jaclaz

No WAREZ support of ANY kind on this board. System Sweeper, see this: http://reboot.pro/14487/ Reatogo, you will need to use a RAMDISK approach, like with ANY other PE 1.x. Most probably you can work your way starting from here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=24100 More generally you will need some time on the 911CD board and on the boot-land reboot.pro board, expecially in the grub4dos section: http://reboot.pro/forum/66/ As long as the sum of the times you format the thingy summed to the number of writes the OS does in use does not exceed the expected Write cycles of the SD card, that is at least 100,000. I would'n be worried by the formatting. jaclaz

What you are reporting is perfectly normal, and has NOTHING to do with SATA or SATA 2. Basically it seems like you installed the OS when a IDE hard disk was connected AND "first disk". Thus the OS install routine wrote to that disk the boot files. All you have to do is: copy BOOTMGR from the IDE disk to the SATA 2 disk copy the \boot\ folder from IDE disk to the SATA 2 disk verify that partition on SATA 2 disk is: primary active [*]verify that the bootsector on the primary, active partition on SATA 2 disk is actually the Windsows 7 one (by running bootsect.exe /NT60) See this thread: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=24353&st=0 jaclaz

Hello fredroo, welcome to MSFN. You obviously completely missed to read the Rules of the Board : http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules It would be nice if you could read them now. If you could also write in the ENGLISH language (which does not mean put together at random English words) it would be appreciated. Really, I can understand maybe 1/3 of what you wrote. jaclaz

Well, you can sue Microsoft or your school for this. jaclaz

What happens if you boot SETUP twice? Once to just Partition/Format and start install? Then "break it" at some stage? Once for actually installing? Could first round allow copying a BOOT.INI that becomes "base" for additions? Or somehow add a "fake" (or real) IO.SYS/MSDOS.SYS/COMMAND.COM? Would in this case setup create a "stable" BOOT.INI with the provision for the DOS (like c:\bootsect.dos or the like)? Can this be somehow used to our "advantage"? What does F2 do? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295116 Do we know in which order the "text/inf" files in setup are processed? I mean is there anything that allows the copy of the file or a rename of it just before the reboot? Mind you just semi-random ideas , let's call it free-no-limit-brain-storming.... jaclaz

Well, I guess an "average user" wouldn't go very far from there, actually they say substantially to go to (if you haven't already got a suitable software) : http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/ where obviously you CANNOT find a suitable tool, actually NO tool whatever. @slennon1972 Translated from Microsoftish the sentence: means more or less: Some links: Burner: http://www.imgburn.com/ Virtual CD drivers: http://www.ltr-data.se/opencode.html/ http://www.slysoft.com/en/virtual-clonedrive.html Most probably you can also simply open the stoopid IMG ISO in 7-zip, extracts contents to a folder on hard disk and install from there. But anyway, your question should have been "I cannot find any tool to "expand" the ".img" file I downloaded from here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=20599 What program application should I use/do you advise to do this? jaclaz

I think the partition can (and should) be the same one. What Windows Setup normally does is: boot from CD copy a bunch of files to the \$WIN_NT$.~BT and \$WIN_NT$.~LS folders reboot use the files in \$WIN_NT$.~BT and \$WIN_NT$.~LS folders to install (normally to \Windows\) (two phases, text mode and GUI mode) delete the \$WIN_NT$.~BT and \$WIN_NT$.~LS folders reboot boot the installed XP The general issue solved by the various little apps developed is (mainly) the avoidance of deleting the \$WIN_NT$.~BT and \$WIN_NT$.~LS folders. If you prefer the idea was/is to replicate the behaviour of the MS CD, i.e. "prepare once, install many" as opposed to "prepare once, install once", which in your particular case may be acceptable. So, I am wondering if we can use INSTEAD a WINNT32.EXE approach (which will create the \$WIN_NT$.~BT and \$WIN_NT$.~LS folders allright from a running XP on the "same source/target disk" AND "same source/target partition") The idea is to run the WINNT32.EXE on the Toshiba then: DO NOT allow rebooting on the Toshiba boot on the Acer break at reboot connect to the Toshiba do the USBbootwatcher trick connect to the Acer let it boot and continue installing on the Acer I.e. something more in the line of: I would also copy to the "target" USB disk the whole \I386\ directory of the "Source", say in a "\Source\I386\, so if later the setup needs anything that is not already in \$WIN_NT$.~LS folder, it can be got from \I386\ Please take into account that some (please read as several ) attempts need to be made in order to hopefully have the whole thingy working. jaclaz

