jaclaz

It is possible that is related not to NTFS, but to the NTFS bootsector of Vista (as opposed to the 2k/XP/2003 NTFS bootsector) Try formatting NTFS, then run on the volume bootsect.exe /NT52, then try again running grubnst.exe, jaclaz

@zZolaa It seems to me like the right occasion to test the new kid on the block on a 64 Gb: RMPREPUSB: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7739 The alternative being installing a filter driver and using normal Disk Management. Or, under Vista, using diskpart. jaclaz

Reading the nLite's License in the part where it allows only personal use? jaclaz

You are not the only one, they were removed from the hosting server or timed out. However, you missed reading just five posts before yours, some images were re-uploaded, and there is a complete guide (with images): http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...807&st=1295 Please avoid quoting entire, lengty posts, it only makes the thread harder to read. jaclaz

The photos have been re-posted. Here are the links to them (in the order they were on the guide): http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?act=at...st&id=25717 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?act=at...st&id=25716 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?act=at...st&id=25718 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?act=at...st&id=25722 However, there is a "comprehensive" tutorial with good images and details, link here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=133387 jaclaz

Sure, both were made from info on this thread. FYI: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...807&st=1232 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...807&st=1247 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=133387 @robintay If loopback is OK, and you are positive about Hyperterminal (or Putty, or whatever) settings, 38400-N-8-1-N: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?act=at...st&id=25722 I am afraid there is a possibility that the PCB is "fried". Cannot really say what else you could try. Maybe, but maybe means maybe, doing the "short circuit" trick, but it's risky, and should be used as a last chance only. However AFAIK it only applies if you have a locked state board, not in a situation like the one you describe: http://forum.hddguru.com/tutorial-resolve-...-t11040-40.html (post by johnmar) and here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=129551 jaclaz

You where right, it was not complex at all. Look, don't want to seem grumpy, I am usually not , but you cannot jump from one method based on a USB stick to one based on a Cd and back. Several thousands or maybe tens of thousands of people have succeeded in using WinsetupfromUSB. It requires KEEPING the "Manual Install and Upgrade for removal". The few tens of people that had problems with WinsetupfromUSB have read it's thread: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444 and if there were not able to solve the problem by themselves, posted in there, and ilko_t or myself found what the problem was and solved it. It is very probable that your same problem happened and was already solved. Try browsing the thread, you will see what the normal troubleshooting steps are and if you cannot still find what the problem is do post there with the usual things: description of the hardware list of exact steps taken detailed description of what happens LOG from WinsetupfromUSB jaclaz

Did you try a loop-back test, before attaching the HD? See here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...8807&st=384 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...807&st=1194 jaclaz

Since you asked for it... ... you are wrong. It does make a difference when a drive is booted from USB or from "internal IDE". And, ...you are wrong , an external optical drive is NOT a readonly memory stick, a memory stick is normally a HD-like device, with a MBR and partition(s) - it starts booting from it's first sector (512 bytrs). An external optical drive is a CD-like device, has a CDFS and starts booting from sector 17 (and sectors are 2048 bytes). An external optical drive is a CD-like device and is equivalent to the CD part of a U3 memory stick (a stick that "shows" as two devices, a CD-like one and a HD-like one) Basically: IDE (read ATA/ATAPI) has been around for some 20 years. From the beginning both HD-like devices and CD-ROM devices were developed on this bus. Notwithstanding that, a number of BIOS was NOT coded to be able to boot from an internal IDE CD-Rom, and workarounds like BCDL, see this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=18650 and some of the BIOS that could actually boot from a IDE CD-ROM only booted from floppy-emulation bootable CD's When SATA was introduced, it was meant as (or at least was used as) a "parallel" (pardon me the pun with it's serial nature) BUS, to be added to "normal" IDE/ATA/ATAPI for "high speed" hard disks. As thus, there are (should say were) motherboards that do have problems booting from a CD device on the SATA bus, simply because they somehow "expect" that anything connected to the SATA bus is a HD-like device. Situation with BIOS implementation of "booting from USB bus" is even worse. Every builder has made his own (crappy in my opinion) BIOS extension for booting from USB and we are in a complete mess, and we still haven't talked about USB "ZIP" booting. Just check FAQ#10: http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...SB/USBfaqs.html And this thread: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7739 to have an idea of what problems one can find with pesky BIOSes Of all the USB devices that may (or may fail to) boot on a given "pesky" BIOS: Hard disk stick (HD-like formatted) stick (superfloppy formatted) stick (ZIP with MBR formatted) stick (U3 or however dual LUN with CD-like device) CD/DVD The last two are the LEAST experimented with. jaclaz

johnc, don't want to put you down, mind you , but if you think to use the Vista BOOTMGR as CD loader for a XP install, I think you are on a wild goose chase. There are several, tested and known to be working CD loaders/bootmanager, including: syslinux/isolinux grub4dos CD shell BCDW all of them freeware, some Open Source. They all work, have been tested and tweaked for years, are more flexible, give more options. Using the Vista one, besides creating possibly a problem with the OS License (you need both an XP and a Vista License) is sure COMPLEX, and I doubt would give ANY advantage over the standard bootsector. jaclaz

