jaclaz

Good. Now that you think you may form yourself an opinion on FAT32 vs. NTFS, I can play the wildcard FAT64 or ex_FAT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT The good guys at ntfs.com have updated their "comparison chart" to include it: http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs_vs_fat.htm No more 4 Gb file size limit, far lower overhead than NTFS. Transactional FAT makes it almost as robust as NTFS: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa915463.aspx And again most of the NTFS features are useful ONLY for a multi-user, security savvy environment, and are pretty much useless on "archiving" media or "common" single-user environments: Alternate Streams Compression Encryption Disk Quotas Sparse Files Reparse Points Volume Mount Points jaclaz

Sure, that's the same link. jaclaz

Disambiguation: http://www.forensicswiki.org/wiki/Ddrescue ddrescue -> http://www.gnu.org/software/ddrescue/ddrescue.html dd_rescue -> http://www.garloff.de/kurt/linux/ddrescue/ JFYI: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=11434 jaclaz

Choosing between FAT32 and NTFS is your problem. There are enough FAT32 vs. NTFS threads on MSFN, usually ending up in flaming the "opposite" party that starting another one is pretty much pointless, a few examples: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=125116 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=125908 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=127698 Just for the record I can tell you that I NEVER lost 1 (one) single byte of data using the built-in XP utility CONVERT.EXE. jaclaz

Try WITHOUT the minus signs, like: Well, these are the cases where you need to ask for the actual ID of the operator, and file a complain by writing, citing also the exact day and time of the call, they can trace the call on their records even if the little b**t*rd gives you a fake reference. jaclaz

...by adding a % sign to have two in front of variables: %a on command line %%a in batch script http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=11604 @justhink Just to clear the sense of my post, the plot WITHOUT it: you have a problem you solved it, and say so WITHOUT telling HOW noone else will ever be able to benefit from the reported experience and the plot WITH it: you have a problem you solved it HOW it was solved is posted someone else with your same problem may benefit from the reported experience jaclaz

Just wanted to chime in to remind (if needed ) that there is a "simple" way to access/mount a .wim: http://nativeex.boot-land.net/Programs/WimCaptEx/WimCaptEx.htm http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9765 that can be used from XP also. jaclaz

Well, if this is the case iPod doesn't run Win98, it runs a "wide target" emulator, BOCHS, i.e. a Virtual Machine, inside which you run Win98. (or whatever): http://bochs.sourceforge.net/ BOCHS is extremely slow normally, I have no idea how slow it will run on an iPod or iPhone. There are a number of quick guides to have it running, though the verb "to run" should be intended as "to walk really slowly". http://goodiphone.com/2009/07/windows-95-on-iphone/ http://blog.alltechrelated.com/2009/07/25/how-to-install-and-use-bochs-run-win95-or-win3-11-on-iphoneipod-touch/ The iPad appears like a better candidate but at the moment you can simply forget about USB and Wi-Fi within Bochs, let alone on a newish hardware platform: http://bochs.sourceforge.net/doc/docbook/user/features.html jaclaz

Yep , that's magic coffe : jaclaz

Translation (if needed) . A "valid" .reg Registry file is recognized in first instance by the first non empty line it contains, that must be: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 jaclaz

I don't want to seem harsh against the tech support peeps (expecially the underpayed ones), but clearly the "right" message has not been delivered properly. As cluberti correctly stated, there is NO implicit accusation that *you* particularly activated 8 times *your* copy of windows with *your* key. What they can say is that in the last given frame of time that key has been used n times to activate n copies of windows. When something like this happens, they make the key invalid, in order to avoid people (NOT necessarily you ) to use again that key and "protect" their business. Of course this is entirely b***sh**, those on the "dark side" that actually know what they are doing, will need some 5 minutes to grab another still working key or generate a new one or whatever WITHOUT any "real" consequence. What they stop is the misuse by a handful of kids playing with things bigger than themselves, point is that doing so the MS guys create a nuisance to an actual lawful and loyal customer, pi**ing him off. If to this you add the defect of communication that evidently occured in this instance, you have another lawful customer not only seriously harassed by the need of talking "front line" peeps into having a "real" assistance executive on the phone and/or by the procedure needed for proving himself honest and in good faith, but also heavily offended by the hint he may be a thief of some kind. (BTW the phone call from most countries has a cost that the customer has to pay in order to get some assistance with something that he didn't caused) Would you call "smart" whatever security system that creates no actual obstacle to the "bad guys", but seriously harasses the "good ones"? jaclaz

Well, not exactly. If PLoP works, YES, and you can also use a "normal" Windows Setup routine from USB (even though a few tweaks may be needed, so all in all I would use the "old way" summed up in the given link anyway ). With the DOS bootdisc you may be able to copy the XP setup files on the internal hard disk and then start a local install from DOS, but you won't "boot from USB", loosely following the given thread: where after all the only difference is that you boot from floppy and use the USB as "DATA volume only", thus the USB stick does not even need to be bootable. You need to be careful if n-liting, NOT to remove "Operating System Options-->Manual Install and Upgrade". SHAREWARE: Spreadsheet: Spread32 http://www.byedesign.co.uk/ Word Processor:Atlantis http://www.atlantiswordprocessor.com/en/ FREEWARE tools: Worprocessor/PDF related: http://www.nativewindsofmontana.com/software/docx2rtf.html http://www.nativewindsofmontana.com/software/tpdfplus.html Maintenance: Regseeker http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm Browser/Email: Opera (what else? ) http://www.opera.com/ @Ponch I wouldn't trust the date, try doing a binary comparison, FC /B is enough. jaclaz

