jaclaz

Fine :, I just baconed http://queensrules.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/bacon.jpg my way to getting the same 974 Kcal you consumed, on average the global entropy has not changed much. jaclaz

About the files you posted: The MBR_HardDisk1.dat contains Windows 7 code. The MBR_HardDiks2.dat contains Windows 8 code. I am less sure about the code in the VBR. The Bootsector_DriveP.dat contains boot code that is similar to Windows 7 code, but which is seemingly partially different. The BootSector_DriveZ.dat contains Windows 8 code. Cannot say if this is "by design" and/or if it is connected to the issue at hand. jaclaz

x86=32 bit x64=64 bit See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64 jaclaz

There are several "Orangeware drivers", these are "chipset drivers": http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/69192-usb-2-sis-chipset/?p=517622 I cannot remember of "Orangeware" drivers for "generic" USB Mass Storage. Are we going to re-invent the NUSB from scratch? Just in case : http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/143253-windows-98se-with-98se2me-and-a-recent-usb-composite-device/ jaclaz

For NO apparent reason, a bottle holder . http://www.homewetbar.com/images/prod/w-wine-holder-parrot55470.jpg jaclaz

Yep, what I am perplexed is the lack of any error, BSOD or whatever on the failing image. What about running Bcdboot and/or bootsect.exe? Till now we have not reviewed if the actual CODE is there (both in the MBR and in the VBR). You could make a backup of the MBR and of the VBR of both .vhd's, compress the four files together in a .zip archive and attach them to your next post, so that I can have a look at them. Clonedisk should be able to do these backups, just in case, an easy GUI tool is Hdhacker: http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/index.html Or, if you are more a command line oriented what you cannot miss is the dsfok toolkit: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~nulifetv/freezip/freeware/ see: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/162668-make-a-proper-dual-boot/?p=1037471 for some usage examples. Anyway for the Disk Signature, *any* hex/disk editor would do, I am "partial" to good ol' Tiny Hexer (with my viewers for it): http://reboot.pro/topic/8734-tiny-hexer-scripts/ but since you only have to play with the Disk Signature (as Clonedisk that you are already using has provisions for the Label and volume serial, besides exact CHS/LBA creation of the partition) MBRFIX would do nicely: http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/mbrfix.htm http://www.sysint.no/products/Download/tabid/536/language/en-US/Default.aspx see also: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/30378-fixmbr/?p=387013 (the current version of MBRFIX has more commands, and my pseudo-GUI was never updated, but fuwi's one should be): http://reboot.pro/topic/4530-gui-for-mbrfix/ (that is if you actually want a GUI) jaclaz P.S.: erwan.l has just kindly added a "Change Disk ID" feature to Clonedisk: http://reboot.pro/topic/8480-clonedisk/?p=183813

: jaclaz

Sure . But you have to ask yourself (and post here the answers) these questions: How much did it take in research, and applying tweaks, and *what not* to get to the current satisfying result? How much did it take in 2006 (or so) to have Vista run *as smooth* as the previous XP? <- Warning, this is a tricky question How much did it take in 2009 (or so) to have Seven run better/smoother than Vista and/or as smooth as (or better/smoother than) the previous XP?Please add some considerations on how in the period between 2006 and 2014 the actual hardware has evolved and the possible effects of this evolution on performance.... jaclaz

