RMPrepUSB - Bootable USB format utility, A new Windows USB tool to replace HP Format Utility External links Rating Options

[steve6375]

Note: See end of this post for downloads.

RMPrepUSB is similar to the HP Format utility, but much more flexible and should be better at creating a USB Flash memory drive that will boot on most systems successfully. See below for details of these utilities.
Let me know if it works for you please (or even if not)!

I highly recommend a Lexar 512MB JumpDrive or Netac 512MB U2C as being the 'most compatible' UFD. Some older BIOSes will not boot from devices larger than 512MB.

P.S. I forgot to mention that using Bootit.exe to make your Lexar UFD a 'Fixed disk' rather than a 'Removable Disk' also increases your chances of it booting as a hard disk for WinPE/XP/Vista. This also makes it partitionable in XP - you can then have more than one partition on a USB flash drive.



What are these utilities?

RMPrepUSB.exe - a user friendly front-end Windows x86 (32-bit) GUI for the command line tool RMPartUSB.exe. When you set the options in RMPrepUSb and click the Prepare Drive button, it will display the command line that it is going to use to run RMPartUSB and then run RMPartUSB. If you have selected a folder, it will then copy the entire contents of that folder over to the new partition when RMPartUSB has finished formatting the (USB Flash Drive) UFD. You can then use the Eject button and disconnect the UFD when you have finished.
RMPartUSB - a command line Windows app used by RMPrepUSB - allows you to partition and format any USB storage device as FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS from Windows XP,2K3,Vista,Win7,2K8. Can be used in scripts/batch files.
RMFormat - Windows GUI allows you to format any partition under Windows XP+ as FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS (no Windows FAT32 size limit - e.g. can have a 40GB FAT32 partition). Originally developed as a test program to test the FormatEX API on Windows systems for NTFS formatting. Only default Windows cluster size, etc. is possible.
RMBootSect - Windows command line utility that changes the boot sector on any disk (similar to MS BootSect). Not all filesystems are supported.

WARNING: RMFormat and RMBootSect will work on ANY drive, including your Windows PC hard disk - you have been warned!

More Details about RMPartUSB and RMPrepUSB:
RMPartUSB makes a single user partition of any size and is primarily intended for USB Flash Drive (UFD) memory sticks although it can be used on USB hard drives to create a single partition.
The utility also places boot code on the USB device for either XP/WinPEv1 (ntldr), Vista/WinPEv2/Win7 (bootmgr), MS-DOS (io.sys) or FreeDos (kernel.sys).
RMPartUSB does not place any files on the UFD - you must copy these over yourself or set the option in RMPrepUSB to copy over the contents of a folder of your choice.

There are some options that allow the UFD to boot either as a super-floppy (ZIP) drive or a Fixed disk (HDD). Thus DOS or FreeDos can boot from a UFD as either the A: drive or the C: drive depending on how you partition and format it using the options available.

What do the options in RMPrepUSB actually do?
Boot as Zip - Changes some bytes in the Volume Boot Sector Bios Parameter Block table to indicate that the device is a floppy disk and not a hard disk and uses 64hd/32spt translation if poss.
64hd/32sec if poss.. - if the partition is not too large (<1GB) then use 64hds and 32 sectors per track for the partition table values, rather than the standard 255hds/63spt values used in modern LBA (Logical Block Address) systems. Select this option or the ZIP option (which also uses this 64/32 option) is often successful in booting a UFD as a ZIP device (A:). If the partition is larger than 1GB then the next translation up is used (e.g. if 1.5GB then 128hds/32spt is used).
Boot as HDD (2PTNS) - adds a second hidden very small partition to the partition table. Some BIOSes, when they see a UFD with two partitions, automatically assume that the device must be a hard disk (as ZIP removable devices are defined as having a single partition). Selecting this option increases the chances that any BIOS will boot the UFD as a fixed disk rather than as a ZIP disk. Many thanks to online for this discovery!
Set drive as non-bootable - Does not set the Active flag on the first partition - useful if you just want to make a non-bootable UFD so that if left in a system, the system will not try to boot from it when you switch it on.
Size - by default the maximum size for the UFD will be used. If you want a smaller size then change this (e.g. 500)
Volume Label - change this text box to set the volume label (11 characters max).

RMBootSect
Usage:
RMBootSect [/nt52 | /MSDOS] <drive_letter>: [/debug] [/nowrite] [/ZIP]

Examples:
RMBootSect D: (to write a Vista compatible boot sector)
RMBootSect /nt52 D: (to write an XP compatible boot sector)
RMBootSect /MSDOS D: /ZIP (to write an MSDOS FAT16 compatible boot sector)

EDIT by [steve6375] 15 Aug 2009:

Latest version of RMPrepUSB and RMPartUSB is v1.9.75 - added randomised disk signature and patched boot code for better compatibility

Note: The v1.9.70 download also includes the extra standalone RMBootSect and RMFormat utilities which are not used by RMPrepUSB or RMPartUSB (the other downloads do not include these two utilities).

