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Im up for that! but how would i do it? thank you once again, Thomas

I would use Grub4dos as your CD's boot loader and and load the programs disk images that way. Use diddy's guide, it helped me alot. http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5187 As for acronis, i wouldnt use its boot manager, just stick with the image and load in grub4dos.

I got BartPE to work finally and i am multibooting with that and SLAX and UBCD4.11. Linux wise, I have always preferred Ubuntu, so i decided to make a persistent installation of Ubuntu 8.10 using the Ubuntu 8.10 USB Creator/scripts (http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ubuntu-810-install-using-the-built-in-usb-installer/). In a nutsell, it installs a full version of ubuntu on your flash drive that will save changes at the end to disk, sort of like SLAX. I created another partition (hd0,1) on the flashdrive and installed ubuntu. It uses a syslinux/isolinux bootloader, and It "chainruns" through several different cfg files when loading ( "include *.cfg"). Now one could try to convert all the syslinux cfg syntaxes to grub for the menu.lst , but since they include each other (and there are around four) when loading, i have a feeling it would be very difficult if not impossible. So I only see two solutions left: Use grub4dos to load the sylinux bootloader of Ubuntu on the second partition. or Use syslinux of Ubuntu to load Its self and give an option to load grub that has the rest of the multiboot entries. Ironically, The second one (which i do not want, because grub4dos is better) i know how to do. The first option to me, seems like the most logical and organized way to do it. I would really appreciate it if you could direct me how to load the syslinux bootloader in (hd0,1) with grub4dos in (hd0,0), or if you have another soulution, to enlighten me. my menu.lst looks like this: color white/blue black/red default 0 timeout 30 title Slax 6.0.9 find --set-root /grldr kernel /slaxvmlinuz initrd= /slaxinitrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw autoexec=xconf;telinit~4 changes=/slax/ initrd /slaxinitrd.gz title BartPE chainloader /SETUPLDR.BIN title USB Ubuntu root(hd0,1) kernel /casper/vmlinuz initrd /casper/initrd.gz quiet title UBCD v4.11 find --set-root /ubcd411.iso map /ubcd411.iso (hd32) map --hook root (hd32) chainloader (hd32) title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader) root (hd1,1) savedefault makeactive chainloader +1 title Floppy (fd0) chainloader (fd0)+1 rootnoverify (fd0) title CommandLine commandline title Reboot reboot title Halt halt #title Start myiso.iso #find --set-root --ignore-floppies /myiso.iso #map /bartpe.iso (hd32) #map --hook #chainloader (hd32) The usb Ubuntu entry i did my self, and it definitley did not work, i realized i wasnt going to be that simple, but i tried here are some dirs of the two partitions if they help (hd0,0): (Multi-Boot partition) MENU.LST~ Portable boot.ini NTDETECT.COM ntldr grldr grub.exe MENU.LST WINNT.SIF SETUPLDR.BIN bartpe.iso TEMP ubcd411.iso slaxinitrd.gz slaxvmlinuz slax BU (hd0,1): (Ubuntu 8.10 partition) casper dists install syslinux.cfg pics pool preseed .disk autorun.inf md5sum.txt README.diskdefines umenu.exe wubi.exe syslinux casper-rw I appreciate your assistance Thank you, Thomas

after many days of reserch and experimentation, i think i understand everything you've been saying. I followed this guide to the letter http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=10482, read this thread: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6911 , and many others, i was able to "load from Ramdisk", but as soon as xp started to boot i got a blue screen. this is root of flash drive: (oh and im now using grub4dos instead of grub so i can chainload the SETUPLDR.bin directly) Winbootfiles Temp Portable boot.ini NTDETECT.COM ntldr grldr grub.exe MENU.LST slax slaxvmlinuz slaxinitrd.gz livexp_inram.iso SETUPLDR.BIN WINNT.SIF my winnt.sif is: [SetupData] BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)" BootPath = "\i386\System32\" OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdexportascd /rdpath=livexp_inram.iso" i dont think capitalization of rdpath makes a difference, i tried both ways. menu.lst entry is: title Start livexp_inram.iso find --set-root --ignore-floppies /livexp_inram.iso map /livexp_inram.iso (hd32) map --hook chainloader (hd32) boot setupldr.bin is from win2k3sp1 and the ramdisk.sys in the iso is from win2k3sp1 also i just cant get past that blue screen. I'd be very grateful for your help, and I really appreciate your last post, it put me on the right track. thank you, Thomas

please also look at post #5 above, but i downloaded winbuilder and created a livexp iso, what grub menu.lst code would i use to boot this? on post #4 of this thread (http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2305) you said that the live xp uses these files: All "PE" builds boot through: SETUPLDR.BIN (that depending on various methods may be renamed to something else) TXTSETUP.SIF NTDETECT.COM these files are currently located in the /i386 folder in root along with the other live xp folders is there a way i can get grub boot to this? i tried: title Boot Windows XP root /I386 chainloader /I386 but it didnt work. grub error 11 I know i dont know alot but i appreciate all your help Thank you, Thomas

