jaclaz

It's good, but there are better choices if you only need a ramdisk for storing "temporary INternet or the like. See here: http://reboot.pro/11252/ jaclaz

You are missing a few points (BIG ones). We are NOT talking about "Windows XP", but rather of "Windows XP setup/install". NO "Windows XP setup/install" version is "USB bootable". ALL "Windows XP setup/install" versions can be made "USB bootable". Whether a given app to do the latter: exists works with a given version is another question. You used an app (WintoFlash) that we: don't use do not know do not recommend (which BTW and just for the record, produced a botched result, most probably because you used a 5th partition) So your question can be either: Which versions of "Windows XP setup/install" does application x make bootable? or: Does does application x make bootable version y of "Windows XP setup/install"? And if x is not any of the ones you can find here, you'd better ask that question on the forum dedicated to application x After all the trouble in helping you out of the situation you ended up in, we get to know that you used a WAREZ release! Don't event THINK to ask here about version y if it is a WAREZ you downloaded from somewhere. We DO NOT support WAREZ. Topic closed before you manage to get banned. jaclaz

Well, that's quite a strange coincidence. One of the most "illustrative" guys on AeroStudio is Shirin Zaban which actually is Iranian. Have you checked his mini-guide in .chm format here ?: http://reboot.pro/8008/ A "step by step" guide, and expecially one for "all XP versions (Home, Pro, MCE), my Vista/7 AIO (all x86 & x64 discs in one), seatools, memtest, bit defender, ophcrack boot cds, etc." does not exist AFAIK. Guides like the flyakite ones are "easier" to do since they are more "targeted" (only XP's) What you want to do is very ambitious, and you need to grasp the concepts and get familiar with the apps, and then develop yourself the missing "solutions" or "assemble" yourself the bits and pieces. For grub4dos it's easier because there is a good guide (actually written in English , though by an Australian ): http://reboot.pro/forum/66/ http://reboot.pro/5187/ http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htm and by searching on the reboot.pro forum you actually have a "database" of a great number of things that can be booted with grub4dos (and how to boot them). And yes, I'm happy to know it was unintentional , but your innuendo did sound a lot like whining jaclaz

Very nice and descriptive! I often happen to provoke that, and didn't know how to call it! jaclaz

You are welcome , maybe if you hadn't mentioned it, you wouldn't have got the snotty reply at all. You see, a lot of people are not native English speaking or know it very well and they may have difficulties in speaking/writing in it, but since they are nice guys, they do try to share what they know in the way they can. IMNSHO, they should be admired and thanked for their efforts... notwithstanding the fact that their English is "not decent" or "broken", and, to be quite frank, from time to time even people that is supposed to know the idiom natively write in a "not-really-Oxford" English: jaclaz

Sorry, my crystal ball is out of tune and in the workshop for tuning , didn't see through it that you were running a 64 bit OS. Is also the XP (booted temporarily through the initial use of the USB stick) also x64? (hint, hint ) jaclaz

I don't get it , if you want a "multi-boot manager" you can use either grub4dos or syslinux. If you want a "multi-boot manager" with nice graphical effects you can use grub4dos with gfxboot/gfxmenu. See: I don't see how "your boss" would have an easier experience with the second than with the first, it's about choosing what to boot, not "rocket science" or "brain surgery": you choose/highlight something and press [ENTER] In any case, anyone actually capable of using: won't have a problem with them. Just for the record, the kind of "broken English" you can find here: http://reboot.pro/forum/72/ has been anyway "good enough" AFAIK to let a few thousands (non-Chinese and non-Turkish) people be able to use AeroStudio.... If you want something "better" you can also try @DED-LEGO@ http://reboot.pro/13437/ But still you will find some not-easy parts and "broken English".... jaclaz

