FlashBoot searches for and patches Windows 7 UEFI loader in the following locations on the target USB storage device: \sources\boot.wim\(all images)\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgfw.efi \sources\install.wim\(all images)\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgfw.efi \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi \EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi UEFI loader is considered to belong to Windows 7 if its version number is 6.1.<something>.<something>. If it has different version number, then it's skipped. Version number of .EFI file can be viewed in standard file properties dialog in Windows Explorer after renaming it to .DLL. Version number of Windows installation ISO file is inferred by FlashBoot from \setup.exe (6.0 = Vista, 6.1 = Windows 7, 6.2 = Windows 8, 6.3 = Windows 8.1, 6.4 or 10.0 = Windows 10). So, if some customization of Windows 7 has some OS files replaced by similar files from Windows 10 (unlike original Windows ISO setup file from MSDN), and so FlashBoot does not recognize it as Windows 7 anymore, then you can revert to original loader files (\Windows\Boot folder inside all images of \sources\boot.wim and \sources\install.wim + \EFI\Microsoft\Boot folder + \EFI\Boot folder) having 6.1.<something>.<something> version number from the original ISO file.
Now, I know what should I do to get the job done. Thanks for the info. Edit : After updating Windows 7 using simplex iso tools without modifying boot loader, this error shown up using Adk 19h1 (18632) , 20h1 (19041) (10) & Adk 21h1 (22000) (11) @PrimeExpert Software Does flashboot depends on Adk installed on Windows 7 or uses imaging tools of its own ? I tried to create my image using v3.2y, here is my bug report.
No, FlashBoot does not depend on installed WAIK/ADK and does not use it in any way. Error message from your log indicates that \sources\install.wim on the target USB thumbdrive had overgrown FAT32 file size limit (4Gb minus 1 byte). We have added clearer error indication for that condition in FlashBoot version 3.3f and finally fixed it in FlashBoot version 3.3i (now FlashBoot automatically splits WIM files when they grow over 4Gb on FAT32 volumes). So please update FlashBoot to the latest version or use another Windows 7 Setup ISO file with smaller \sources\install.wim if you prefer to stay on FlashBoot 3.2y.
All things are clear right now, thanks for your clarification. i'd stay with v3.2 until v3.3 reaches its final version, if I can offer some feature requests: 1. It'd be great if user can offer which boot loader to use : A. Patching Legacy w7 (v6.1) Bootmgfw.efi (2 check boxes: 1. With csm | 2. No csm ) B. Replacing with modern bootmgfw.efi [2 Check boxes: 1. v6.3 (win 8.1) 2. v10.0 (win 10)] 2. If user wants to integrate Ms DART, let him to choose if he wants to integrate DART using already provided Windows 7 installation disk. Or by Using winpe files from modern Adk [2 Check boxes: 1. ADK (win 8.1) 2. ADK (win 10)]. 3. Adding checkbox for integrating Windows 7 lan drivers for pxe booting right after installation got finished. 4. Adding checkbox for integrating Windows 7 wlan drivers for remote configuration right after installation got finished. 5. Feature no. 3 & 4 are too important for system administrators , please don't ignore them. 6. Offer users the ability to integrate their language pack (LP.cab) into provided installation media. 7. Offer users to use Windows server images like exactly their related workstation ones. Windows Vista/7/8.0/8.1/10/ Server 2008/2012/2016/2019/
I have noticed that if you select Windows Vista/Server 2008 iso, that there is no option to patch UEFI loader. So, @PrimeExpert Software , could you add the option to patch Vista/Server 2008 UEFI loader, as it is very odd that we can patch Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 UEFI loader, but not the Vista/Server 2008 one.
We will consider implementing this, however Vista (and so, Server 2008) relies on VGA hardware and its legacy features much more than Windows 7 (and so, Server 2008 R2). Just emulating VGA framebuffer over GOP framebuffer won't be enough (as demonstrated by FreeBSD's hypervisor called "bhyve": even Vista's WinSAT freezes after the installation if VGA I/O ports and legacy video memory at 0xA0000 are not available; also boot progress indicator is drawn by Vista in VGA 640x480x4bpp mode etc).
So far there were no complains from users about any compatibility problems with AMD RX 5xx GPU hardware. UPD. We got one user report whose RX 550 works fine in CSM mode, but in UEFI mode with patched bootloader AMD driver refuses to load and Windows 7 falls back to builtin VGA.SYS. Apparently it depends on VGA arbitration which is configured by firmware at boot time, and firmware does it differently in CSM and in the pure UEFI mode. That varies from motherboard to motherboard, of course, some motherboards always enable VGA arbitration (but beware — there are "unlucky" motherboards for combination of this GPU card + Windows 7 in UEFI mode).
@PrimeExpert Software Your software is amazing! This is the only way that I was able to get non-CSM Windows 7, I tried VgaShim, UefiSeven, and the VGA driver workaround. It was totally worth the $30.
Is it better to put INT 10h into bootmgfw.efi of WIN10? Because it can start WIN7 and also has a safe boot
After any modification of signed bootmgfw.efi of WIN10/11 (e.g. adding emulation of INT 10h), signature will become invalid, and so this modified bootmgfw.efi will be no longer compatible with Secure Boot.
I think the basic display of WIN8 BUILD 7880 may be able to replace the VGA of WIN7 －－－－－－－－－－－ Network translation is not clear