RMPrepUSB, RMPartUSB, RMBootsect and RMFormat are free to use for private use only for anyone . Commercial use however is forbidden and you need to contact RM for licensing costs if you wish to use it or re-distribute it as part of a commercial solution - support@rm.com

EDIT by [jaclaz] 02 Oct 2009:

Latest version 2.0.602:
FORCELBA option and Format as USB-FDD (large floppy) function. (512MB ZIP radio button removed)
USBtoFile and FiletoUSB image functions added. USBInfo and FileInfo (displays bytes and partition info).
QuickTest USB Drive for bad/duplicate blocks - use on new USB drives bought from dodgy eBay sellers!
Extensive context sensitive help added and PDF help file.
Uses MiB rather than MB.
Includes Vista manifests to run with admin rights and FreeDos boot files.

RMPrepUSB_2.0.710 (Beta) - now 2.0.720
Added syslinux and grub support
Desktop now minimized and restored to prevent file copy and cmd windows being obscured.
Quicktest improved - now suggests maximum usable good memory. Tests 1GiB in 4 seconds.

To quicktest a Flash drive
1. Run Quicktest (if you get write errors CLEAN the drive first and try again)
2. If it suggests a usable size of say 1098MiB, then reformat using RMPrepUSB to 1098Mib size
3. Now test with H2TESTW to ensure all bytes are readable in the volume.

If you re-partition the drive, remember to set the size to the 'good' size.
Also remember that the memory may develop bad blocks with age!

v710 removed - replaced with 720 as NTFS format in 710 was unreliable.


P.S. If you like this utility, please click on the ad link below and I will get a few pennies as a reward!

Attached File(s)

 RMPREPUSB_1.9.70.zip ( 869.4K ) Number of downloads: 1525
 RMPrepUSB_1.9.75.zip ( 776.39K ) Number of downloads: 2787
 RMPrepUSB_2.0.602.zip ( 1.08MB ) Number of downloads: 2505
 RMPrepUSB_Rel_2.0.720.zip ( 1.25MB ) Number of downloads: 93

 

[wimb]

I have uploaded current version RMPrepUSB v1.8.

I am NOT able to use the program.

It is NOT a GUI but trying from cmd window the simple

CODE

RMPARTUSB LIST

almost freezes my system (68% cpu) with NO further result.

[steve6375]

re. RMPREPUSB

I have tested this on XP and Vista systems (not Server 2003).

RMPrepUSB is a GUI which calls RMPartUSB. You must have the vb6 dll in the same folder (or in system32).

Sorry it is not working for you.

Steve

[was_jaclaz]

re. RMPREPUSB

I have tested this on XP and Vista systems (not Server 2003).

RMPrepUSB is a GUI which calls RMPartUSB. You must have the vb6 dll in the same folder (or in system32).

Sorry it is not working for you.

Steve

On my XP (Italian) a further file is required VB6IT.DLL, but still in depends.exe it stops here:

CODE

LoadLibraryA("kernel32") returned 0x7C800000.
GetProcAddress(0x7C800000 [KERNEL32.DLL], "CloseHandle") called from "MSVBVM60.DLL" at address 0x6600A0D8 and returned 0x7C809B77.

In task manager, it uses 50% of CPU cycles and does nothing.

RMPARTUSB.EXE LIST as well lists correctly my stick (as E:) then freezes with 50% CPU.

CODE

LoadLibraryA("kernel32") returned 0x7C800000.
GetProcAddress(0x7C800000 [KERNEL32.DLL], "CloseHandle") called from "MSVBVM60.DLL" at address 0x6600A0D8 and returned 0x7C809B77.

jaclaz

[steve6375]

This is strange - I assume we are all using 32-bit versions of OS?

It also works under WinPE (32-bit) with no extra files needed.

[steve6375]

Try renaming my dll so system will use your one which may already be present.

[was_jaclaz]

This is strange - I assume we are all using 32-bit versions of OS?

It also works under WinPE (32-bit) with no extra files needed.

Maybe there is something with non-English versions.

When I check dependencies, VB6IT.DLL is NOT shown, but as soon as I start profiling the app, it comes out as needed.

There is also an unresolved (on my system) dependency on MSJAVA.DLL, but that is quite common and usually it is a "false alarm".

jaclaz

[wimb]

Try renaming my dll so system will use your one which may already be present.

Did NOT work.

My msvbvm60.dll is from 14-04-2008 (XP-SP3 32bits)
Yours is 23-02-2004

[steve6375]

AS it runs under WinPE, I don't see that any extra files should be needed, but you could try the vb6 run pack
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290887

[wimb]

Did NOT work

Do you have Internal cardreader ?

I have for cardreader 4 empty removable drives,
may be this is the problem ....