Good. Open Disk Management, and check that Drive C:\ is the ACTIVE partition on first disk (it will probably be so from what you have posted till now). What happens NOW when you boot is the following (compare with the given links and posted images): BIOS-> First Disk-> MBR (of first disk) ->chainload PBR (or bootsector) of First Active Partition on FIrst disk PBR (of Active partition on first disk) -> calls BOOTMGR (inside Active partition, i.e. the one that gets letter C:\ in your case) BOOTMGR-> parses \boot\BCD (still inside Active partition filesystem) and finds ONLY one entry to boot Windows 7, so it calls WINLOAD.EXE WINLOAD.EXE -> loads Windows 7 What should happen: BIOS-> First Disk-> MBR (of first disk) ->chainload PBR (or bootsector) of First Active Partition on FIrst disk PBR (of Active partition on first disk) -> calls BOOTMGR (inside Active partition, i.e. the one that gets letter C:\ in your case) BOOTMGR-> parses \boot\BCD (still inside Active partition filesystem) and finds TWO entries, one to boot Windows 7, and one to boot XP, IF user chooses to load Windows 7, it calls WINLOAD.EXE AND: WINLOAD.EXE -> loads Windows 7 BUT: BOOTMGR-> parses \boot\BCD (still inside Active partition filesystem) and finds TWO entries, one to boot Windows 7, and one to boot XP, IF user chooses to load Windows XP, it calls NTLDR NTLDR (still inside Active partition filesystem) -> NTLDR parses BOOT.INI (still inside Active partition filesystem) and depending on the choices in there, you continue booting the XP on one or the other disk or partition NTDETECT.COM (still inside Active partition filesystem) is called to detect hardware and then the kernel of XP is loaded You have ALREADY all the needed files in the Active partition on first disk (drive C:\): BOOTMGR \boot\BCD\ (even if it's not listed in the screenshot you posted, you do have it, otherwise 7 wouldn't boot) NTLDR BOOT.INI NTDETECT.COM so, you now need to: add an option to the \boot\BCD in order to load NTLDR. (you must think as \boot\BCD as the corresponding of BOOT.INI, only in a "strange" format - actually it is a Registry hive - instead of a plain TXT file) verify that the options in BOOT.INI are correct Use any of the mentioned tool to add the entry in \boot\BCD, simplest would be to use BCDtool: http://reboot.pro/10003/ http://filebeam.com/fe6603a102cbd28393bda4bb553c9c56 Start the app, then: Boot Config->Open -> C:\boot\BCD Edit-> Create Windows Legacy OS loader (NT4 winXP win2003) It should get: identifier => {ntldr} device=> partition=C: path=> \ntldr description=> Windows XP [*]Close the app Replace contents the BOOT.INI file in C: with these: Most probably the #5 or #5 one is the right one, i.e.: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)=First disk first partition= C:\ multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)=First disk second partition= D:\ multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)=First disk third partition= E:\ Then : multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)=First disk fourth partition= F:\ multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)=First disk fifth partition= G:\ OR multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)=First disk fourth partition= G:\ multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)=First disk fifth partition= F:\ No way to know unless you post a screenshot of Disk Management. Please, when replying avoid quoting WHOLE posts, expecially if they are longish/contain images. jaclaz

Forget the windows "Search". Open explorer (make sure you have settings so that it shows system and hidden files and file extensions). Look in the ROOT of your drive when booted in Windows 7. (the actual drive corresponding to active partition, normally C:\, which will have a file named BOOTMGR in it's root). Can you see files: NTLDR NTDETECT.COM BOOT.INI If not, as first step copy them from the root of the USB stick to the root of the internal disk. Then you will need to get a GUI BCD editor, (there are several ones, just examples): http://reboot.pro/10003/ http://www.zezula.net/en/fstools/bellavista.html and learn to use them to add to the BCD store an entry for the NTLDR. You can also use the Win 7 built-in command line BCDedit, but it's a tadbit more complex. Take some time reading here (simply read "Windows 7" instead of "Vista "): http://www.multibooters.co.uk/ particularly this page: http://www.multibooters.co.uk/bootmgr.html and this one: http://www.multibooters.co.uk/multiboot.html you are in situation: and you need to get to situation: It is also possible (it depends on the way your Windows 7 was originally installed) that you have a partition with no drive letter attached to it, that you can only see in disk management, and that will be around 100 Mb in size. Report if this is the case. jaclaz

