ilko_t

qemu-system-x86_64.exe -L . -boot c -m 300 -hda //./PhysicalDrive3 This is for QEMU 0.9.1. You have to change 300 whatever RAM you can afford and PhysicalDrive3 to the USB drive number. Numeration starts from 0, your first internal disk is PhysicalDrive0. USB drive is used as QEMU IDE disk 0, all partitions are visible. However, it's not advisable to test in QEMU, you should only test read-only operations there. VMware has a similar option to use external disk, which could be your USB one. Tests on real hardware are preferred.

Some news- Windows can be installed from a HD-like media, not using ~LS as source folder. This was close: http://www.msfn.org/board/How-to-boot-inst...730#entry684730 Well, make it Setupdd.sys finds source files in \xppro\, that's in root of a USB disk. are not used needed.If MsDosInitiated="1" is used, then SetupSourcePath and SetupSourceDevice are ignored, it defaults to $WIN_NT$.~LS. Continue Text mode- source files are found and copied. No files are deleted. Migrate.inf is NOT used. For now I used a partition on the USB disk as install target. BOOT.INI on USB disk gets: default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS Different parts of Text mode see USB disk once as first disk, then as second. Having more disks or USB card readers can easily break the whole game. However, that proves how source location can be different than ~LS and MsDosInitiated="1" not used. Another game- build a small ISO, and load it in RAM, start Setup from there. Create folder \ISO. Copy bootsect.bin there. Create folder I386 inside, copy contents of ~BT there. Replace ramdisk.sy_ with the one from 2003 sp1. Get the modified with SourcePath txtsetup.sif and put it in \ISO\I386. mkisofs.exe -iso-level 4 -volid ""XP"" -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -hide boot.catalog -allow-lowercase -R -b BOOTSECT.BIN -hide BOOTSECT.BIN -o j:\xp.iso J:\ISO Setupldr.bin from 2003 sp1 and ntdetect.com are in root of the USB disk. Winnt.sif in root: [SetupData] BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)" BootPath = "\i386\" OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /rdexportascd /rdpath=xp.iso" Text mode goes fine source files are found in \xppro\, install to the same USB disk, second partition, boot.ini gets again default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS I didn't go much further, in QEMU if a second disk is used and boot.ini fixed, at start of GUI part it complains about corrupted DATA section. That must be in out winnt.sif in root.Winnt.sif inside the ISO is NOT read. Hex edit setupldr.bin in root to use winn1.sif, leave our regular winnt.sif in USB disk root- it's not being read. There is a possible solution- use presetup.cmd and remove from \windows\system32\$winnt$.inf the odd lines, not tested. However, there is no much gain using RAM boot. Still a lot to be tested, but the line "SetupSourceDevice = \device\harddisk1\partition1 makes huge restriction.

The bolded is the black magic If I may add- I recall reports from Dietmar, where stick had to be formatted a few times with HP format tool, then it writes on it properly. http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...ost&p=97239

This is a black magic AFAIK HP format tool will NOT do anything anywhere, unless you press START. I'd love someone proves me wrong. So HP tool should not have anything to do with resolving your problem. Which rather was incorrect formatting. I don't get that. What's the idea? What were people confused about? When you see in menu 1) and 2), which one to use first? Or what would 1) do? Can you explain please.

There is a checksum check, hence the "NTLDR corrupted" read it as "SETUPLDR.BIN corrupted".Either add it as not modified source, or just "crack" it: http://www.msfn.org/board/Solution-for-mul...-64-t58410.html http://www.msfn.org/board/Multiboot-WinXP-...-SP-t47226.html As for the multiple PE and Vista sources- is there anyone else interested? May be saving some time for more important features/bugs could be a good idea?

Tell what you see on the screen during Text mode, when all hard drives are listed. I am interested which one is on the top, and what drive letter it got. Then what is below it, with what drive letter. BTW- Where did you see the bolded? Or what made you interpret the written in FAQs in that way?edit: this is the screen in question, if you can take a picture of that screen and post it here will be prefect, if cannot- then say what you see on it.

Try to format in another file system, FAT16, FAT16x, FAT32... What program did you use to format USB stick and in what file system? You may also try to play with BIOS options- USB legacy support and if it has USB emulation mode. How do you choose to start from USB- using a hot key like F11 and change order or within BIOS? Try the latter. Read also here, FAQ #10 in particular: http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...SB/USBfaqs.html

I couldn't either, no matter using LABEL or /dev/sdb1. 2 partitions NTFS and one hidden Dell partition, probably that matters. BTW what special did you find about this Fedora live, compared to Puppy or DSL if it is for emergencies or repair? 690MB are giving you what? edit: yep, install from add/remove programs "ntfs-config", and use it to mount the NTFS drives. My Windows was hibernated and it refused to mount it without shutting it down first. http://lifehacker.com/391067/fedora-9-puts...-on-a-usb-drive

Good, thanks for letting us know. However, it's a workaround for missing EULA.TXT, you have something wrong in the setup, but with the information given I cannot help you further. @jaclaz- thanks, I do appreciate the gesture, especially when knowing how often you have to use it

In addition- "root=/dev/sdb1" isn't an universal solution, in case you start on a PC with SATA drives for example. Better is to set a label for that partition, lets say FEDORA and change the option to: root=LABEL=FEDORA In this case your root partition will be always found, regardless of hard drive numeration.

