jaclaz

Maybe you could share the "working" WIN.INI, that would probably be most helpful if anyone finds the same issue, which - I presume - might present itself with other programs, besides Winimage. jaclaz

Yes , but here we are talking of the "minimum" you can surely find on a USB port, that is the "old" specs of 5 "units". jaclaz

Yep, but the point (mine) was to not use external programs. There is also a debug script, that should work on 2K as well: http://www.robvanderwoude.com/debug.php Now, Today and Todaynow jaclaz

Sure, but I am failing to see how can I help you. What exactly do you mean by "is not even getting opened" ? What is not getting opened? (in second link there are two methods) I wonder how you can affirm that it is reliable from the result of a google search, unless you are endorsing it. jaclaz

I see , maybe (being an "early" laptop) it provides less than spec current? BUT the issue with an USB 2.0 extension cable is "queer". I mean. an extension cable is "passive" and if you give to it 500 mA at one end, you can surely can get AT LEAST 499.999 mA at the other end , though it is possible that you have a voltage drop, see how in practice: http://www.girr.org/mac_stuff/usb_stuff.html It seems like *everything* or nearly everything is "out of specs", one way or the other. Maybe they are two different causes (the one being the laptop not providing enough "juice", and the other one about the HD somehow *sensing* the extension cable as "not suitable" for data transfer, i.e. not related to current or causing a too high voltage drop). jaclaz

Yep , but that, as already posted, only applies to XP and later. The shortest version (in XP) is using the WMIC approach, the shortest for 2K (as I see it) is something *like*: @ECHO OFF SETLOCAL cd.>datefile.$ FOR /F "tokens=1,2 delims= " %%A IN ('dir datefile.$ ^| FIND "datefile.$"') DO SET my_date=%%A & SET my_time=%%B del datefile.$ set my_ but it misses seconds (and of course it is only useful to get rid of the "day of the week feature"). What could also work on 2K (haven't a test bed handy, so needs to be checked/tested) may be variable expansion: @ECHO OFF SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS cd.>datefile.$ Call :do_date datefile.$ GOTO :EOF :do_date FOR /F "tokens=1,2 delims= " %%A IN ("%~t1") DO SET my_date=%%A & SET my_time=%%B del datefile.$ set my_ jaclaz

Yes , only instead of linkig to the image aI linked to a page where there is some textual description. Let's try to expand on the matter, I am just trying to understand if there is a misunderstanding. A USB 1.1 connector on a motherboard is (normally) an A-type connector female and can provide by specs up to 5*100=500 mA. A USB 2.0 connector on a motherboard is (normally) an A-type connector female and can provide by specs up to 5*100=500 mA.. A USB 3.0 connector on a motherboard is (normally) an A-type connector female and can provide by specs up to 6*150=900 mA. The A-type connector is the same (actually "compatible) for USB 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0. A USB 3.0 connector on a 2.5" hard disk external enclosure may be a (USB 3.0) B-micro type. To connect the enclosure to a motherboard you need a USB 3.0 cable. Normally, i.e. if you have a USB 3.0 motherboard, you need a USB 3.0 cable with a A-type male connector on one end and a B-micro-type on the other. Normally, i.e. if you have a USB 1.1 or 2.0 motherboard, you can use that same cable, as the hard disk won't need more than 500 mA. In some cases where the motherboard provides less current than specs or the enclosure/disk requires more than 500 mA (which are THE SAME for USB 1.1 or 2.0) you need an Y cable, capable of getting some more current from another USB port. So you need a USB 3.0 cable with a doubled power connector A-type besides the standard data/power A-type connector on one end and a B-micro-type on the other. I am saying that there is not AFAIK any particular difference between USB 1.1 and 2.0 (apart data transfer speed that you might get) when connecting a USB 3.0 device, you seemed to say that there is one. jaclaz

First thing make a copy of those files. Then on the copy, try: http://code.google.com/p/bkfjtools/ and/or: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/restore-bkf-file-ntbackup-windows-7-vista/ jaclaz

They must be VERY different from the ones in the link I gave in post #19 Seriously , what are the changes (improvements) when compared against the "official" SORTDATE/SORTTIME? (which are already "certified" to be working also on NT 4 and 2K) Nesting the IF's with IF/ELSE? jaclaz

