jaclaz

Yep. @VideoRipper I wouldn't be so sure about the need of that adapter needing to be powered. For all I know the "+" pin OUTputs +5V (and not between 3V and 5.5 V), drawing it from the USB connection. Otherwise the three cable version: http://cgi.ebay.it/USB-to-serial-adapter-PL2303-TTL-console-recovery-RS232-/180528396085?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0854b735 would NEVER work. Of course it is well possible that there are TWO different versions, one powered from the USB port (above) and one with 4 wires because it needs to be powered: http://cgi.ebay.it/2-x-PL2303-USB-TTL-rs232-adattatore-convertitore-cavo-/220645333205?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Cavi_Prolunghe_Convertitori&hash=item335f7c98d5 http://cgi.ebay.it/2-x-PL2303-USB-TTL-RS232-Serial-Port-Converter-Adapter-/320563532928?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa3135480 but I frankly doubt it. @halbarad No need to make it more complex than needed. DO NOT connect ANYTHING to the cable adapter. Plug it in a USB port. Do a loopback test. Two possibilities: If it works, it means that it is powered form the USB. If it doesn't you need to supply power to VCC+GND OR: DO NOT connect ANYTHING to the cable adapter. Plug it in a USB port. Test with a multimeter the Voltage (if any) between VCC and GND As often happens the seller has published incomplete, wrong or deceiving information. Sentences like this: i.e.: contribute a lot to confuse ideas. jaclaz

The MBR DATA seems correct. The code is "strange" at first sight, but it shouldn't matter and can anyway be fixed allright with MBRFIX. There was a misunderstanding. I meant "post the actual sectors", not the view of them. I.E. in the normal Tinyhexer view choose "Save as" and post the two resulting 512 bytes files (MBR and bootsector). The Partition table viewer only applies to a MBR (with partition table ) and not to a boot sector (as you can see in the second "beeblebrox like" screenshot, numbers are "random". Once I have the bootsector data I can point you to other locations to check. After you have these sectors saved: To reset the initial status (before the changes) in the MBR: In the "PTview" view, click on the 07 in row #0 column "Type", a 07 in the hex view will be highlighted, overwrite it with 12. In the "PTview" view, click on the 80 in row #0 column "Boot", a 80 in the hex view will be highlighted, overwrite it with 00. In the "PTview" view, click on the 00 in row #0 column "Boot", a 00 in the hex view will be highlighted, overwrite it with 80. jaclaz

Next time use a "proper" tool :whistling:: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10169 Changed "how"? It seems like "something else". You have not by any chance fiddled with XP on a Vista partitioned drive? There are a few hiccups in doing that, though cannot say if they would apply to your current situation. You seemingly have a correct partition entry for the partition in the MBR. You seemingly have a valid bootsector (at least this is what testdisk reports). But I need to have a look at them to make sure. Get Tiny Hexer: (and my small scripts for it) http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8734 Check the MBR with PTview. Post the values you see. Save a copy of the MBR and of the first sector of the bootsector, put it inside a .zip archive and attach it to your next post. jaclaz

NOT a good idea. I assume this second partition was NTFS. Run again TESTDISK. See what it finds. Check that the last sector in the NTFS (copy of bootsector) is the same of the actual bootsector (if any) Otherwise get from it the "sectors before" and recreate a suitable partition entry. If you post some actual DATA, I may be able to help you with actually helping advice. See here for an example of a similar recovery: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=141687 jaclaz

DOS or console inside 2K, XP etc.? If the latter (if you want a "cmd"....) : :loop ECHO 1 = Run app ECHO 2 = Run app w\switch /B ECHO 3 = Exit. SET /P Mychoice=Please input a number IF %Mychoice%.==1. GOTO :Run_app_1 IF %Mychoice%.==2. GOTO :Run_app_2 IF %Mychoice%.==3. GOTO :just_exit CLS&GOTO :loop :Run_app_1 ECHO This is Run_app_1 GOTO :EOF :Run_app_2 ECHO This is Run_app_2 GOTO :EOF :just_exit ECHO This is just_exit GOTO :EOF OR: :loop ECHO 1 = Run app ECHO 2 = Run app w\switch /B ECHO 3 = Exit. SET /P MyChoice=Please input a number FOR /L %%A IN (1,1,3) DO IF "%%A"=="%Mychoice%" GOTO :Choice_%MyChoice% CLS&GOTO :loop :Choice_1 ECHO This is Choice_1 GOTO :EOF :Choice_2 ECHO This is Choice_2 GOTO :EOF :Choice_3 ECHO This is Choice_3 GOTO :EOF

Well, if you compare with the Windows ME floppy disk "embedded" in XP, you wiil see how they used a floppy they had around, deleted a few files (most of them recoverable/undeletable) and simply "dded" them inside an .exe. So, they are not new to this kind of behaviour. JFYI: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16745 jaclaz

