How to Install Grub2 on USB from Windows. The following covers the process of installing Grub2 on a USB Flash Drive from within Windows. We will be using the grub-install.exe that ships with the grub-for-windows zip file. Upon completion of these bootloader instructions, your USB flash drive should be Grub2 bootable from UEFI or BIOS on all computer systems.
You can also use this method to replace or update the syslinux chainloaded Grub2 version that comes with YUMI-UEFI.
Installing Grub2 on USB from Windows
Note: Grub2 for BIOS (i386-pc) can be installed on a exFAT, NTFS, or Fat/Fat32 partition. While Grub2 UEFI (i386-efi/x86_64-efi) will only install on a Fat/Fat32 formatted partition. Though you can still chainload and run files from NTFS, exFAT partitions.
1. Download the grub-2.06-for-windows.zip and extract (unzip) its contents to your Windows desktop. Alternately, you can use a1ive's modified Grub2 version which includes extra features.
As seen below, you should end up with a grub-2.06-for-windows folder. This folder will contain grub-install.exe amongst several other files.
2. You'll need to use a command line to run grub-install.exe
To Open a Command Prompt;
1.) From the Windows '⌕ Type here to search' box, type cmd.exe
2.) Then click Run as administrator
3. Next, to change to the grub-2.06-for-windows directory,
Type the following into the Command Prompt and then press Enter.
cd %UserProfile%\Desktop\grub*for-windows
4. Now you'll want to open Windows Disk Management Tool so that you can determine your USB drive letter and its related disk number.
To do this type the following, then press Enter.
diskmgmt.msc
5. From the Disk Management Window, make a note of which Disk Number and Volume Drive Letter belongs to your USB device.
6. Back at the Command Prompt,
To install Grub2 for BIOS, type or copy the following,
(replacing X with your drive letter and # your Disk number),
and then press Enter.
grub-install.exe --force --no-floppy --target=i386-pc --boot-directory=X:\boot //./PHYSICALDRIVE#
7. Then, to install Grub2 for UEFI 32 bit,
grub-install.exe --force --removable --no-floppy --target=i386-efi --boot-directory=X:\boot --efi-directory=X:\
8. Finally, to install Grub2 for UEFI 64 bit,
grub-install.exe --force --removable --no-floppy --target=x86_64-efi --boot-directory=X:\boot --efi-directory=X:\
If all went well, you should now be able to boot from your USB Flash drive into a running Grub2 environment. Your USB device can now UEFI and BIOS boot from 32-bit or 64-bit systems. Supporting all three i386-pc, i386-efi, and x86_64-efi architectures.
If you used this tutorial on a YUMI-UEFI prepared drive, the Syslinux bootloader should have been directly replaced with Grub 2. ;)