ilko_t

Thanks for your notes, will keep them in mind. As already explained, they are there on purpose and I'd rather leave them there for now unless a serious reason for the opposite comes up.

They were compressed on purpose- on rare occasions there were reports for those files not being copied during text mode, setup complaining they were missing. Compressing them seems to have fixed the problem and I wouldn't change anything which is working fine without an important reason or finding why exactly this was happening. File sizes were not the issue I was after. Migrate.inf is not compressed. Long overdue task, still ignored since focus is on much more important stuff. All these changes are there on purpose. Are there any issues with them? Care to spare more details why ?

Hey, fix the paths in your script, they are all messed up. Where is _ekler folder indeed? Under root or under WINSETUP? This would NOT work as already mentioned, \sources\install.wim cannot be found since ISO is not mounted: for %%i in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%i:\sources\install.wim set CDROM=%%i: This MAY work if you copied _ekler folder inside WINSETUP folder: for %%i in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%i:\WINSETUP\_ekler set CDROM=%%i: This is wrong if _ekler folder is within WINSETUP folder: IF EXIST %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64 start /wait %CDROM%\_ekler\updates\Windows-KB890830-x64-V4.16.exe /Q it should be IF EXIST %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64 start /wait %CDROM%\WINSETUP\_ekler\updates\Windows-KB890830-x64-V4.16.exe /Q and so on. Added: and please, easy with the fonts and colors, try to properly format your posts.

As I get it, setupcomplete.cmd is launched indeed, but it hangs the setup, right? I understood from your previous post that the script is not launched at all. Did you copy _ekler folder to the USB disk, in \WINSETUP\_ekler?

Where is setupcomplete.cmd exactly in your source? Are you using OEM key? Did you use the same key in VMWare? There is a report which says the script is not launched if an OEM key is used. Can you check the log files for clues? http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824819.aspx Added: When are actually contents of $OEM$ folders copied, at which phase?

@ ZEUS__ ISO is mounted as a virtual disc during PE pass using imdisk. After first restart it's not longer mounted, hence contents are not accessible, searching for install.wim or any other file on the DVD fails. If all needed files are in that folder _ekler, you could copy it somewhere on the USB disk (\WINSETUP\ _ekler\ in this example) and amend your script to search for it, instead of \sources\install.wim. for %%i in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%i:\WINSETUP\_ekler set CDROM=%%i: Alternatively, you could try mounting the ISO file again at start of your script. Not sure if imdisk can be installed and used at that phase, but maybe worth a try. Copy WinPreSetup.exe from boot.wim, second index, or use the suitable one from WinSetupFromUSB directory\files\winsetup\ according to your version, 32 or 64 bits. Place it somewhere on the USB disk, search for it the same way as above and launch it at start of your script passing it the path to the ISO file, e.g.: start /wait WinPreSetup.exe /mountiso="\WINSETUP\Win8\Win8.iso" Windows 8 also has native functionality to mount an ISO file. No clue if it's working at that stage, but could be also worth a try.

The version you are using does not support multiple Vista/7/8 sources on the same partition. Try this test version which supports multiple such sources added as ISO files:

A few tests on Windows 7 x64. Buffalo RUF2-R2G USB stick, Windows 7 x64, xcopy-ing I386 folder only, from XP SP3 from a folder on the internal hard disk, 5878 small files, 375MB total. Default cluster size for 2GB partition, tests repeated several times with format before each. NTFS - 572.22 seconds FAT16 - 169.17 seconds FAT32 - 171.19 seconds Quite slow Apacer 4GB stick: NTFS - 696.48 FAT16 - 818.19 FAT32 - 903.17 Optimize for performance/removal doesn't seem to make any sugnificant difference in each case.

Can you post the entire menu? What's grub4dos version used? It's displayed on top of the screen. What version of WinSetupFromUsb did you actually use?

Well, have to ask, do you press a key on your keyboard when the message appears? This topic is solely for WinSetupFromUSB program related issues, going to split these posts in a new topic later on.

You can't change folder names freely, they are hardcoded in several setup files and you have to patch those files manually with the new folder names, if you insist on doing that manually. Program will do that for you, if you missed this part in program description: 10 applies to 0.x.x versions, 99 to 1.X versions. Just run the program again, select the new source and press GO, the same way you put the previous one. If you want to do this manually, go through the last pages of this thread, it should consist most of the info you'd need: Besides, although working fine, 0.2.3 is no longer maintained and has number of limitations due to the default Microsoft method used in it, which were avoided in 1.X versions, 1.0 beta8 being currently the latest. Don't get scared of the beta name, it's because it lacks documentation and installer, but is fully working solution. Since you are on this wagon and this could be your next task, you may also test the upcoming beta9. Mind you, it's not finished and is test version only, feedback is appreciated :

What version of the program have you used? If it's 0.X.X read the docs coming the the program, here is also FAQs topic, Q4/A4: You may try the latest available version in the first post, currently 1.0 beta8, which should get around this kind of issues.