Hey peeps, it's not difficult, it's just probably outside your field of normal interest/experience. A Microsoft install CD has a 2048 bytes no-emulation bootsector (sometimes referred to as "Arnes boot record", sometimes as "Microsoft Corporation.img", that loads two files from the I386 directory: BOOTFIX.BIN (it's the thingy that say "Press any key to boot from CD") SETUPLDR.BIN <- this is the NT loader for setup grub4dos among other bootmanagers has the ability to load SETUPLDR.BIN just as it was loaded by the original MS bootsector. Since what is actually loaded the first time is grub4dos, the term chainload is used. (and it's also in the form "chainloader" a grub4dos command). Vista uses different files, etboot.com (the 2048 bytes no-emulation bootsector) and then the BOOTMGR/BCD. Normal XP install CD boots as follows: no-emulation bootsector->BOOTFIX.BIN->SETUPLDR.BIN->rest of files A grub4dos floppy emulation CD can boot either: grldr_on_floppy_image->menu.lst->whatever (including SETUPLDR.BIN) dos_on_floppy_image->grub.exe->menu.lst->whatever (including SETUPLDR.BIN) linux_on_floppy_image->grub.exe->menu.lst->whatever (including SETUPLDR.BIN) A grub4dos no-emulation Cd can boot: grldr_as_no-emulation-image->menu.lst->whatever (including SETUPLDR.BIN) jaclaz

Look in the forum you posted: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=5 there are 4 (four) sticked threads related to a known problem with Seagate drives. Just start reading them. jaclaz

As known, there are three kinds of emulation: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=4733&st=3 They are listed in the order of actual "most wide compatibility". The El-Torito floppy emulation one should boot on anything. The no-emulation one gave initially problems on some BIOS/CD's (I am speaking of years ago, when they were largely introduced by Windows 2000 CD's). It is possible that the same problem is happening today with the USB CD-Rom Bishop is using. The hard-disk emulation can be a problem, as an example it won't work properly on Qemu, see here: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...=3890&st=46 So, something to try, besides using the tested, working, and "simple" as I see it USB stick approach, would be to make an El_torito floppy emulation CD with an image booting grub4dos and from it chainload the SETUPLDR.BIN on the CD. As well, using grldr directly as no-emulation boot cd may work, or at least it would help in finding out whether the problem is: in the emulation mode, or in the specific MS no-emulation bootsector, or in somethng else I don't think that the problem with SATA CD's/DVD's is connected to the above, however. jaclaz

It is curious to see all the efforts by wimb and ilko_t being dismissed by comments like "it is complex". Try reading these: http://ccollomb.free.fr/blog/?p=59 http://myeeeguides.wordpress.com/2008/11/1...sb-flash-drive/ It doesn't seem like "complex". The methods were developed using HD-like devices. Using CD-like devices is completely different. You may find something useful here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=121502 Since mg.eggink explicitly stated that for the CD-like device "Manual Install and Upgrade for removal" can be removed, the problem should be in something else. From what you write it could be a problem with the no-emulation bootsector of the CD, or with the options with which you burned it somehow not being compatible with the Aspire BIOS. jaclaz

Even without massive google searching, in this same forum: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=5 you will see how vast is the problem with 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 Gb Seagate harddisks of 7200.11 series. FYI: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...092&st=1034 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...092&st=1045 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...092&st=1156 Personally, I believe that currently drives up to 250 or 320 Gb are a bit more dependable. http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...29114&st=11 jaclaz

The one reported to be working was the WinsetupfromUSB GUI one: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444 but don't think it will make a difference. Most probably you deleted with nlite something that you shouldn't have. Let's wait for the nlite experts. In the meantime, if I were you I would remove from the post a file which incipit is: jaclaz

Why don't you try the GUI app? http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444 http://ccollomb.free.fr/blog/?p=59 If it doesn't work, and the result is similar to the one reported here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=133085 It is possibly a problem connected with running Vista. Post the WinSetupFromUSB.log jaclaz

