jaclaz

You see: jaclaz

Post a single sample image. In any case unless you teel us what you ALREADY used and that didn't work this is gonna become a guessing game, you know, like: I would personally use imagemagick, first thing: http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php jaclaz

I am not sure to get it. What do you mean by "files are corrupted on a floppy, and they are good" Is your C: drive a CD-ROM? CD-ROM's are BY DEFINITION Read ONLY. You simply cannot replace a file on a CD-ROM. If the C: (i.e. the target to which you wantr to write the files) is NOT a CD-ROM, try: ATTRIB C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE and if needed change it's attributes: http://www.computerhope.com/attribhl.htm before attemptig overwriting it. jaclaz

You may be interested (to get an example) in the CASBAH: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21123 Basically all the 7zipsfx part you need is this is this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21123&st=44 The sintax is clearly explained in the download: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/files/7-Zip/9.20/7z920_extra.7z/download Mind you there are "enhanced" 7-zip versions, this one adds a number of useful things: http://7zsfx.solta.ru/en/ You will probably need to use the above to be able to "extract the contents to a specific folder": jaclaz

A "standard" XP Cd has this structure: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial154.html jaclaz

... you got by downloading it from some WAREZ site, that one looks like one of those "AIO's". These discs, besides being illegal , are MODIFIED, no surprise you had problems using "standard" tools on "non-standard" sources. You'd better get a VALID source. MSFN is not usually very comprehensive with use of WAREZ . http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/quotes?qt=qt0471984 jaclaz

Let's start with some order. WHERE does the XP source come from? Has it been EVER nlited? Which SP level is it at? FORGET nlite, try slipstreaming SP3 DIRECTLY. Re-start from scratch copying the XP files from CD to HD. http://www.howtohaven.com/system/slipstream-xp-service-pack-3.shtml (you do not need to re-burna a SP3 CD) WHICH error (if any) are you getting? jaclaz

WHICH "USB_XP_Setup.exe" approach? In any case, as I see it, you cannot brush off the "corrupted file" problem as it did not exist. jaclaz

You do understand that it is only by chance that someone can understand that you are having an error when installing Windows XP inside the VM (IF I actually managed to get it right). If this is the case, and you have the same error when installing that XP on three different VM's won't it be more likely that the problem is in your XP source files? Where they come from? How EXACTLY did you try installing the XP to the various VM's? jaclaz

You evidently did not run the posted batch, which provides for enabling delayed expansion (and sets ECHO to OFF, so that you CANNOT have anyway that output). You tried to modify it (badly ). See why delayed expansion is needed in that script: http://www.robvanderwoude.com/variableexpansion.php Simply: make a folder: C:\test\ copy in in it the two given lines WITHOUT changes as C:\test\list.txt copy in it the little batch WITHOUT changes naming it C:\test\test.cmd Now, open a command prompt, navjgate to C:\test, then issue: test.cmd [ENTER] What is the output ? On my machine it is: C:\test>test robocopy "C:\Program Files\Microsoft DPM\DPM\Volumes\ShadowCopy\vol_9edf29cf-c89 a-4fe5-97d6-7c9ce70c13b0" "U:\DPM\vol_9edf29cf-c89a-4fe5-97d6-7c9ce70c13b0" /E / ZB /MIR /XD "System Volume Information" /XF "*.mp*" "*.avi" "*.mkv" "*.wm*" "*.m 4*" /LOG+:"" /TEE /NP (and it will be EXACTLY the same on yours) General idea: do things EXACTLY as they are suggested, WITHOUT introducing ANY changes, of ANY type, first. , once it works, THEN start making changes to it for experiment jaclaz

You can still parse just the sections, before the "update" and then re-order the updated ini along those. The original idea of splitting everything was exactly to have a way to keep the same section order. jaclaz

So, the BIOS is not an option, see what happens running Victoria on the HD connected after boot. Besides this, can Disk Management see the disk (possibly as "RAW")? jaclaz

Is this the SAME drive? : jaclaz

Well this is IMHO completely unlike "coding" it is really about scripting. Can you TYPE? Or are you also fingerless? Type (one at the time) the above lines (pressing ENTER after each one) What do you see? jaclaz

Perfect! Too bad that it will tell you (maybe ) the actual manufacturer name or maybe nothing, definitely won't tell you whether it is portable or not, so you will have (if a value is returned) to use a database of some kind, to see if the particular model returned is a laptop/netbook or a desktop. jaclaz

No suggestions until we have an idea of what we are talking about. http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html HOW big is the HD? WHICH exact model is it? Is it IDE or SATA? WHICH EXACT OS are you running? If as I presume, we are talking of a 500 Gb or bigger hard disk, it will take a lot of time (tens of minutes if not hours) to actual delete the whole drive, or to format it "fully", how long have you left your five years alone playing with it? Have you ANOTHER hard disk (new, or surely working) of a slightly larger size? jaclaz