Sure, it is an excellent tool and it's use is anyway recommended , but it is aimed only to clean "ordinary" files and Registry entries. Like, did you ever store on that hard disk (only examples ): some p0rn? or warez? or a plain Notepad .txt containing in clear text, all your accounts/passwords or credit card number/authentication code? or ever mailed to any of your intimate friend what you REALLY think of another friend's wife, or girlfriend or mother? If you never did any of the above, you don't need any of the wiping I previously suggested. If you did there are chances (that may range from "near zero" to "near certainty" depending on a number of factors, including "volume" of the above, "when" it happened, "normal" use you make of that PC, etc.) that part of these data is still recoverable/readable/viewable. jaclaz

I am afraid that your only way out is then to change the motherboard. Most probably there are ways to fix it, but they would require either parts/tools, like (examples): http://www.arlabs.com/incircht.htm#CHIP CLIP http://www.biosman.com/biosrecovery.html or "knowledge" that will cost you much more than the actual price of a working (possibly used to save a few bucks) similar MB. Maybe you can go back to the "professional" and have him/her use a hardware or POST diagnostics card. These are "strange beasts", compare prices between: http://cgi.ebay.com/UltraX-Ultra-X-PHD-P-H-D-PCI2-Hardware-Diagnostic-Card-/120725337646?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c1bca762e http://www.jazdtech.com/techdirect/company/Ultra-X-Inc/PHD-PCI-2.htm?categoryPath=IT-Services%2FIT-Benchmarking-Services&supplierId=60020715&productId=60040855 and: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-ISA-PCI-Analyzer-Diagnostic-PC-Test-Card-Probe-POST-/150327778846?pt=Motherboards&hash=item23003bde1e The fact it doesn't beep should mean that there is no actual POST, but I seem to remember to have seen non-beeping motherboards that however did initiate POST. jaclaz

Just for the record and aimed to anyone fiddling with BOOT.INI in order to create something of "general use", using in the making of it ANSI Escape characters won't be such a bad idea in order to highlight the "comments" (if any) : http://reboot.pro/10122/ Also the "makers" of Wintoflash, do have their own site AND a dedicated Forum: http://wintoflash.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3 Why people comes here asking questions about it, remains a mistery to me. Maybe because on MSFN we are faster in replying? http://wintoflash.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1492 jaclaz

Remove EVERYTHING (yes, including video card and RAM) and try booting. Do you get any "POST beep code"? Maybe (just maybe ) it behaves like the BX-2000 mentioned here: http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/awardbeep.htm# jaclaz

Well, NO. I mean it depends whether you care for your privacy or not, but the amount of info and data a malicious (or just a curious) user of that PC would be able to find on your hard-disk after you carried on the proposed procedure would probably surprise you. The ONLY "safe" procedure is to wipe the disk with an appropriate software (CMRR Secureerase is advised) then either re-install the OSa nd apps or give the Charity Organization the install media and let them re-install. If you don't want to do the above, AT THE VERY LEAST you should thoroughly defragment ( the built-in defrag utility is allright for this) the drive AND the Registry (a tool called NTREGOPT is advised); http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/ then use a software capable of wiping/blanking unused (actually unindexed) sectors. This is one, wipe03: http://www.myplanetsoft.com/free/wipehelp.php http://www.myplanetsoft.com/free/wipehelp.php#space or this: http://www.myplanetsoft.com/free/wipespace.php or sdelete: http://technet.microsoft.com/it-it/sysinternals/bb897443.aspx (you want to run it with the -c option, the -z one being pointless/unneeded): http://forum.sysinternals.com/topic7607_post31810.html#31810 jaclaz