Well, with all due respect , that's incomplete/unfinalized anecdotal reference at it's best. You had a working (revived) disk drive inside a "botched" enclosure (or maybe an old model not able to recognize a disk bigger than - say - 128 Gb). A working disk will work as direct connection AND inside a working USB enclosure. Some "half-botched" disks may send *queer* signals to the BIOS or to the OS when connected directly preventing booting, while the on-board controller of the USB enclosure may be less sensitive to it, as well some timing problems that are critical in the booting phase may be avoided by connecting the disk to an already booted system. You can also fake that the Sata connection is actually an e-sata connection, thus allowing hot-plug of the disk directly after boot. Unfortunately this is only part "science", the other part being "magic" or "luck" or "fate" or whatever you want to call something that is "immaterial" . jaclaz

Yes and no (meaning that there is NO end to the foolishness in attempting bettering things - and often completely failing at it) http://www.blackanddecker.com/power-tools/aaw100.aspx Do check the user's comments... Let's say that your car should never stop in winter http://bdk.force.com/FAQ/PKB_Article?id=kA0C0000000Cfr7KAC&brand=Black_Decker&group=&model=%22AAW100%22&type=&terms=&returl=%2Fapex%2Fpkb_search%3Fbrand%3DBlack_Decker%26mode%3D1%26model%3D%2522AAW100%2522%26sortby%3D0%26terms%3D jaclaz

I meant a Y-cable like this one: Never seen one of those, you mean something like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Oyen-Digital-Y-Cable-Micro-B-Standard/dp/B0052OJ97O They seem to be needed for *any* of USB 1.1, 2.0 or 3.0. (in the sense that you still have a female "A" connector on the motherboard, and if it USB 3.0 you don't need the "Y cable", but if it is indifferently a USB 1.1 or 2.0 you may need it) of course if the disk has a USB 3.0 "micro-B" connector. Or am I missing something? jaclaz

These are "news" for me, care to expand on this? Or are you talking of the common Y-cable to allow more than 500 mA to power the disk drive? I am not aware of a change in specs before 3.0 , i.e. the max is 5 units (of 100 mA each) on both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 and was upgraded to 6 units (150 mA each) in USB 3.0. jaclaz

Strangely OT (ON Topic): http://blog.fosketts.net/2013/01/07/microsoft-kill-craptops-destroy-windows/ an interesting approach concluding that Windows 8 is deemed to failure anyway.... jaclaz

Yes and no. The Windows 8 is simply a "better" Windows 7 (only worse ), with a nameless crappy interface imposed on it, really, it is nothing more than Vista SP4. The issue is ONLY with the App Store/Windows Store. The technology to basically do whatever they see fit is already there, in theory they could use the automatic updates to do anything (since Windows XP - and this nicely explains why exactly the last good OS was 2K) on any PC that has them set to automatically download and install. But at least up to 7 (but I believe in 8 as well) you can turn off that feature and set it to "manual". On Windows RT you simply cannot (AFAIK) turn the Windows Store off AND since *every program* goes through it they could well package a "deleting" tool around *any* update of *any* software hosted on the Store. And most probably, since the RT is nothing but a MS version of the iOS, they have added to it the "kill switch", but I doubt that the same exists on the "real" 8 (though it could be possible, noone has yet found any trace of it, but again it could be something that they could deploy allright inside an Update *anytime*). jaclaz

Sometimes using an external USB enclosure and connecting it to an already booted system, the disk becomes accessible. You can try that and see if a disk editor, like tiny hexer or a recovery tool like DMDE can access the disk, possibly seen as RAW and thus asking to initialize it in disk management, i.e. DO NOT try opening disk management. jaclaz

Yes, this is the issue then . You should get this part clearer, this sentence makes NO sense technically: A drive (in the sense of what is assigned a drive letter to WHEN a system is booted) is EITHER a primary partition or a logical volume inside extended, and has NO drive letter assigned to it UNTIL an OS boots and assigns them. If you prefer NO drive (in the sense above) exists (only partitions and/or volumes do) until the Windows OS is booted and assigns to either partitions or volumes their drive letters. Drive letter assignment are made (at install time) automatically, if you clone that OS, they are obviously copied over and remain "sticky" (and a lot of things become "mixed", including all links and the \boot\BCD). jaclaz

