dforionstar

Thank you for your advice. I agree, reinstalling should reset the settings. I am in the process of re-installing what I can. The Windows repair should have re-installed the RAS settings. I don't use any 2nd or 3rd party software to connect, only the built XP network connections. If the XP repair didn't reset what was causing the issue, then I am assuming it is a user setting, somewhere. I am in the exhaustive process of comparing registry entries between the working and non-working systems. I have noticed some differences in Broadcom LAN adapter entries and the versions (though changes should be minor), I used are not the same so that is one consideration. I plan to uninstall the Broadcom drivers, which will insist on re-installing upon the next re-boot. Then I have to investigate WAN Miniport (L2TP) settings. I don't know much about networking. I only use the Wireless adapter on my notebook, but it is possible the Broadcom driver install changes some settings.

I used USB_multiboot, and replaced the winnt.sif on UFD with the modified one.

ilko_t: Thank you very much for your commitment and effort in trying to get this to work! I have tried with UnattendedInstall="No", and UnattendedInstall="Yes". But for some reason, it seems Setup does not look for previous installations, and if so fails to provide the Repair screen. Or does so, so fast I cannot tell. Windows versions are the same. The extra line in the boot.ini gets removed every time during Setup, so I stopped using it. I suppose I could copy the $winnt$.inf from the CD to the Flash Drive, but not sure how that would impact Multiboot? Anyway, I successfully ran Setup:Repair from CD and am now working on the elusive VPN problem which was the whole reason for attempting a Repair in the first place. Thanks again to All!

Here is my current winnt.sif from UFD: ; Generated by nLite 1.4.9.1 [Data] MsDosInitiated=1 floppyless=1 AutomaticUpdates="No" Autopartition=0 UnattendedInstall="No" [Display] Xresolution=1440 Yresolution=900 BitsPerPel=32 [SystemRestore] MaximumDataStorePercentOfDisk=10 [GuiUnattended] OemSkipWelcome=1 [Shell] CustomDefaultThemeFile="%WinDir%\Resources\Themes\Luna.theme" [Components] [UserData] ProductKey= [RegionalSettings] LanguageGroup=1 SystemLocale="0409" UserLocale="0409" UserLocale_DefaultUser="0409" InputLocale="0409:00000409" InputLocale_DefaultUser="0409:00000409" [Networking] InstallDefaultComponents="Yes" [GuiRunOnce] "binifix4.cmd c:" "undoren.cmd" ; ; Changed by USB_MultiBoot for INSTALL XP from USB ; [SetupParams] UserExecute = "ren_fold.cmd"

These two lines are not in my winnt.sif on USB stick.

Thanks ilko_t! After adding the line to the boot.ini (on my C: partition), and restarting, I get into Setup, press ENTER on the first screen, get the EULA and press F8, then Setup should look for existing installations of Windows and offer to Repair. But instead it goes straight to the screen showing all my partitions on the Internal drive, + the Sandisk UFD and asks which partition I would like to install on. When I Boot from my very slow CD, I DO get the Repair screen with the two found Windows installations. My boot.ini looks like this before the install: [boot loader] timeout=10 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /bootlog /sos /noexecute=optout multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=" XP #2 " /fastdetect /bootlog /sos /noexecute=optout multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="USB repair, NOT to start Windows" On boot, I got the custom Multiboot menu, and select (1). Thanks in advance.

I understand what you are saying and the diff between 1) and 2) GUI mode, but I was not deliberately selecting the GUI mode.