@esecallum The general idea when I write something trying to help someone on the board, is that what I write is READ. If I meant that a "restore MBR" procedure was needed/useful, I would have written about that. I tried my best to explain to you the steps involved, WHICH DO NOT INCLUDE "restoring a MBR". I then tried to explain to you WHY this is NOT ONLY NOT NEEDED, but also WRONG. Let's try again : YOU DO NOT NEED/WANT TO "RESTORE" the MBR of the "source hard disk" to the "target hard disk". Doing so would be WRONG and would botch for good the "target". The only DATA from the "source disk" MBR that you may want to "migrate" to the "target disk" is the Disk Signature. If you do so, the \DosDevices\ keys inside the Registries of the various XP installs will need not a modifications and your "target" will be "identical" to the "source", BUT there are some caveats AS SAID, when you connect to a NT system two disks with the SAME signature. The alternate procedure is to NOT COPY the Disk Signature BUT modify the \DosDevices\ keys inside the Registries of the various XP installs. The one proposed (partitioning/formatting under XP the 250 Gb disk) is one of the possible methods to prepare the "target disk" Copying the Me as you proposed would also work, BUT: you will need to change the bootsector of first (active) partition (or use a third party bootloader/bootmanager like grub4dos) to boot the NTLDR you won't be able to create NTFS partitions for the XP installs you will need ANYWAY to provide a solution for the Disk Signature Or, as said, study XXclone features. jaclaz

Of course NOT! You can restore the MBR CODE (if you prefer the IPL code), BUT NOT the PARTITION TABLE (i.e. the DATA exception made for the disk signature). In the MBR there is the partition table that tells: Partition type. Where a partition begins (CHS and LBA) Where it ends (CHS only) How big it is in size. (LBA only) To simplify, in a 500 Gb HD you have: Partition #0 starting at 0 and ending at 99 (100 in size) Partition #1 starting at 100 and ending at 199 (100 in size) Partition #2 starting at 200 and ending at 299 (100 in size) Partition #3 starting at 300 and ending at 499 (200 in size) Let's say that you have a half sized HD, 250 Gb and you decide to reduce each partition by 1/2: Partition #0 starting at 0 and ending at 49 (50 in size) Partition #1 starting at 50 and ending at 99 (50 in size) Partition #2 starting at 100 and ending at 149 (50 in size) Partition #3 starting at 150 and ending at 249 (100 in size) I.e. the only values that will be correct are the partition types and the CHS and LBA start address of FIRST partition, all the rest being WRONG. About Disk Signature do re-read my post, you normally cannot have two disks with the same signature on a NT system (when the system boots NT will change one of the two). There are tools to restore (or create) PARTS of the MBR, among others, MBRFIX: http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/mbrfix.htm The whole point of my previous post is that INSTEAD of "copying partitions resizing them", you rather CREATE new partitions (of changed size) then copy FILES to them. jaclaz

Maybe useful, maybe not : jaclaz

yet another happy bunny in the basket! : http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=128727&st=10 From what I read, it seems like ONCE you have the XP drivers installed THEN Windows Update can get the 7 one "automatically". In any case, it doesn't cost you anything to try updating now, and see what happens. jaclaz

Not exactly the same model, it was a ST3500413AS and the failed disk is ST31500341AS. I know that unless I can connect to it, there's nothing I can do. Maybe I'll try a different cable. That is a 7200.12. AFAICR the settings are the same, both as TTL leve and as transmission speed, etc. I seem to remember that some newer seagate models don't like 3.3 V TTL levels, but the 7200.12 should (and the Nokia thingy is actually at 3.3 V. It sounds like you have a problem beyond the scope of the thread , however trying with another cable won't do any harm. jaclaz

Just for the record there are freely available templates for Word, Open Office and similar word processors. Examples: http://www.cdstomper.com/downloads/downloads_blank_word.html http://forums.cdcovers.cc/showthread.php?t=183556 http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/CD_Covers jaclaz