Queer. Wrong. It is normal that a "clone" would not work without changes (to the Registry). What is "strange" is the reboot. you should get at the most a BSOD. From the "good", "booting" Windows 8 inspect it's Registry, you want to check the key HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices http://diddy.boot-land.net/firadisk/files/mounteddevices.htm then mount the System hive of the (offline) registry of the non-working 8 and compare values. Normally, and from what I can get from your report you had a primary partition with Windows 7 (and/or possibly before it the stupid Windows 7 "boot" partition of 100 Mb) that you shrinked, then created the new partition on which you installed Windows 8. I.e. you had either of: 1st primary Partition (Windows 7 boot partition) around 100 Mb <- this gets NO drive letter when either 7 or 8 are booted 2nd primary Partition (Windows 7 system partition)<- this gets C:\ drive letter when 7 is booted and D:\ (or *whatever*) drive letter when 8 is booted 3rd primary partition (Windows 8 system partition)<- this gets C:\ drive letter when 8 is booted and D:\ (or *whatever*) drive letter when 7 is booted OR: 1st primary Partition (Windows 7 system partition)<- this gets C:\ drive letter when 7 is booted and D:\ (or *whatever*) drive letter when 8 is booted 2nd primary partition (Windows 8 system partition)<- this gets C:\ drive letter when 8 is booted and D:\ (or *whatever*) drive letter when 7 is booted WHICH of the two setups above? How EXACTLY (with which tools, with which commands, etc.) did you "clone" the 8? Most likely you still have in the mentioned keys the drive letters "the other way round", you need to edit the "offline" Registry deleting all contents of the HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices EXCEPTION made for the ones: \DosDevices\C: \DosDevices\D: <-or whatever drive letter has the non-system partition then rename: the key \DosDevices\C: to \DosDevices\Z: the key \DosDevices\D: to \DosDevices\C: the key \DosDevices\Z: to \DosDevices\D: unmount the System hive, reboot and try again repairing with the recovery option, it is likely that it didn't work correctly because it was "confused" by the wrong drive lettering. jaclaz

For Apple iOS it is a concrete possibility, you can even remotely wipe a device (this is "technology at final user level") : http://support.apple.com/kb/ph2701 http://osxdaily.com/2012/06/05/remote-wipe-iphone-or-ipad/ let alone what the Apple Store can do centrally. And we do have the known examples of the e-books wiped in 2009: http://boingboing.net/2009/07/30/high-school-student-1.html and now also of users: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/22/kindle-user-claims-amazon-dele.html Cannot say about Windows 8 (the real OS) but it is VERY LIKELY that Windows RT may have this same "feature" IMHO, see: http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-8-apps-can-be-deleted-remotely-by-microsoft http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222518/Microsoft_We_can_remotely_delete_Windows_8_apps For the record, Android may be not-so-different . jaclaz

I don't know. Last time I had issues with a device, I had to go through a quite complex workaround, see: (to avoid having to use devcon and redistibute it). In the meantime a couple new (free) thingies were found, see here (only SEEMINGLY unrelated) that may do: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=24100 http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&showtopic=24100&view=findpost&p=165126 http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&showtopic=24100&view=findpost&p=165130 http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&showtopic=24100&view=findpost&p=165155 So we have both Paraglider's http://www.paraglidernc.com/Files/devcontrol.7z and the Alter http://alter.org.ua/en/soft/win/drv_inst/ to experiment with... jaclaz

Wait a minute: that should mean Vista or later, it is possible that something has changed, I guess that this thread was originated about XP/2003 (and possibly earlier OS's). jaclaz

I guess that if you provide a parameter, you ALSO need to provide the other parameters. Why don' t you simply do first thing EXACTLY what has been posted on this thread? or: jaclaz

I cannot find a DefaultInstall section in that .inf file (re-read the thread). jaclaz

Well, this is NOT part of the "standard", "recoommended" guides, WHY exactly did you issued that? Or you did that on a a second attempt? Basically running the "F,,22" command is of little use unless you also check the setting (to see if it is set correctly). The checking command for the SD15 is F712, but it may vary with different firmwares. Compare with: http://www.rage3d.com/board/showpost.php?p=1336056446&postcount=6 Try restarting from scratch. FORGET about anything that you read anywhere else and just re-do the steps from THIS: http://www.mapleleafmountain.com/seagatebrick.html guide EXACTLY as they are. There are quite a few reports about people failing that succeeded by simply re-doing the procedure from scratch. jaclaz

Well, for the record, there is a "way out" without third party tools, using WMI time classes (on XP, NOT on 2K, which misses a few classes). http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee198928.aspx http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa394590(v=vs.85).aspx What is available should be: For 2K (but also for XP if one wants to have the date/time format in the "full" UTC format), writing a file and immediately get it's created or last accessed time/date may be a good enough workaround . jaclaz