Yes my stick is bootable, and i have succeded with installing Grub with winGRUB. I have one partition, and am currently booting slax and gparted. my grub menu.lst looks like this: color white/blue black/red default 0 timeout 30 title Slax 6.0.9 find --set-root /grldr kernel /slax609/boot/vmlinuz initrd= /slax609/boot/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw autoexec=xconf;telinit~4 changes=/slax/ initrd /slax609/boot/initrd.gz title GParted find --set-root /grldr kernel /isolinux/linux noapic initrd= /isolinux/gpinitrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk_size=65000 initrd /isolinux/gpinitrd.gz title memtest86 kernel /slax609/boot/mt86p #title Ophcrack #find --set-root /grldr #kernel /Oph/boot/vmlinuz initrd= /Oph/boot/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw autoexec=xconf;startx changes=/slax/ #initrd /Oph/boot/initrd.gz This may seem wonderful, and it is, but i really dont have much idea what i did in the menu.lst, i pretty much just took the kernel lines from the programs respective syslinux cfg files, and made my own paths to the initrd. the attached image shows the root of my flash drive. slax = slax system files slax609= the boot folder for slax, i put it in there because ophcrack has a "boot" folder too with nearly identically named files like vmlinuz and initrd.gz and when i was using ophcrack having both it and slax folders and files in root wouldnt have worked in menu.lst because the folders and the files were the same name and same path. (more on this later **) Grub= hold only the menu.lst Temp= holds Ophcrack and its boot folder (just a place to keep it out of root while i dont use it,(and figure out how to use it next to slax)) [bOOT]=part of Gparted. has only a file called Bootable_NOEmulation.img do i need this for running GParted? isolinux= has gpinitrd.gz and linux kernel file, along with (im not sure if i need these): boot.cat,boot.msg,isolinux.bin,isolinux.cfg,splash.lss gparted= a 22.808MB file that im pretty sure i need for Gparted but correct me if im wrong portable= not bootable windows apps and prgrams and some docs and music USB_localDisk= driver files for making xp or vista see the flash drive as a local disk, for multi-partitioning. ** Though is had the ophcrack folders in this configuration at one time so that the files would hhave different paths, and even with my menu.lst code (with the #s) selecting ophcrack in GRUB booted to SLAX 6.0.9 I know they are both based on slax, well one is slax, but there must be a way to have them side by side. rename the kernel and initrd? ****also i didnt like having the boot folders in root (mess) so i tried to move slax609 and oph (which is the folder thats in temp that has ophcracks boot folder in it) and direct the menu.lst accordingly, but it wouldnt let me have that third folder in the path. it would give me error 16 in grub when trying to find the kernel and initrd. the paths were /LDR/slax609/boot/vmlinuz or initrd.gz and /LDR/oph/boot/vmlinuz or initrd.gz btw im sorry about the organisation of my questions and statements, its all sloshing around in my head because ive been trying to figure this out nonstop for the past few days. anyways, bottom line: 1. Ophcrack wont work side by side with slax. 2. my files and folders are unorganised and i'd really appreciate it if you or someone else could give me an idea of a folder structure i can use to keep these neat but that still works in menu.lst, and what uneccesary files i can delete (because im sure that there are alot of isolinux and system linux files that i dont need) 3. i dont understand the **** thing with the paths, how can there be too many folders? 4. I would install more told, but its better not to rush into things, because i still (even after reading diddy's guide to grud4dos) do not understand what a chainloader is or does, I have a feeling that it could be really helpful though. 5. I would like to know how to direct grub and the menu.lst to load things on other partitions just like i have done in my current menu.lst. Lets say for instance i had the same slax folder architechture, but it was on another partition like (hd0,1) 0 being the flash disk and one for the second partition (but you know this already) 6. lastly I have tried to fit my head around BartPE but all the stuff about the bootsector and installing that on one partition and windows on the other is a tad bit overwhelming. One thing at a time. Windows PE is probably my most important goal, but i doubt its possible until i have figure out all these other things. Ok, this is everything, im am sorry for the length, as i tried to be as detailed as possible. But now you have a perfect picture of the embarassingly limited knowledge i possess about grub and all these other things, and know exactly what page i am on. I really appreciate your help, and will work with you as best i can. I tried, but sadly i cant do this alone. Thank you, and ask me any other questions you need to know. Thomas

I dont think there is an understanding, I want to install grub on my flash drive, so that i can take it around and boot the various tools. I tried to get it working, but had limited success.

Hello everyone, This is my last resort and I would really appreciate some help. I have read through these forums and searched google for hours and hours and cannot figure out how to do this. I recently bought a 32GB Patriot Xporter XT flash drive, and want to make it bootable. Before i made this purchase, I had and have an 8GB Sandisk Micro Pen drive, which i had SLAX on and some portable Windows apps (apps not bootable). So in essence, i was only booting one thing. That worked fine. Not that I have this massive drive, I'd like to be able to boot up to Slax or persistent Ubuntu 8.10, WindowsPE (XP), Ophcrack, and maybe a few tools like partmagic or the acronis disk suite 10. I have already tried to do the research and figure out how to use grub, wingrub,SPFDisk, BartPe, and Syslinux, but I just dont understand how to get them to to display and boot to the different os or utilities. I have already obtained and installed the alternate drivers that allow XP/Vista to see the Removable Drive as a Local one, and thus see the multiple partitions that i have made on my flash drive. I am willing to do whatever i must to get this working, and I am sure that is someone were to help me, others would find this useful, because the closest i came to finding an answer to my problem was http://www.msfn.org/board/Multiple-Partiti...-OS-t69211.html and it still didnt answer it entirely, actually leaving more in question than was the case before reading the posts. So if someone could make this clear for me I would greatly appreciate it, It doesnt even have to be a gigantic stepbystep tutorial, just the theory and info that i need w/ a few directions. Please and Thank you, Thomas