Although PC users have been creating multi install Windows DVD/USB or multi-boot Windows USB/DVD since the days of Windows XP, multi-boot or multi install USB is a new concept for most PC users.
What’s a multi install or multi-boot Windows USB?
A multi-boot or multi install Windows USB enables you to install multiple versions of the Windows operating system from the same USB drive. This means, if you are running two versions of the Windows operating system on your PCs, you can create a bootable USB drive containing two versions of the Windows operating system.
For instance, you can install Windows 7/10 and Windows 8.1 from a single USB drive. Or, you can prepare a USB drive containing both Windows 7 and Windows XP install files.
Create multi install USB on Windows 10 or earlier versions
This is not the first time we are talking about multi install Windows USB here on IntoWindows. We have previously covered a bunch of guides to prepare multi-boot Windows USB using scripts and utilities.
Before this, if you wanted to create a multi install Windows USB, we had to use a tool called WinSetupFromUSB. From today, one can use another excellent utility called WinToHDD to create a multi install Windows USB.
WinToHDD is a free tool designed to help PC users easily install and re-install the Windows operating system. The 2.3 and later versions of WinToHDD support creating multi install Windows USB drives, making it easier for PC users to install multiple versions of the Windows operating system from one USB drive.
WinToHDD has always been an easy-to-use utility. But if you are using this tool for the first time to prepare a multi install Windows USB, please follow the given below directions.
Step 1: The first step is to download WinToHDD’s latest version. As said earlier, be sure to download 2.3 or later versions as previous versions don’t offer this feature.
Step 2: Connect your USB drive, which you want to make multi install Windows USB and backup all data to a safe place as the drive will be erased during the process. So be sure to back up everything from the USB drive.
Step 3: Run the WinToHDD program. At the home screen, click the Multi-installation USB option.
Step 4: Select your USB drive. Click Yes button when you see a confirmation dialog with “Selected device needs to formatted. Are you sure you want to continue?” message.
The WinToHDD will begin formatting the drive.
Step 5: Once the formatting is done, you will see the following screen. Selects boot and system partition, but make sure that both are correct before clicking the Next button. If you’re not sure what boot and system partition are, please click “What are system partitions and boot partition?” link.
Step 6: WinToHDD will now begin creating the bootable media. This process might take up to five minutes.
Step 7: Once done, you can copy ISO images of Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 to the root of USB drive to make it multi install.
Step 8: To use the multi install USB drive, boot from the bootable USB, select if your PC is 64-bit or 32-bit, click New installation or Reinstall Windows, and then follow the on-screen directions to install.
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