Guess why I asked for the find / [TAB]? @hannesrohr12 Rest assured the stick appears like properly formatted by RMPREPUSB, let's see what happens ith the created "tag" file.... jaclaz

Why 0.1.1? You should normally use either vers. 0.2.3 "stable" ot the 1.0 beta x. When you have that error, you should be "dropped" to the grub> prompt (or anyway you should be able to get it by pressing "c"). Now you are in command line mode, you can issue single commands and see the feedback. Try: geometry (hd0) [ENTER] geometry (hd1) [ENTER] Post results of the above two coomands. Then establish root on first partition of the USB device, depending if a switch of the drive already happened it will be either (hd0,0) or (hd1,0): root (hd0,0) [ENTER] or root (hd1,0) [ENTER] Then issue command: find / [TAB] Which files are listed by the auto-completion feature? jaclaz

Try putting a TITLE to it: http://ss64.com/nt/start.html Try putting the parameters inside the quotes, i.e.: jaclaz

Good. Now it comes to mind a question: if a single guy in a few days of his spare time can take a "random" item and reduce it's size tenfold what could do the full-time MS guys if they wanted to? As a dinosaur, in my simplicity I continue thinking that smaller things are faster, no matter how faster is your hardware, managing less bytes it will make it faster! jaclaz

Yep, personally I find the "main"+"sub-routines calls" or "functions" a much better, clearer way to write batches. @patronu Here is a nice source, just in case: http://www.dostips.com/ http://www.dostips.com/DtTutoFunctions.php jaclaz

NO. If it's already SP3 the most it can become after nliting it with SP3 is .... SP3 , I would say not worth the trouble for such a non-dramatical change. jaclaz

And hopefully also in a non Commercial Environment... jaclaz

Sure, no prob, just kidding. jaclaz

Which one? That of dencorso being right or that of finding an ISP that filters out the nasties ? jaclaz

Well, if I am "MSFN SuperB", for basic equal opportunities reasons Tripredacus must be referred as "K-Mart-ian Legend" . jaclaz

That's another question. Most probably the only way is to make a complete bootlog with Process Monitor : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx You can also try using Autoruns or a similar utility to disable anything that runs at startup and see if the behaviour changed. jaclaz

You can use Qemu, if your laptop is fast enough, you will have in Qemu the same feeling of, say, a 400 Mhz machine, more than enough. You can try quickly this one: Check on the specs of your PC if it the optical drive is SATA, if yes, most probably that's the problem, and you may want/need to either attempt (and troubleshoot) the USB way or do a "local" install (from files pre-copied to internal hard disk). jaclaz

A DE partition is NOT mounted by "default" Windows XP. You must have downloaded/installed something that changes the behaviour. It could be any program that runs automatically something similar to showdrive.exe: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10169 typically it could be some kind of Virtual Drive software, check with dosdev if a "volatile" definition is established (won't appear in \DosDevices) jaclaz

Yep, I completely missed that it was used as a mounting point. But in the original use the .wim is not Written, is it? Still I don't think you can mount anyhting on FAT at all. I guess that this is - as often happens - a bit misleading: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc722145(WS.10).aspx jaclaz

Also: SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION FOR /F "TOKENS=2 DELIMS=:" %%# IN ('IPCONFIG /ALL^|FIND "DHCP Server"') DO SET DHCPSERVER=%%#&SET DHCPSERVER=!DHCPSERVER:~1! But we are using the & jaclaz

VERY GOOD WORK! About this: There is an easy answer: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3541 A seemingly OT (but not much) idea: Is there any real *need* for the filesystem inside the boot.sdi to be NTFS? Or FAT 12 would do? jaclaz

Just for the record, the GUID is for Network NiC's: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc780532(WS.10).aspx The actual \0007 part in your example will probably change: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc781989(WS.10).aspx Though curiously enough this report has the same \0007 : http://bigbadbirdie.blogspot.com/2010/06/dell-e6500-network-configuration-for.html And also this one: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/99318-problem-echo-batch-script.html This latter has a batch that may be useful as inspiration. jaclaz

Is it free? Is it still available? The "current" should be Visual Basic 2010 Express http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/ The 2005 version is still available, seemingly: http://msdn.microsoft.com/it-it/express/aa975050.aspx As well as the 2008: http://www.brothersoft.com/visual-basic-2008-express-edition-67707.html A couple lists: http://www.freebyte.com/programming/basic/ http://www.thefreecountry.com/compilers/basic.shtml For limited needs these look like right: http://www.justbasic.com/ http://www.kbasic.com/ (freeware versions of Commercial apps) Otherwise: http://www.freebasic.net/ jaclaz

Thanks . You are not too far behind me in joining date, I see, would that mean that we are getting old? Let's say we are getting more mature... If you want some really nice (and really mean) - not jokes - but English "definitions", do check Ambrose Bierce's "Devil's Dictionary": http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/972 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/972/972-h/972-h.htm one among the many : jaclaz