So the moral is that the MacOSx partitioning/formatting software NEEDS "orthodox" partitioning, with partitions properly aligned to cylinder and head boundaries or simply that it doesn't work as it should? Anyway, the only meaningful thing is that we have yet another happy bunny in the basket jaclaz

Hmmm. When you boot from a USB connected disk, normally the BIOS "detects" it (and NO OTHER USB attached Mass Storage devices) and then the SETUPLDR.BIN finds the driver (if it is slipsteamed as you need) and booting goes on. In theory (but this may greatly change with different BIOSes) when you have TWO devices connected at boot, the BIOS should "map" only the one you boot from, but maybe it gets somehow "confused". In other words, the result should be that you can boot from the "source" USB disk, but cannot see the "target" USB disk (until the actual USB drivers are loaded), not a 0x0000007b. The behaviour you describe sounds even more like a "timing" or "conflict of some kind" problem. At this point I would propose you (again ) a different game. What about using the SAME USB disk as BOTH "Source" and "Target"? Start the install on the Toshiba (or any other computer). Stop at first reboot. Add the USBbootwatcher AND the CDDB mod: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=22473&hl= Try booting on the Acer. (maybe if the source has the right drivers already slipstreamed, it may work ) jaclaz

Yep , the last screenshot is "perfect" jaclaz

Maybe it's better if you use the GUI version, use 4096: http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm I don't think so, it sounds "strange" to me. From what you say, it seems like your MacOSx (or the way you have set it or use it) uses GPT partitions ONLY. If this is the case, it's outside my area of knowledge/experience, but you will need some dedicated tool and possibly a hybrid setup, start from here: http://reboot.pro/11600/page__st__32 BTW, this partitioning problem has slowly but steadily been diverted from Original Topic. I will move all related posts to a new thread, as to "unclog" this already very long thread, as soon as you acknowledge this. JFYI, while you were playing with your hard disk , someone has been working : http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=24392&st=10 Once solved this other problem, the USB_Part_Flip.exe should be able to easen the implementation of the partition entry exchanging. jaclaz

This is "strange". I mean, let's take the case when you ALREADY have an installed 2K or XP on the internal hard disk and you want to install (from a "normal" CD) an "additional" instance. The BOOT.INI already on root of "C:\" is not overwritten, the entry to the "additional" instrance is added to it. (actually the existing BOOT.INI is first modified to add the temporary entry for the install (after reboot) and then this temporary addition is removed. Maybe this happens because when you boot the CD the BOOT.INI is ALREADY there? Or maybe some checks (just like the ones for the CATCH22 trick) are performed to verify that another instance of windows is present? I dont' think the latter applies, I mean, if I do a dual boot install of DOS (7.1/8.0) and XP (on a FAT32 C:\ drive) then I decide to delete the whole Windos stuff, the "Bootsect.dos" file and the entry pointing to it should not be deleted when I re-install XP. But yes, the binifix batch was at the time created to solve this issue AFAICR (a lot of time has passed, and my memory is not as good as it used to be ), relevant links should be these: You will need some time to go through the various steps taken, I cannot even remember if this has been added/coorected jaclaz

Maybe there is some incompatibility, but cannot really say which . Do another thing. Create the 6Gb and the 200 Gb in Windows disk Management. DO NOT format them. Create the third partition in Windows disk Management. DO NOT format it. Format the third partition with MacOs. <-this is the step that seemingly messes the previous two partitions data, though I am not familiar with MAC, it sounds to me "queer" that you cannot create a partition in it or that it messes the partition table Delete first and second partition with Disk Management. Re-create the first partition 6 Gb and format it in disk management as NTFS. Re-create the second partition in Disk Management and DO NOT format it. At this point first, second and third partition shoudl have the "right" addresses/data as seen in the DTIdata tool. Leave the Tokiwa FAT32formatter alone and use INSTEAD the Ridgecrop FAT32format for the second partition: http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?fat32format.htm jaclaz

Good, now re-write the previous values for the first two partitions, leaving the third untouched. What happens= (the only thing that CANNOT happen is that you lose the "third partition"). OR, delete the first two partitions and recreate them as you did before (still leaving untouched the third partition) jaclaz

