/8
Yasaheb says
Hi
I try to make Multiboot usb but when i want to add windows 8 after enabling Advanced Options and then select Custom menu names for Vista/7/8/Server source and click GO button this error appear
Could not Update boot.wim in
D:\downloads\programs\WinSetupFromUSB-1-4\TempWST
Please close all programs which might be accessing it and retry.
please help me to solve this problem
thanku
Jeff Bush says
this is a silly article. You tell people to choose FAT32 and then also tell them to choose their ISO file for Windows 7 and/or Windows 8. These files are generally 3-4Gb in size and cant possibly be put on a fat32 partition. Does anyone read through these and try them out? or am i just being an Ahole and missing something?
Fazisyed says
awsomeeeeeeeeeeee working perfect :)
Sashankan says
Jonathan u can also use minitool partition wizard to convert your filesystem from fat32 to ntfs without formatting it and the error in your case is because fat32 formatted pendrive cannot hold a single file larger than 4.2 gb
honey says
i m follow all step and window xp 7 or8
insall in 8gb pen drive.
bt it is show “no menu” when boot
tell me what is saluation
honey says
i have xp ,window7 or win8
and i have insall all in pen drive from ur guide.
bt in insalling pc is reboot and then some time automatic window 8 start.
and if i am select same window which install it seems from start ,some time repair.
etc
so guide me what i m doing duiring insallation…
plz give me ans early..
i m trying from a week..
Perry says
Hey! Thanks!
A question, can I do the same in a External Hard DriveUSB?
Sorry for my poor english :P
Jonathan says
When I choose FAT32, and select my ISO it tells me its too big for FAT32. I tried to extract the ISO and create it again but I cannot get the size down. Is there a way to get around this? Or will I have to use something like PLOP to boot to USB and just format with NTFS??? Thanks for any help you can provide!!!!
KKY says
I have win7 and win8.1 ISO file. but they are 11 in 1 edition. so i can’t select the ISO file. I can see following error message.
” This file is too large to be placed on FAT32
Either use smaller file (less than 4GB -1 byte), or change the file system to NTFS”
I have no ISO file less than 4GB, and my System doesn’t support UEFI.
How can I put this ISO files in my fat32 USB ? ???
plz……….THX
admin says
@ Krishna
In order to take a snapshot during boot, you need to run the OS in the virtual environment using software like VirtualBox or VMware Player.
Krishna Dev Anand says
Please tell me How to take Snapshot during Booting ??
Which tool is best for Snapshot ??