E2B Menu System

This is the Easy2Boot grub4dos-based Legacy-only menu system.

Many E2B Menu settings such as background image, boilerplate, animation, colours, size, etc. are mainly determined by the \_ISO\MyE2B.cfg user configuration file.

The entries for the agFM menu system (Legacy+UEFI) and the ‘Ventoy for Easy2Boot’ menu system (Legacy+UEFI) may be listed in the Main Menu.

Instead of Legacy-booting to the E2B menu, if you have added agFM to your E2B USB drive then you can UEFI-boot from the second partition on the USB drive to the agFM menu system.

Only the E2B menu folders which contain files will be listed (e.g. the \_ISO\LINUX folder contains an ISO file, so the LINUX Menu is listed in the Main Menu).

Clover is a generic UEFI ‘BIOS’ which allows you to boot to EFI boot files. It is not normally used unless you have problems UEFI-booting from the E2B USB drive.

You can use the cursor keys to select a menu entry and the ENTER key to run that menu entry.

Payload files which have been copied to the \_ISO\MAINMENU folder will also be listed on the Main Menu screen.

Menu entries

Set default menu entry and timeout – use this to set the defaults for the Easy2Boot Legacy menu system
a1ive grub2 File Manager (agFM) – Legacy-boot to the agFM grub2-based menu system
Clover 64-bit UEFI boot – load the generic Clover UEFI64 ‘BIOS’
Clover 32-bit UEFI boot – load the generic Clover UEFI32 ‘BIOS’
Ventoy – Legacy-boot to the ‘Ventoy for Easy2Boot’ grub2-based menu system
Disable UEFI64 Secure Boot (blank screen BUGFIX) – removes the Kaspersky Secure EFI Boot file which can cause some systems to not UEFI-boot (blank screen). If selected, you will need to disable Secure Boot in your BIOS before you can UEFI-boot to agFM. This must be enabled if you want to Secure UEFI64-boot to the agFM menu system.
Disable UEFI-booting from Partition 2 – if selected, you will no longer be able to UEFI-boot to agFM on Partition 2. Some BIOSes will refuse to Legacy boot unless this option is used to disable UEFI-booting. A similar option is also available in the UEFI agFM menu system if the system has UEFI-booted. Disabling UEFI-booting using this menu entry will sometimes cause the BIOS to allow you to Legacy Boot.
Help [F1] – Help on using the Legacy E2B menu system
Boot to first HDD [F7] – Legacy-boot to the first internal hard disk in your system
Rebuild Main Menu [F8] – E2B will re-enumerate all files in \_ISO\MAINMENU folder. Ctrl+F8 will cause the E2B menu system to completely re-load.
Reboot [F9] – reboots the system
Power Off [F10] – switches off the system

Special hotkeys

Ctrl+F8 – causes the E2B menu system to completely re-load.
Ctrl+F7 – switch display to text mode 3
Alt+F7 – switch display to 1024×768 (grey background)
SHIFT – hold down during boot to E2B menu – load grub4dos fast USB 2.0 driver (can fix BIOS USB 128GB bug + faster than BIOS driver – only works on older PCs)
SPACE + SPACE – tap SPACE twice will pause menu loading and file enumeration as a menu folder is enumerated
! – type (shift+1) while E2B is loading (or immediately after F8 or Ctrl+F8) to display start-up progress with timing for each E2B stage (diag)

Partition Images (.imgPTN files)

The Utilities – Memory Test menu already contains one Partition Image file.

When selected, a .imgPTN file will replace the contents of Partition 1 on the E2B USB drive with the contents of the image file.

An image file with the extension .imgPTN23 will cause Partitions 2 and 3 to be kept (recommended).
An image file with the extension .imgPTN will cause Partitions 2 and 3 to be removed after it has been selected.

The Passmark Memtest86 .imgPTN23 image file contains a FAT32 partition with both Legacy and UEFI boot files. Once this image is ‘switched-in’, the E2B Partition 1 will be replaced by a FAT32 volume containing Passmark Memtest86 files and a grub4dos boot menu. You can then legacy-boot to Memtest86 or you can reboot your system and select the USB UEFI boot option to UEFI-boot from Partition 1 and run Memtest86 using UEFI.

Before:
Ptn 1: NTFS (with Easy2Boot files)
Ptn2: FAT32 (with agFM files)

After selecting .imgPTN23 image file:
Ptn 1: (contents of .imgPTN23 file)
Ptn2: FAT32 (with agFM files)

To restore the E2B menu system, you need to Legacy-boot to the grub4dos CSM menu and select the ‘0 EASY2BOOT’ menu option (see below).
A similar menu entry exists in the agFM menu system (if you UEFI-boot to agFM menu system on Partition 2).

Note that since MemTest86 uses a Microsoft-signed Secure Boot EFI file, you can also Secure-Boot to MemTest86 from Partition 1.

The use of Partition Images is a powerful feature of Easy2Boot and agFM. It allows you to boot many different types of software including fully-installed Linux operating systems, ext3/4 and even .hfs filesystems. By using a FAT32 partition image containing signed Secure Boot EFI files (such as those used by Microsoft Windows 7/8/10) you can Secure Boot to any signed payload without any compatibility issues.

New! Ventoy for Easy2Boot v1.0.97 now released!

 

eBooks available (in PDF format)

Easy-to-read eBooks are available in PDF format (each eBook is over 100 pages) – rated 4.5/5 stars.
Learn the secrets of Legacy and UEFI USB booting and then make your perfect multiboot USB drive.
E2B eBook #1 includes instructions on how to remove the E2B 5-second start-up delay blue screen.

E2B is unique in that it uses partition images which allows you to directly boot from Secure Boot images (no need to disable Secure Boot or run MOK manager or modify your UEFI BIOS).

Most eBooks are over 100 pages long, contain original content and step-by-step exercises which are suitable for both the beginner or the more experienced user.
Customer reviews are located at bottom of each eBook product page and multi-buy discounts are available when you buy more than one eBook. Please also visit RMPrepUSB.com and the E2B Forum.
Subscribe to my blog for the latest news, tips, USB boot articles and free eBook updates.