Well, NO. What you report makes no sense. You probably (please read as definitely) did a mistake in inputting the values. (or maybe th etool is not working as expected) Try again, create the 6Gb and the FAT32 partition. DO NOT exchange their entries. Create the MacOSx partition. Report what happens. jaclaz

That's actually good/correct. First partition (second partition entry) is ENTIRELY inside the CHS limit of around 8 Gb. If it still reads 0/32/33-740/41/5 is OK (with the mentioned caveat of alignment to boundaries) Second partition (first partition entry) BEGINS below the said limit BUT ENDS after it (1023/254/63) If it still reads 740/41/6-1023/254/63 is OK (with the mentioned caveat of alignment to boundaries) Third and fourth partition are ENTIRELY OUTSIDE the limit, so they have rightfully BOTH begin and end set to 1023/254/63 The screenshot you posted on post #1417 showed how ALL the partitions (including the first two) were set to 1023/254/63, which is/was WRONG. jaclaz

It is possible that the CD laser (or it's circuit) has failed. DVD writers have TWO laser diodes. It is perfectly possible that one of the two has died while the other is still perfectly operational. See: http://www.die4laser.com/dvd-rec/DissectionofaDVDwriter.htm jaclaz

Our Mac friends seem like not too happy about them: http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/express34_card_reports.html but the reports are quite controversial. jaclaz

Won't setting it to manual IP addresses solve the problem as well? jaclaz

Just for the record, and OT 7-zip may be enough http://reboot.pro/6492/page__st__18 jaclaz

Add the MacOSx partiion (or whatever). Verify that the first two partitions have not changed (as seen in the DTIdata tool). Re-run WinsetupfromUSBwithGUI. Re-test. jaclaz

If it's a hard link, instead of guessing the location , one could use hlscan.exe .... This is the 2K version, it should work on later OS versions too (at least it does on XP): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=289adee4-abb3-4e18-ab07-c77db8654979&displaylang=en If it's a junction (symbolic directory link) , one can use junction.exe ... http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768 jaclaz

Why don't you simply try doing it? Quick selection guide : if it works, no problem if it doesn't work, we will find a way to fix it. I have NO idea whether MacOSx respects cylinder/heads boundary "old" standard or just like Vista :ph34r:/7 allows for fractional end heads/cylinders. In the worst case you can re-partition creating the two first partitions (the NTFS and the FAT32 one) on boundaries. jaclaz

There is something that is "just not right". From the last screenshot you posted seems like you have "removed" all CHS data ("leveling" it to 1023/254/63). This way CHS data is not anymore balanced with LBA data. Besides, this, you seem like running a "standard" Windows 7, which does not anymore respect cylinder and head boundaries. This is not normally a problem IF you ONLY use "newish" (post Vista ) partitioning tools and NEVER use DOS, Windows 9x/Me, Windows 2K/XP or Linux partitioning tools. Basically Microsoft "changed the rules" they themselves established (starting with Vista ) so older tools/apps may decide to "correct" these non-standard (or better said maybe non-orthodox settings) and this can cause data loss. A recent example is here: and a few more dated ones here: http://reboot.pro/9897/ As said, they do not represent a problem, if you know that the problem exists and take steps to avoid it. With a setup like the one proposed, the grub4dos MBR will be able to only access/read the 6 GB partition (located BELOW the 48 bit LBA limit BUT second entry in the Partition Table) and since the " the "usb divx reader" seemingly works with the 200 Gb partition, no matter where it is located, as long as it is first partition in the Partition Table, you should be fine and dandy. Still the proposed "solution" is actually a "workaround", as the "real solution" would be to change BIOS code, see here for a quick reference: http://reboot.pro/13387/ The problem remains only that of fixing the source on second partition for the XP install, I tend to think that this will be trivial for ilko_t as soon as he happens to "pass by" and notice the issue. jaclaz

No prob whatever, take all the time you need (and more) this is FUN, remember About fixing a drive letter, the reference is "migrate.inf": http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19663 that can be used for other tweaks too. Sure , I would say excellent instead of "not too bad" I am thinking about it, but without *ANY* third party tools (and no batches) I think it is hard. And anyway there may a difference between "running Vista or 7 and installing XP" and "running XP and installing XP". jaclaz