Sorry, I am losing you. What 1? In boot.ini or EulaComplete="1"? When did you get "hal.dll missing", when starting the GUI mode setup? If yes- where are you installing Windows to? What partition and what folder name? Did you change boot.ini if other than partition 1, WINDOWS folder? Without enough information from you, I'll have to go for my Crystal Ball, which went for servicing due to excessive usage .

Reformat your stick using HP USB format tool and try again. You didn't answer a few questions. You may also try to add to [data] section- EulaComplete="1" But try reformatting first. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326673

Which program did you use to format your USB disk? Does it have an encrypted or CD-like partition? What about a write-protect switch, does it have and is it on? Is eula.txt present in $WIN_NT$.~LS\I386 ? Please post your WINNT.SIF in $WIN_NT$.~BT folder, hiding your serial number.

Try title Fedora Live find --set--root /vmlinuz0 kernel /vmlinuz0 root=UUID=8003-FDB2 rootfstype=vfat ro quiet liveimg rhgb initrd /initrd0.img vfat=FAT32, if you are using FAT16, change the value to fat or msdos. You should be able to add syslinux to boot.ini, you need a syslinux bootsector, let's say syslin.dat, the add a line to boot.ini: C:\syslin.dat="Start Syslinux" Haven't tested it though. edit: try to make fedora live on the virtual drive, look if root=UUID=8003-FDB2 changes. If it does, then we need to think about a workaround. Or just ask the guys in fedora forum what should you use when using GRUB instead of syslinux. Look here what the parameter root=UUID=XXXXXX.... is: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/ub...in-grub-642692/ On a second reading it seems to be a unique identifier for the partition, and you'll have to change it both in /etc/fstab and root=UUID= with the one you have. You may look here how to get your UUID from linux: http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-416393.html In windows I guess DIR will give you the ID. edit2: About syslinux from boot.ini- have a look at \help_info\Guide_MultiBoot.txt, search for syslinux. Wimb has put a lot of usable info.

try title Fedora Live find --set--root /vmlinuz0 kernel /vmlinuz0 root=/dev/ram0 PMEDIA=usbflash PKEYS=uk initrd /initrd0.img If doesn't work, check kernel parameters. You can also make a virtual drive with ImDisk and use liveusb-creator. Then check what is changed and kernel parameters, probably in syslinux.conf. Use those parameters in menu.lst, but do not copy- paste them as the syntax is different.

Good job Still curious- did you perform the Setup the same way, as when it failed with "c000021a unknown hard error" ? Is the difference that you reformated both partitions on the internal HD?

Did you launch BartPE from the same USB disk, which when PE is loaded cannot be found? If yes- this is very weird for me, I'd wait others to give more ideas, or start a new topic in 911cd.net forums. If no- you have to connect the other disk before starting PE, or use USB hotplug plugin like this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=10163 When did the strange characters appear? Did you launch winnt32.exe from the laptop's internal disk? Another (may be silly) idea- try with other source, XP SP1, 2003 may be...

Please answer those questions, your problem seems tricky enough and every bit of information from you may help. Please don't answer with one line only.

You can try. Whether your BIOS/motherboard will boot from it you'll have to find out. The disadvantage is, that NTFS would "wear" out your stick faster, due to the extra write cycles. A week or year shorter life for you stick noone can say, depends on it's quality and usage.

In this case I'd suspect missing or incorrect drivers in your XP CD. Did you build BartPE using the same CD? Did you include additional drivers? What PE version did you use? When you tried to install from PE, how did you do it? When exactly it hanged or went crazy? What exactly happened?

I don't think that is going to help. Have you had any issues with this laptop before? What OS you had on it? What are it's specifications? Can you try after the hard disk test, to run Bart PE from USB on it? Random ideas, but hopefully somewhere the rabbit with jump out of the bushes.

Add a line to bottom of your boot.ini on USB disk: C:\grldr="Start Grub4DOS" Add grldr only from here to root of USB disk. Copy the floppy image with the tool for your hard disk to root of USB disk, lets say it's myfloppy.img. Create in root of USB disk MENU.LST. Add with Notepad to it: title Start myfloppy map --mem (hd0,0)/myfloppy.img (fd0) map --hook chainloader (fd0)+1 rootnoverify (fd0) Test the laptop hard drive with extended test.

Did winnt.exe run to the end properly? Di you format the hard drive prior to launching winnt.exe? You may be having hardware failure or your XP source is missing a driver. To rule out the first- check the disk with the tool from it's manufacturer. Let it run an extended test, which takes even hours. If in doubt- use UBCD, which has the tools from all manufacturers and can easily installed on USB- there is a script inside the CD which does that for you. Alternatively you can start Grub4DOS from the USB drive and map a floppy image of the tool you need. If you need details about this option- just ask.

Sorry, I have no more ideas how to help you edit: However, you could install it by running DOS from USB disk and winnt.exe, use smartdrv for faster copying. Look here for help: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713

I would try with a new BIOS, fingers crossed