Just for the record, there were discussions about the nullity of restricting uses of a GPL license connected with the "no military patch" of the Gnutella GPL: http://web.archive.org/web/20060508181738/...se_modified.txt which lately eveolved in "beasts" like this one: http://www.fiberbundle.net/copyright.html Point is the limit to "freedom 0": http://www.cyberlaw.se/kalle/2006/08/14/mo...litary-use-gpl/ Here is the "official" definitions of the freedom's that are needed to be OSI compliant (read GNU GPL): http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html My personal opinion is that the Author is free to apply whatever limits to freedom he wishes to, but then these limits will make the app non-OSI compliant, and thus contrasting with the use of the GPL. jaclaz

Installing on the mini12 from USB is reported to work: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=130809 with a "strange quirk" that can be fixed manually. So it must be something you removed too much. Or maybe it's the method you are using. WHICH method are you using for installing from USB? http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=157 jaclaz

User CarterInCanada has posted here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...807&st=1232 announcing a new guide which I find very clear and complete with images and whatnot (including some humour ) The original post already lays under a miriad of later posts, in that massive original thread, thus a separate thread is needed to guarantee its visibility. Guide is here: Fixing the Seagate Bricks by CarterInCanada jaclaz

toniko, try using this guide: http://www.mapleleafmountain.com/seagatebrick.html The "missing images" of the original guide have been re-uploaded here, however: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...807&st=1243 jaclaz

Maybe I can clarify some of my ideas on the subject. I personally like, whenever possible, to try and give people the basics, just like the Chinese Proverb: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2279.html What generally happens is however: http://www.amatecon.com/fish.html I only put together some small batch files due to five reasons: it's the only "programming" language I know a bit about (do you really want to hear about the other four?) everyone or nearly everyone has it's interpreter available, no need for some exoteric compiler, no need for some new syntax/intrpreter it's very similar, like BASIC, to "plain" English, and thus reading a batch should be enough to understand what it does and how it does it KISS approach: to do simple things you can use simple tools, they will break less often everyone can easily better or adapt the script to his/her needs I like simple things that do simple things, or if you prefer very vertical apps. I find that making complex things hides the way they work, whilst most of the beauty in this kind of things is knowing what happens, why it is needed, and how it is done, then, once learned that, find a way to repeat the procedure with less manual effort. And I usually try to explain and document the theory behind operation. People usually do not like this approach, typical first comment about any batch file or command line app: that black box opening is awful, how can we find a way to hide it? Not so casually, and still within reason #1 above, my only experiments in the GUI world are, pseudo-GUI's, I am more interested in substance than appearance. The emoticon was a friendly and mocking remark aimed to wimb, I have often accused him of "featuritis", the syndrome that takes any "real" programmer, adding features over features in order to better his app, little by little making it a "do everything app", which is what people mostly like, and little by little hiding what it does under an additional layer of complexity. In other words it was a little indirect "poking" him, since I finally found probably the only other person on earth that would like to know what happens under the hood. It's the law of the market: there is no detailed "how it works"because noone (exception made for you ) is interested in it, what most people want is something that works for them with the least possible trouble, with no errors, with lots of options and no or very little use of one's own brain. To quote you, the should: should be expressed as "it would be nice if", and then the reply is: in a perfect world everything would be explained, step by step, and fully documented, but unfortunately this is not a perfect world, though of course, as Dr. Pangloss would say: What I basically meant was that if and when you will have time to go a little deeper in the matter, you will soon find yourself to take choices, and probably they won't be the same that were taken by wimb or ilko_t, you will re-analyze the steps that were originally taken and hopefully find new ways, no matter if better or worse that those already used. If you take the blue pill, you need not worry, if you take the red one, it comes to a price. jaclaz

Well, I won't use "rubberducky", but I find it an IDEA! jaclaz

Sure they don't work. A blinking cursor means something is wrong in either the MBR or the bootsector DATA. Both Fixmbr and Fixboot "fix" the MBR or bootsector CODE. Save the MBR (one sector) first sector of Physicaldrive Save the bootsector (one sector if FAT16, 6 sectors if FAT32 and 16 sectors in NTFS) first sector(s) of logicaldrive With HDhacker: http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/ Compress them together in a .zip file and attach it to your next post. BEFORE that, check that the Partition has been set as Active in the MBR, by using Beeblebrox: http://students.cs.byu.edu/~codyb/ or a similar utility, or directly grub4dos command line. http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/basics.htm http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/cli.htm http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/commands.htm http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/....htm#makeactive Typically when booted grub4dos from USB stick and no drive re-mappings hooked: (hd0,0) is first partition of the booted device (the USB stick) (hd1,0) is first partition of the second device (the internal hard disk) jaclaz

Might be related to this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21186 And what about bootsect?: http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/bootsectexe-...or-not-the-mbr/ jaclaz