jaclaz

Shouldn't Board Rules be FIRST thing read? http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules jaclaz

Naah, not upset in the least. Yep - so am I - otherwise we won't be talking to each other. Asking about a program that doesn't exist (AFAIK) doesn't actually help, no. If you re-read the thread, you asked about a "diagnostic" program of some kind. Ilko_t - without explicitly telling you that: such a program doesn't exist or that if it exists it won't probably help as there are a number of concurrent possible causes to a failed boot answered you asking for some details, same thing I asked. What I added is simply that from your "vague" recalls I can pinpoint nonetheless the actual grub4dos error, but that nonetheless EXACT DETAILS are needed to hopefully solve the problem. (and I split the topic to give it more chances of being seen - allowing other members to post their experiences with these nasty 5% - and possibly also keeping it more focused than the "general" thread would have been) So, current situation is: you are willing to help I am willing to help Ilko_t is willing to help Now, we are a three members team, in which member #2 and number #3 CANNOT do anything until member #1 posts some EXACT DETAILS on the problem. Noone is upset, but all three are currenty "idle". jaclaz

4 points: Hiren's CD is WAREZ and it won't be discussed on the Forum Nuhi is currently MIA and nlite has not been updated since a LOT of time It is NOT so easy as you may think to "burn" a XP install to USB there is a specific sub-forum with specific tools that allow that (Install Windows from USB) http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/157-install-windows-from-usb/ jaclaz

Sure, but you see if we don't have: a list of BIOSes that behave "strangely" an EXACT description of the errors and HOW/WHEN they happen a way to reproduce the errors (or a lab rat - you - with that specific hardware) We will have NO WAY whatsoever to understand the CAUSE of the problem and hopefully FIX it (the cause). JFYI, Standard Litany: http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html As an example - UNrelated to the errors you vaguely report - we have now evidence that on some ACER PC's there is a problem with Grub4dos MBR: http://reboot.pro/10503/page__st__3 And a - still experimental - patch to cover these cases has been issued (and will hopefully be integrated soon in the "offical" releases of grub4dos). jaclaz

Those are actual grub4dos errors (white text on black background). The grldr is missing means that - for any reason - the MBR (+hidden sectors) code invoking grldr cannot find it in ANY available drive. There may be several reasons for this, most probably a problematic BIOS that enumerates "strangely" the drives (including the USB connected ones). The countdown and "something about MBR" is normal given the "main" error above, grub4dos, since it cannot find it's grldr file, tries to boot "previous MBR" i.e. the "normal" MBR that is usually saved to 2nd sector (and that points to the Active partition bootsector). jaclaz

Malope, you cannot share MS files. If I get it right you are using a "mixed mode" approach. In these cases, my *generic* advice is to do things in little steps: try first using ONLY that source, with ONE and with the OTHER method separately. Only once you succeed with the single source, try using ONE (or the OTHER) method to add the remaining additional sources (that are giving you no problems). Once you have the ONE or the OTHER method working with ALL the sources you want/need, then you can do "mixed mode" experiments. jaclaz

Topic split from the main WinsetupfromUSBwithGUI one. Unfortunately I have no "best" (and not even "worse") guess. Meaning that without some more detailed description I cannot understand what the problem is. It is not clear to me HOW you start the install, from WHICH source device, to WHICH target one, on which hardware, etc., etc. You didn't even specify if you tried using the stable 0.2.3 version or the newish 1.0 beta. Maybe, but it's a wild guess it's something related with the "Removable" vs. "Fixed" status of the multipartitioned flash stick? Can you start with the usual litany? http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html jaclaz

Sure, I was joking . jaclaz

Actually to see how it behaves, you should fill it with non-junk data. I mean, if you fill it with junk data and you get back junk, HOW will you detect that is not "different junk"? "junk vs. corrupted junk" - a new frontier.... jaclaz

If I may, something is either CaSe SeNsItIvE or not. Nothing "horrible" about any of the two choices. BTW, windows NT/2K/XP etc. install disks have traditionally been cAsE sEnSiTiVe and they additionally SUCK in the way they are conceived, but still the guys at MS are there and keep programming - mostly - in "queer" ways. jaclaz

In the flash.bat (inside the .zip, inside the floppy .img inside the .iso) there is a line like: :SEAFLASH1 set model=ST31000333AS sf -m BRINKS -f -s -x -b -v -a 10 -h 6hcfgsd3.txs The sf.exe command help is: You may want to play a bit with these. jaclaz

@cheloo JFYI: Do the right thing. If you want to kill for good that hard disk, updating it with a non 100% confirmed to be suitable firmware, is the right thing to do. If you want to have that hard disk working: DO NOT update the firmware needlessly ONLY do it after having had an EXPLICIT confirmation that the firmware is the right one or after being yourself REASONABLY convinced of it BTW, the update is "commanded" by a sort of .ini, a .txs file, that you can modify to "force" trhe upgrade (or simply remove the checking line in the .bat) - of course at YOUR COMPLETE RISK. jaclaz

