Here is a short tutorial how to add a few Windows XP / 2000 / 2003 on the same USB disk.
If using the program for first time, it’s highly recommended to select the auto-format option.
Use FAT32 if you’ll be adding later on Windows 7/8 sources and you’d need to boot in UEFI mode.
If you wouldn’t be needing UEFI boot, NTFS should be your first choice, as XP Setup from FAT32 formatted volume could be quite slow, due to limitations of the FAT32 driver in XP. Here is a quick comparison on FAT16 vs FAT32 vs NTFS.
1) If you have your Windows XP or 2003 source as an ISO or similar image, first mount it as a virtual CD/DVD using the free ImDisk for example, or extract its contents to a folder.
A copy of ImDisk is included in WinSetupFromUSB\files\imdisk\. Run install.cmd to install it.
2) Select your USB disk in the drop-down menu and check the auto-format it with FBInst option:
3) Select the Windows XP/2000/2003 Setup option and press the corresponding browse (…) button:
4) If you need to use any of the advanced options, now is the time. They are explained in depth here.
5) Press GO to start the process.
6) If the auto format option was selected, please do read carefully which disk is going to be reformatted, all data is going to be wiped out, the click OK on both dialogue boxes:
7) You can watch detailed progress of what is happening by selecting the Show Log option:
In a few minutes you will see Job Done message, the first source has been transferred:
8) Now let’s put another source of this type, that would be Windows 2003 x64 SP2, as well as Kaspersky Rescue Disk ISO image.
Right click on the Windows Server 2003 ISO image and mount it the same way:
9) Use the advanced options if you need to fine tune it
10) Select Linux ISO/Other G4D compatible ISO and browse to the Kaspersky Rescue Disk ISO file:
You can provide custom boot name, the default one will be automatically accepted after 10 seconds:
11) Press GO again and wait until the Job Done message is displayed:
12) That’s it. You should now have a USB disk with XP and 2003 x64 Setup as well as Kaspersky Rescue Disk.
The same way you can add other sources, you only need to remember to add sources of the same type one after another, i.e. select first set of sources, press GO, wait until finished, select second set of sources, press GO and so on.
13) You can now quickly test in QEMU virtual machine how this works, use left CTRL + ALT keyboard keys to exit QEMU:
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The part I’d be most careful with here is the formatting step, since selecting the wrong USB drive could wipe important files pretty fast. The tutorial is quite detailed, but some of the instructions are from a very different Windows era, especially with XP and 2003 setups. Still, the idea of keeping multiple installers and a rescue environment on one bootable USB is useful for older machines or repair work. I’d probably test the finished USB in a virtual machine first, as suggested, before relying on it for an actual recovery job.
This guide is a good reminder of how useful multi-boot USB drives were when working with older Windows systems. The part I’d be most careful with is the formatting step, since selecting the wrong disk could wipe important files. I also like the idea of testing the finished USB in a virtual machine before relying on it for an actual repair job. One thing I wonder about is compatibility with newer hardware, because XP and Server 2003 can be tricky to boot on modern systems even when the USB itself is prepared correctly.
Having multiple Windows sources and a rescue disk on a single USB drive is very helpful for troubleshooting issues with older systems. Thank you.
Good for someone if looking to add multiple Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows Server 2003 installation sources to a USB drive, step-by-step approach makes the process easier to follow, specially when dealing with multiple versions or legacy systems!
The reminder to add sources of the same type one after another is easy to miss, especially when setting up several installers. Also, the FAT32 vs NTFS point matters if older XP setup files are involved, but the UEFI requirement can make the choice a little confusing. Testing the finished USB in QEMU is a smart step too, because finding a boot problem later can be a real headache.
I found the guide very informative for creating a multi-boot USB setup with older Windows versions and rescue tools. The step-by-step instructions, formatting advice, and clear explanations make the process easier to understand, especially for users managing system installations.