Yep However, PLoP is continuously updated, which version did you try? http://www.plop.at/en/bootmngrusblog.html @ijwcomp A far less known option, but that has it's merits, is to boot a DOS floppy with USB support. If PLoP doesn't work on the particular motherboard, try with this floppy: http://johnson.tmfc.net/dos/usbdrv.html just recently updated. If you get to accessing the USB from DOS, you can use this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713 as a "base" (of course you will need to adapt it being the DOS on the floppy and not on the stick) If you want NTFS after all, the XP built-in utility CONVERT.EXE has been tested long enough to be reasonably sure that it works flawlessly. jaclaz

There must be a zillion threads about this, however these two threads should sum up the available options: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8479 http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6865 The "1 TB" might need further tricks/tweaks: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=129027 jaclaz

You joking, right? http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html#noinstall PLoP has been developed EXACTLY to allow (once booted from floppy or CD) to boot from the USB bus! Of course it can also boot from USB if installed to the HD. Problem is only if it will work on the specific motherboard. jaclaz

Maybe yes, maybe no. I guess you are actually talking of the: HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell registry key. Explorer is the Windows SHELL. You can normally change it with ANOTHER app that is "thought as" being a replacement SHELL. You can try to replace it with any other app, but the functionality could be severely compromised. When Explorer loads, it performs a series of "tasks", including that of loading the items in the Startup folder and/or in the corresponding Registry keys. Your substitute app may NOT. You can specify several apps in the "userinit" key, but you'll have to test and tweak them. Read this only seemingly unrelated article: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms838576(WinEmbedded.5).aspx And this reference for keys that are involved in the "autostart": http://www.0dayclub.com/wiki/doku.php?id=startup_tricks http://www.immutablesecurity.com/index.php/2009/11/29/windows-startup-locations/ http://vb.wikis.com/wc.dll?Vb~ProgramStartupMechanisms It is well posssible that "MediaCenter/Media Portal" crashes because it is dependent on some service or whatever that Explorer normally starts and that in your configuration is not started. All in all I would suggest you to use an unobtrusive SHELL replacement, such as blackbox/bblean/bb4win (possibility to have no icons, no bars, no nothing in view) that allows anyway full control on the system (by right clicking anywhere on the desktop) and is highly configurable: http://bb4win.sourceforge.net/bblean/ http://www.bb4win.org/news.php (just a couple of examples, there are tens of such "lean" SHELL alternatives) jaclaz

PLoP: http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html jaclaz

Well, well, CrazyDoctor does have a fancy for "mission impossible" thingies.... First thing, DON'T even think of using that cracked CD in a modern drive. I have (and dearly care for) a SCSI 1x drive, one of those with caddies to try this kind of CD recovery. And NO, you won't get anyhting from that CD. JFYI: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2172 jaclaz

As long as it is possible to run XP with 8 MHz & 20 MB: http://www.winhistory.de/more/386/xpmini_eng.htm why wouldn't 7 run with 128? Original MS requirements (the ones that you have to at least DOUBLE to have a responsive system ): http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sysreqs/pro.mspx XP:300 Mhz & 128Mb RAM http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/system-requirements.aspx 7:1 Ghz & 1 Gb RAM Now: 20/128=÷1/6 128/1024=÷1/8 So, theoretically it shouldn't be possible, right? NO, wrong: AFAIK we are "stuck" at 96 Mb: http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/windows-7-runs-on-a-pentium-ii-with-96mb-ram-20090622/ Or maybe at 64 : http://forum.thewindowsclub.com/136774-post37.html The next question is "Is it smart?" (and everyone can answer this one ) jaclaz

Huge bump, I know , but I just found some info about Diamond Compression. There is also an introoductory page on MS KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/124613/en-us jaclaz diamond.txt Diamond.htm

What happens if you tell it to show ALL drives? jaclaz

Yep , just asking if there is anything else. You might want to notice how the KB931854, besides the utter unusefulness of the proposed workaround: as well as the incipit: are WRONG! What edborg reported in the linked to thread is that the same happened by ONLY changing the Active status of an existing partition , in other words in order to change a single byte from 00 to 80 or viceversa the stooopid XP disk management created havoc! jaclaz

I'll try checking with the "usual suspects" : http://www.cabextract.org.uk/libmspack/ http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=81068&st=8 Just for the record, should anyone among the less "technical oriented" members need to extract the ME files from XP/2K3 in order to do some experimenting, this may come of use: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16745 jaclaz

Yep, just for the record: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9897&hl= if you happen to find the actual link on MS, I would appreciate it. jaclaz

Yep , but that assumes that the OS currently on the laptop is working, that a phantomatic free and online partitioning program exists, that the actual running system is Windows (which one?),etc. etc. The problem is that we miss this info: What OS is the laptop running? Is it currently booting/running? Can it connect to a LAN? Is there a floppy disk? Is the USB functional (even if not bootable from)? The easiest would be if there is some way to copy a few kbytes to the machine AND it is running an OS, to try using PLoP. http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=140412 jaclaz