And the reason why in the FGA it is said that it won't work is BECAUSE IT WON'T WORK! If you really want to attempt a PCB swap , you need to ALSO swap the actual chip that holds the specific drive configuration, something that is not really "easy" or at a "normal" DIY level, desoldering and re-soldering tiny surface mounted components (without damaging/overheating them) needs some tools, but mostly experience and familiarity with the procedure that - no offence implied - you seem like simply missing at the moment. jaclaz

Interesting approach - talking of a shared, publicly available for Free, program like WinSetupFromUSB with GUI is. However, your topic is NOT suitable to the present "WinSetupFromUSB with GUI" thread (already long and "containing everything" as it is) ad it's not really "specifically related" to the app. If it's OK with you, I would split to a new topic your question as to keep everything "nice and tidy". jaclaz

Idea #1: once you have made a working stick , image it and re-deploy it from the image when corrupted Idea #2: have ninja pendisk pass on ALL your sticks: http://www.ninjapendisk.com/ (it's not of course 100% safe, but it helps) jaclaz

Actually, NO. He is suggesting to instal 7 on a "conventional" hard disk, BUT put the pagefile (and the "most relevant" apps) on a (fastish) SSD. I fear this will soon turn in the usual Pagefile vs. NO pagefile, Pagfile fixed Size vs. Pagefile System Managed, FAT32 vs. NTFS, Godzilla vs. King Kong flame war. jaclaz

Why a fixed list? This match selected "normal" install only. What about a dynamically created list? I do like people proving me wrong , expecially when they are right. jaclaz

Trying to put some sense to it, this is the "other" (slightly later) version found: Maybe it is possible to find IEAK3.2 and check if there is any "support" file. The .txt document I found explicitly talks about "CompressionType" being switchable between MSZIP and QUANTUM. This document is seemingly much earlier than both the files and the .htm: the reference is last modified file which is 8/5/94 1.00.21 (Build 507) The version found by Petr in IEAK3.2 is 1.00.0540 (02/01/96). It contains at least one reference to Quantum, as there is embedded in it an error message: "Quantum Compression Level not in range (%1..%2)". The version found by submix8c is 1.00.0530 (03/29/95). And it contains the SAME error message. The .htm document I found is dated July 10, 1996 and misses ANY reference to Quantum. Without knowing in advance that also Quantim is supported, the "CompressionType" part becomes seemingly senseless: An option with just one value to chose from ...and there is no reference to two seithces that are in the .txt: Compressionlevel and Compressionmemory (the latter probably not being anymore a problem ) The pseudo-code is nice : I am pretty much sure (knowing how the good MS guys tend to re-use code) that some info can be still gathered (by an actual C programmer) from the actual FCI and FDI sources inside the (MAKECAB related) cabinet SDK: http://yumsn98.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7A1111C0D6CB4DC4!172.entry Actual file courtesy of the Wayback Machine: http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://download.microsoft.com/download/platformsdk/cab/2.0/w98nt42kmexp/en-us/cabsdk.exe the FCI.H (online here): http://yumsn98.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7A1111C0D6CB4DC4!178.entry and FDI.H (online here): http://yumsn98.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7A1111C0D6CB4DC4!179.entry are seemingly explicit enough. The actual docs: http://msdn.microsoft.com/ja-jp/library/bb417343.aspx only talk of MSZIP and LZX. jaclaz

What about Offline Sysprep? http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showforum=43 (and/or just the two available injectors): http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=22523 http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=22313 jaclaz

Yes, NEVER edit a bootable .iso. If you are into experimenting, you can try the pesort approach and you can probably shave a few (several) seconds at boot time: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=6869 OT I don't recall anyone publishing or testing a list for "normal" install, but maybe the same increase of speed can be achieved. jaclaz

NO. READ the read-me-first: jaclaz

OW, comeon: Attached. Great find, BTW. BTW, with the "right" keywords, it seems like ther is also: http://www.freewarehof.org/hof.txt I have no idea where to find it, the date seems "the same", but the size is much smaller. jaclaz MCABIN10.ZIP

@ilko_t If, for any reason, you don't do your computer properly seated on a chair , please do take one and seat comfortably on it before accessing this : http://downloadcenter.mcafee.com/products/tools/foundstone/ Directory on McAfee site where free tools are available. I was there getting a fresh copy of the excellent BinText utility (BinText303.zip) today, and noticed file (near the bottom of the list/page): warning.txt I had a look at it: Their Anti-virus detected a packer inside their own file! ...and obviously did NOT delete it as file SharePointDiscovery.exe has the same timestamp 21-Oct-2010 09:04 of warning.txt ... jaclaz

It depends "how" you image the computer. If the Disk Signature changes, any "non-standard" drive letter assighed is lost and a "defult drive letter" enumerating is applied. Of course you can manually attribute a Disk Signature and "fix" MountedDevices hive contents in the Registry. Open, when booted from the "original", with the "right" X: assigned, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices and save it's contents as .reg file. Open when booted from the "restored", with the "X: reassiggned to D:", HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices and save it's contents as .reg file. Compare the two .reg's. jaclaz

The files are seemingly "right", their content unfortunately isn't. This means that the info in the MBR is completely "nuts". Try getting Dmde and analyze the image: http://softdm.com/ jaclaz