I am afraid that since Compaq==HP, they use the same stoopid recovery partition system. BTW, you initially said it was an HP, now it has become a Compaq? Of course you didn't create the recovery CD's/DVD (you know the ones you have been nagged about a few times when the pc was new and you decided to ignore and then checked the little box "never remind me again"?) . Maybe we can try again with the HP tools. Do as submix8c suggestred, review the "long" thread, you will get an idea of what is needed/involved in the attempt. jaclaz

Yep, defintiely sequential sector copying is FAR less stressful for the disk mechanics than copying filesystem contents, just imagine something that goes: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 .... as compared to something that goes: 228 4356 4357 4358 12789 12790 12791 12792 3145602 3145603 4362 4363 18598748 ... Now, let's get back to work . A NT based system identifies disks by their Disk Signature, volumes by their Volume numbers, actual Drive lettering is given through settings in the Registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices\DosDevices\x: ) if drive letters are "assigned" or otherwise automatically along a set of lettering Rules. The "link" between drive letter assignment and disk volumes are Disk Signature AND partition beginning offset. The actual "boot" partition is initially identified by it's arcpath in BOOT.INI (disk signature and drive letter independant) You can allright: Partition the new disk under XP Create four primary partitions on it with suitable size (and set first one Active) Copy to them the contents of the various partitions, personally I would use Ycopy, instead of Unstoppable copier, as it seems to me more suited to the task: http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/Ycopy.shtml (obviously you should boot "XP#2" or "XP#3" to copy the "XP#1" volume and then use the booted "XP#1" to copy the other ones) You need to be careful when copying files, ALWAYS copy first: IO.SYS MS-DOS.SYS COMMAND.COM NTLDR NTDETECT.COM BOOT.INI (in this order) Then you need to access OFFLINE the Registry of each of the "target" XP installs and simply delete the contents of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices\DosDevices\ hive. Then try booting from the "copied" hard disk. Normally the appropriate values for drive letters wiil be re-generated during the boot process. There is theoretically NOT any need to copy (before attempting booting from the "target") on the target the disk signature of the "source" disk, but since it costs next to nothing, it is a good idea to do it, to be on the safe side, you should do this from a DOS or Linux bootCD or USB stick, as to prevent the possibiity that XP detects the duplicate disk signature (when both disks are connected to it) and vanifies the effort, but usually it can be done from within XP allright. There is not really any need to copy over the Volume serials. Mind you that Commercial programs may use some of the data mentioned, including partition beginning offset (that you cannot replicate) as part of their copy protection/authentication schemes. For the record, there is a commercial utility (also available in a limited Freeware version, that should be anyway be good enough): http://www.xxclone.com/ http://www.xxclone.com/itheory.htm http://www.xxclone.com/ixclnfaq.htm that uses the above detailed approach, but that AFAIK "misses" the features of Ycopy or Unstoppable Copier. jaclaz

Should be a SiS900 based card. See here, there are reports of cases where the XP one did work: http://any-tips.blogspot.com/2009/03/sis-900-windows-xp-driver-works-on.html It seems like an updated Windows 7 driver exists in Windows Update.... Of course your mileage may vary. jaclaz

Interesting how a new member at his first post is recommending a Commercial software that you can have for a mere US$ 29.95 per year. Could it be that this post is not really-really "disinterested"? jaclaz P.S.: removed the link in the quote.

And if we are allowed to use WMIC, we have "datepart.cmd": http://www.robvanderwoude.com/wmic.php that should be "language independant" (or at least it works allright in Italian system too ) and that should be easily adapted to show the date info any which way you like. At it's essence it resolves in: @ECHO OFF SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS FOR /F "skip=1 tokens=1-3" %%A IN ('WMIC Path Win32_LocalTime Get Day^,Month^,Year /Format:table 2^>NUL') DO ECHO Today is %%A/%%B/%%C But of course you still need a "local language" array of strings for "months names". (or if you also want them, "day names") jaclaz