Forum Discussion
Possible to put multiple iso files on one bootable usb flash drive from windows 11?
Using Hybrid MBR/GPT + GRUB2 to put multiple ISO files in one bootable USB from Windows 11 is a more advanced and technical approach. It involves manually configuring the bootloader (GRUB2) to recognize and boot multiple ISO images stored on the USB drive.
Overview of this method:
Hybrid MBR/GPT: Allows the USB to be bootable on both BIOS (Legacy) and UEFI systems.
GRUB2: A flexible bootloader that can be configured to boot multiple ISO files by editing its configuration files.
This approach is more complex than using tools, but it offers greater control over the boot process.
How to put multiple ISO files in one bootable USB from Windows 11 PC:
1. Partition the USB drive with a hybrid MBR/GPT scheme.
Use a tool to create a hybrid MBR/GPT partition scheme.
Format the drive with a FAT32 or NTFS filesystem.
2. Install GRUB2 on the USB.
You can use GnuGRUB or Boot-Repair from Linux live environments.
3. Copy ISO files to the USB.
Place all your ISO images into a directory on the USB.
4. Configure GRUB2 with a menu that points to each ISO file.
Create or edit the grub.cfg file with entries for each ISO.
Example entry:
menuentry "Windows 11" {
set iso_path="/isos/windows11.iso"
loopback loop (hd0,1)$iso_path
linux (loop)/boot/grub/bootx64.efi
initrd (loop)/boot/grub/initrd.img
}
5. When you boot from the USB, GRUB2 presents a menu allowing you to select which ISO to boot.
Set your BIOS/UEFI to boot from the USB.
The GRUB menu should appear, letting you select the desired ISO.