You may also try beta9, it's still being tested, hence not yet announced, which automates the process- Vista and above is installed from an ISO file, supporting as many ISOs as you want. WAIK files are not needed. http://code.google.com/p/winsetupfromusb/downloads/detail?name=WinSetupFromUSB_1-0-beta9_rc4.7z Edit: updated link with the newest test version.

Get the disk prepared with beta8 if it's not. Extract setup.cm_ to setup.cmd in \WINSETUP\XP...\I386. You may use 7-zip for the purpose. Find the line start /min "Keeping USB disk mounted workarround, do NOT close!" pushd %CDDRIVE% add a new line just above it: %CDDRIVE% Put back setup.cmd where it was, no need to compress it in cab. Please test now. Does the error come up again during GUI mode? If yes- there is a test version of beta9, it adds some more settings to migrate.inf and adds it as a hive to be loaded by Setup. Prepare the USB stick with it, does it fix the issue now? http://code.google.com/p/winsetupfromusb/downloads/detail?name=WinSetupFromUSB_1-0-beta9_rc3.7z

Can you test something with the problematic USB stick?

Yep, now lets find out if he would also have issues with the special MBR and partition structure FBInst produces, hopefully the OP will tell us.

By the way- latest 1.0 beta8 has an auto-format option, which uses FBInst to prepare the disk. Can you try it on those problematic machines? No need to select other options, just the auto-format one. Then you can test on the machine if you get to the boot menu.

Please try the latest available version from the first post, currently 1.0 beta8.

Did you figure it out?

1) I strongly advice you to use the latest 1.0 beta8 2) About the missing hard disk- read this post, or search a bit in this subforum, question has been answered numerous times: 3) About the last message you are getting- which part of it is not understandable? For USB boot you start from USB, right? XP Setup has two parts (Text mode and GUI mode), with restart between them. The message is telling you to boot from USB twice, for each part of Setup. In other words, when the first part is completed, the text mode part, you have to make sure computer boots from USB again, for the second part. Many BIOSes would boot by default from the internal disk if not told otherwise and you will get an error. 1.0 versions do not have this requirement, hence the first advice to use 1.0 beta8, besides all the other improvements.

How do you do that? Which program are you using, there are a few of them included, what options, or is it the auto-format feature, which options?

Sorry for the late reply. I don't have any more ideas for now, need to be able to reproduce the issue in order to find, if possible, a workaround or fix. Will keep it in mind.

How do you start from USB? Do you use a hotkey (F11, F12 etc.) or you enter BIOS and make changes on boot order? Is there hard disk priority option? Where is USB disk in it? Does another USB disk behave the same way? Have you tried to reformat the USB disk in the same way it was before? Are you sure nothing has it been changed meanwhile?

That's not yet supported. Have a look at the first post in the dedicated topic, there are also links how to get you going.

You are welcome. I am 100% sure With WinSetupFromUSB 1 Beta 8, I no need to Force USB Drive in Bios. Just Select the good USB Drive Once with F8 BBS Boot Menu. With WinSetupFromUSB 0.2.3 I have to Force USB Drive for Working. I'd love to prove you wrong, but can't, I have no such hardware around. Setup.cmd is launched before real Setup starts, for GUI mode, like in T-0, or T-(-1). It does some things, launches real Setup and is closed. The only leftovers are the minimized CMD screen which should keep the USB drive letter untouched during Setup using 'pushd' command, but in your case it does not. There could be another solution, never needed such until your report, after more than 2 million downloads of the last few versions. To simulate reconnect at the right moment, and that seems to be at T-28 according to your report, a program must be monitoring the USB key the whole GUI part and if it's lost, then reconnect it. I am not even sure if such program could survive, or run in background the whole GUI part. It's more interesting why the USB drive is lost, with this particular USB stick... Can you try something- on installed XP, which never seen this stick, plug it and let it detect it and install drivers. Does it ask for reboot before the device is ready to use? If yes- does this stick have some extra features, like encrypted part of it, CD/DVD part or something unusual?