Sure , what I said is that the driver on your page is not a "full" alternative to the NUSB (which as said is more complete and complex and prone -in my experience - to install issue on localized non-english Windows), and that it is also in NO WAY different for all practical purposes from the already posted "alternative driver". in BOTH the "Wintricks" and the "R.Loew" packages, JDUSBMS.SYS and JDUSBPD.PDR are the SAME Lexar drivers. in BOTH there is an edited .inf: First posted has a .inf edited by Sergio Neddi to become "generic", i.e. USB\Class_08&SubClass_02&Prot_50 Second has a .inf edited by Rudolph Loew to become "generic", i.e. USB\Class_08&SubClass_02&Prot_50The end effect to the user is exactly the SAME, the only difference being that on one it may be seen "WinTricks Generic USB Mass Storage Driver Disk" and on the other either of "Generic USB Mass Storage MS" or "Generic USB Mass Storage PD", and the "Provider" is in one "Wintricks" and in the other "RLoew". BOTH are - being essentially the same thing - an alternative to the "full" NUSB, but evidently they are not alternatives to each other, they are two slightly different versions of the SAME driver and BOTH are "generic" and will "attach" themselves to USB\Class_08&SubClass_02&Prot_50 And that is exactly the same work that Sergio Neddi did independently, as you can see in the (rough) translation of the original article here: http://reboot.pro/topic/2411-universal-win98-usb-mass-storage-driver/ jaclaz

Hmmm. I like this one! :

For the record BOTH drivers .sys and .pdr are EXACTLY the same, there are only some (it seems to me like very marginal, i.e. related to the driver name in the GUI ) differences in the .inf install file, not really "an alternative", but rather "another copy". And still for the record, these are "plain" and "language independent" USB drivers for 98, while NUSB is a more complete (and complex) set of files including a full USB stack, and - at least last time I tested it - seemed like "language dependent". jaclaz

And, should it not we even have an alternative for it : http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/99220-generic-98-usb-driver-for-memory-sticks-on-98se-works/ jaclaz

Naah, having survived (as well as the Internet and all the rest of people ) the Christmas of Death : http://radsoft.net/news/roundups/grc/20011223,00.shtml http://radsoft.net/news/roundups/grc/20011224,00.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20011128173700/http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/19332.html https://web.archive.org/web/20011206001238/http://grc.com/dos/grcdos.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20011211112259/http://grc.com/dos/winxp.htm you'll need something more "substantial" to hack me off . jaclaz P.S. : and before anyone asks, yes, I survived (just like all the rest of the world) also the end of Antivirus effectiveness in 1992: https://web.archive.org/web/20010805135801/http://vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=348&page=4 http://spth.virii.lu/40hex7/40HEX-7.005.txt

Are you a Customer of Verizon (yes/no). If Yes, go here: http://my.verizon.com/micro/whitelist/ http://my.verizon.com/micro/whitelist/RequestForm.aspx?id=member and tell them that you are not receiving e-mails... jaclaz

Let's see if I can sum up the experience till now, I miss bit and pieces of the procedure you followed. 1. You have a "main" (normally working) Windows, let's call it the "C:\Windows". The BOOTMGR and \boot\BCD reside in the "hidden" 100 Mb partition. 2. Then you have another instance of Windows, let's call it the "D:\Windows" on another partition, also working. 3. Somehow you must have added this "D:\Windows" booting option to the \boot\BCD to test that it works and boots. 4.Then you use Paragon *whatever* to "clone" (actually image) the D:\Windows install to a .vhd, let's call this "ParagonWindows.vhd". 5. Somehow you must have added this "ParagonWindows.vhd" booting option to the \boot\BCD to test that it works and boots. 6.Then you create with your own tools, with a procedure that you don't want to disclose, a new .vhd with EXACTLY the same contents (according to you) of BOTH the "D:\Windows" and of the "ParagonWindows.vhd", let's call this "MyOwnWindows.vhd". 7. Somehow you must have added this "MyOwnWindows.vhd" booting option to the \boot\BCD to test that it works BUT find out that it does not boot I have more or less clear points 1.,2., 4. and 6. above (but feel free to correct those points also), I have NO idea of what you did in points 3., 5. and 7. (and not even if they exist at all or if the "vague" descripton I made is in any way accurate. About DIsk Signature, you have right now the "ParagonWindows.vhd" working, try: AFTER having made a backup of it's MBR (first sector) hex edit it to change the Disk Signature in it to a "random" oneTry booting from the "ParagonWindows.vhd"If it fails, try again after having completely cleared the MountedDevices in the Registry of the "ParagonWindows.vhd"What happens? Try restoring the backed up MBR and repeat. What happens? If you prefer try "negative" troubleshooting, i.e. instead of changing things (always one by one) to the .vhd that is not working, try changing things (still one at the time) to the .vhd that is working, until it fails to work, then last thing you changed will be the one that "s different " and probably causes the issue: jaclaz