HMMM. You need to make sure that ALL (meaning ALL) 0V or grounds of ALL equipment involved is properly connected together. You need to make sure that TX and RX DO NOT touch between them. (unless you try a loopback test - something that you did not specify - it is as well possible that the adapter is not good) You are supposed to NOT get anything until you press CTRL+Z. (when connected to the HD PCB). From the pictures you posted ALL connections, exception made for the TX/RX ones on the TTL side of the RS232-TTL converter look like badly done/insecure/not proper. Since you have an available Molex connector, get the power (0V and +5V ) from it INSTEAD of the whatever "power supply comes from a usb" to power the RS232to TTL adapter. Are you SURE that you got a 3.3V TTL converter (the page you mention - like most of the other similar ones seem like having been written by a headless chicken) it talks about 5 V logic, then about 3.3V one then about "Built with MAX3223/SP3223 from MAXIM/SIPEX/TI" but the picture is of a MAX232 which AFAIK is 5 V only. Check the actulal IC number on the chip on your adapter. Verify that the Vcc pin gets 3.3 V (and NOT 5 V) if chip is a 3223. Once verified the above do a loopback test. jaclaz

You are right, it simply does not work , and anyway re-orders the sections as well. jaclaz

I don't want to seem more grumpy than usual , but I thought you were here to learn how to do that yourself. jaclaz

Sure they are "cloning" in a dd-like or "forensically sound" manner. It all depends on what you actually want as a result, what you get with ghost (unless you do a dd-like clone) is NOT a clone, it is halfway a clone and halfway a backup of the data. you won't have on the copy deleted files, lost clusters, etc., etc. Example (review of the startech): http://www.geardiary.com/2010/08/10/review-startech-standalone-idesata-hard-drive-duplicator/ Real life speed (laptop SATA) about 3x80Gb = 240 Gb/hour or about 4Gb/min. The top speed depends on the drives obviously. jaclaz

The first two listed seem to me VERY like docking stations and completely UNLIKE hd cloning stations. So, once left the first two alone, being (notoriously) cheap , I would rather save US$ 80 and get this: http://www.startech.com/HDD/Duplicators/USB-to-IDE-SATA-Standalone-Hard-Drive-Duplicator-Dock~UNIDUPDOCK And also leave this (cheaper) thingy here alone: http://www.lindy.ie/usb-3-docking-cloning-station-for-25-35-sata-hard-drives/43112.html A "cloning" station without a display is as useful to a technician as a bicycle it is to a fish. Or go for the traditional design (and known producer): http://www.addonics.com/products/duplicator/HDUS35.asp Personally, if you are using it professionally, I would suggest this model: http://www.addonics.com/products/duplicator/HDUSI325.asp and think, for a difference of 50 bucks to get maybe the bigger brother http://www.addonics.com/products/duplicator/HDUSI325AES.asp See comparison table: http://www.addonics.com/products/duplicator/hdd_comparison.asp#one jaclaz

The USB to RS232 is OK The RS232 to USB seems OK BUT from the scarce and confusing info on the site it is possible that you will have to power it at 3.3V (and NOT at 5 V) in order to obtain the needed 3.3 V TTL level. In other words you will most probably need have to power it with an Orange cable coming from the PSU and NOT with a Red cable, similarly to the known "sparkfun" one mentioned in the Read-me-first (point #11): jaclaz

Seemingly your GROUND is ineffective. Re-read attentively the Read-me-first and these posts: from #3818 to at least #3834 From the pictures you posted seems like the ground from your PC PSU is NOT connected to the ground on the TTL side of the RS232-to-TTL adapter and of course to the ground of the whatever power supply actually powers the adapter itself. Using a BLACK cable for ground make help conforming to the "universal" standard colopuring convention, from the pictures it seems like you are using the Black cable for Tx and the Yellow for ground but this is obviously only an "esthetical" point. Right now you seem like having: PC PSU ground connected to the HD PCB through the SATA power cable PC PSU ground connected to the USB side of the USB-to-RS232 Serial converter through the USB cable PC PSU ground (maybe) connected to the RS232 side of the USB-to-RS232 Serial converter (internally in the USB-to-RS232 converter) PC PSU ground (maybe) connected to the RS232 side of the RS232-to-TTL converter (internally in the USB-to-RS232 converter) RS232-to-TTL power supply ground connected to the RS232-to-TTL converter RS232-to-TTL power supply ground (maybe) connected to the TTL side of the RS232-to-TTL converter (internally in the RS232-to-TTL converter) RS232-to-TTL ground connected to the PCB through the yellow wire Any (maybe) is not good. jaclaz

Are you talking of these? What if you use INSTEAD "Update .ini Fields sections (UpdateIniFields)": http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd346763.aspx jaclaz

I must conclude that you were not able to clone that hard disk properly (no offence intended ) as the whatever software/recovery partition has "detecting changes features" that is capable to check/verify"something" that you omitted replicating on the "target" drive. Judging from the way you brushed off the disk signature suggestion , that may be part of or the whole problem. jaclaz