Yes, I did miss your answer, thank you, I will try again.

jclaz: The issue here is how to get the UFD working properly to install XP Setup from UFD - philosophy aside. Yes, there is a setting in the BIOS to turn off (SATA) native mode, which may help. But this is not required when I run the XP setup from CD, so why should it be required when run from UFD? Yes, of course my CD works; I can run from CD if I choose. But to save time, I am trying to get the XP Setup to run from UFD, as I have already mentioned. Would you be kind enough to re-read my previous post and see if you can offer some constructive advice to get this working properly using WinSetupFromUSB 0.1.1, specifically: My XPSetup from UFD (when it was working) only sees the single partition on the UFD. After changing the rdisk to (0) and (1) I am no longer able to get to the first XP Setup screen. With rdisk(0), I get the missing HAL.dll error message, With rdisk(1), I get a screen telling me "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem. Could not read from the selected boot disk". Thank you, in advance!

I seem to be in a loop between reading the help, running my setup, reading the help, running my setup, etc. Any help is warmly appreciated! I have my UFD setup using WinSetupFromUSB 0.1.1. I was able to boot from UFD and get into the Windows XP SP2 Blue text-based Setup screen . However, XP Setup was unable to see my internal HD. I am on a laptop with one internal HD and 3 partitions. I want to run the XP Setup non-destructive repair feature on internal HD partition (1). My nLite install includes the Intel SATA drivers and works from CD. I have made sure I did NOT select "Operating System Options-->Manual Install and Upgrade for removal" during the nLite setup. My XPSetup from UFD (when it was working) only sees the single partition on the UFD. I have read (many times) the help section on rdisks but am still not getting success. After changing the rdisk to (0) and (1) I am no longer able to get to the first XP Setup screen. With rdisk(0), I get the missing HAL.dll error message, With rdisk(1), I get a screen telling me "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem. Could not read from the selected boot disk". Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

Thank you jaclaz! I had already been wading through the many alleged methods to make this work. I succeeded at getting my notebook PC to boot a WinBuilder (LiveXP) session from UFD (USB flash drive), only to realize after the fact, that it will not run an nLite installation. Specifically what should work is a simple non-PE setup, similar to a CD. This way, as the nLite configurations change, they can be copied to the UFD and run. I need a non-PE environment so that I can be sure to have access to the Windows XP Repair option. It seems many of the developers of these methods were not using nLite when their methods were developed; they were using non-nLited install sources.

Thanks John. I just ran the Memtest86. I am able to boot from USB stick. In the BIOS, I had to set the USB HD to be the First Device. The Memtest86 website is primarily Linux. I need to be able to put the XP install on the stick and be able to run Setup.exe. I do not know how to proceed. Any suggestions? It can't be as simple as just copying all the windows files that nlite created??? Thank you.

Thank you John. With the help of WinMerge, I was able to quickly consolidate all the ini and _u.ini files into a single pair. I then tested these in Virtual Box with good success. Do you know (or anyone else) of a quick way to make my flash drive BOOTABLE, so I can put the modified nlite installation on it to speed up the install on the actual Hard Disk. Otherwise I have to use the slow CD-drive in my notebook PC. Thanks again. Dave

Thank you johnhc. This should be put in the guide. I assume that by always starting with a fresh copy of the CD files/folders, the resulting session ini will contain all the modifications, which is what I would expect.

That's why it's called "Last session". For the source remaining untouched, you have your (read only) XP cd or you can make a backup of it somewhere else on your HD. As indicated by newposter, you are not supposed to use a modified set of files as new source, but depending what you are doing, it is possible. Common sense applies. Thank you. Yes I could use the CD as source. For convenience and speed, I had created a folder called XP_Source, like it suggests in the guide. The problem is the XP_Source folder gets modified with the customizations but I did not get that impression from reading the guide, which I read before using nLite. I would of course prefer not to make changes to a modified install, but to re-make the install from scratch with the complete changes. It could take longer but would be a clean nLite install each time. Also, I would be able to compare the INI files. OK, so if I use the CD (very slow on my notebook PC), or I use a READ-ONLY folder, so that I will be sure the SOURCE doesn't get modified, will nLite still write the modified changes to a new folder before it creates the ISO? And will the cumulative customizations be pervasive throughout all subsequent presets as along as I always load LAST Session? Thank you.