Which is OK , as there is not such a function built-in, but it can be added. Like: http://www.outlookcode.com/d/code/sendreminder.htm http://www.slipstick.com/developer/send-email-outlook-reminders-fires/ http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21554448/outlook-2010-create-email-from-appointment-reminder-multiple-categories or get one of the many (Commercial) add-ons. jaclaz

Good, but what to compare it with? Also, try setting the Disk Signature of your "created" image to the SAME Disk Signature the Paragon made image has, same for offset, same for volume label and serial. Or, do the reverse, i.e. change the Paragon made image, changing one at the time these things (Disk Signature, Volume Label, Volume Serial). Check for any other difference in the actual filesystem between the Paragon created image and yours. jaclaz

Well, it does not work like that. If the hardware is SATA, the BIOS of the machine may (or may not) provide a IDE compatibility option, particularly on Large OEM machines, the "XP does not support SATA natively" is irrelevant, XP has the possibility to integrate additional drivers, so the fact that "as it was released from MS it's drivers database did not contain SATA drivers"does not imply that the BIOS has this mode. As a matter of fact a largish number of "large OEM" laptops do have this issue of having a very limited choices BIOSes. jaclaz

Again, there is NO such thing as "specific" USB flash sticks "compatible" with 98 or Me. If the OS has USB drivers (for mass storage class) *any* will work (talking of "base" features, i.e. set aside encryption, particular partitioning/formatting, etc.). jaclaz

Well, I wonder how you can check if you have the "right" MountedDevices entries without knowing the Disk Signature as the former is made out of the latter. However JFYI: http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/Win2kmbr.htm http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&showtopic=19663&view=findpost&p=130963 http://www.multibooters.com/tutorials/view-and-change-disk-signature-in-mbr.html Also, the \boot\BCD entries, as said, may be relevant. jaclaz

Cannot say. Your BCD has this entry: Windows Boot Loader-------------------identifier {267d66e7-cac6-11e3-bf61-fbecbf5a7db4}device ramdisk=[C:]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{267d66e8-cac6-11e3-bf61-fbecbf5a7db4}path \windows\system32\winload.efidescription Windows Recovery Environmentlocale en-USinherit {bootloadersettings}displaymessage Recoveryosdevice ramdisk=[C:]\Recovery\WindowsRE\Winre.wim,{267d66e8-cac6-11e3-bf61-fbecbf5a7db4}systemroot \windowsnx OptInbootmenupolicy Standardwinpe YesWhich seems very similar to the one the ASUS AIrecovery appears to make (check the .cmd files in the ASUS.ZIP in the reference). Looking at the names of the other files in it, and peeking in the "plain text" ones, it seems like the Asus AI recovery creates (or uses or both) a "normal" WinRE, but with a \GHOST\Winperestore.exe, which may (or may not) be connected with the good ol' Symantec Ghost. It is VERY likely that this is the cause of the issue: but I am surprised (and deluded , as I usually hold the good Asus guys in the highest esteem) that they do not provide the tools to re-create the Recovery partition after the 8.1 Update (which according to the MS peeps is a sort of "compulsory" upgrade, not a "normal" update/Service Pack). jaclaz

Sure , and if my grandpa had 5 (steel ) balls he would have been a pinball. jaclaz

One of the two (the one that fails seemingly) has 128 sectors before (unusual but that should not create any issue) and is active whilst the one that works has 2048 (normal alignment nowadays) and is not active (but since the BOOTMGR and \boot\BCD are "elsewhere" it's fine). But you failed to post info about the Disk Signature and the Mounteddevices data you have in the Registry, and the *whatever* you have in your \boot\BCD for the two .vhd's. jaclaz

Just in case: jaclaz

This has nothing to do with "supporting" XP, it's all about hardware, NOT OS. jaclaz