jaclaz

It's my turn to take a few days off-line. @ilko_t Unfortunately I have no definite ideas at the moment. I have re-checked the MBR/bootsectors you posted, and though I had no time to completely test them in VM's, I have reinforced my "feeling" that something else might be involved in the non-booting problem. The only "strange" thing I have found is the number of reserved sectors on FAT16 formatted bootsector, 08, which is "normal" for FAT32, but that is normallly 01 for FAT16, at least on DOS and NT/2K formatted partitions, I need to try what happens under XP to make sure. I hope to have time to do so on my portable while on vacation. So, since the only other two things needed for booting (to an error message) are NTLDR/SETUPLDR.BIN and NTDETECT.COM, maybe there are some changes to them? Any other missing/wrong file should generate a definite error message. Please post the error message you got (if any) when NOT booting, it could help on pinning down where the problem might lie. The ideas by cdob, as always , make sense, it is possible that some part of WINNT32.EXE does not "recognize" the usage of the Filter, accessing the drive directly or whatever. Another thing you could try could be using instead of the Hitachi Filter, the dummydisk.sys driver from CodeProject: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...181&st=1954 jaclaz

Also you can try Uwe Sieber programs and info on DEVCON: http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbstick_e.html http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html jaclaz

More simply, try to add to the batch you have: this: EXIT and remove the wpeutil line jaclaz

@ilko_t I had a preliminary view at the posted bootsectors and MBR, and I am really puzzled, as I can see no difference that can justify the booting/not booting. Maybe after all there is nothing connected to MBR/bootsector that causes this behaviour. I'll try building a couple of Virtual disks with those bootsectors and check them.... As cdob hinted, IMDISK, while being an exceptionally GOOD tool, is not suited to work with "full" HD images. You'd better shift, at least for this kind of testing to Ken Kato's VDK: http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vdk.html (optionally using my pseudo-GUI for it) http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...ts/VDM/vdm.html You will need to use .pln file descriptors for geometry of drive, see my posts here: http://forum.winimage.com/viewtopic.php?p=938 Fell free to ask at any time , whether I can help you or not in a timely fashion it depends on the amount of free time I can set aside for this , however, the more you study and learn and the more you will see how there is nothing "magic" about anything computer related, everything can be, before or later, tracked to a cause, and (hopefully) a workaround or fix, even for the queerest of "behaviours" can be found, if only the same thing could be applied to "real" world. jaclaz

What you need to do is connected to "ACL". This is a freeware tool to modify ACL's, but there are others: http://setacl.sourceforge.net/ jaclaz

I'll check the bootsectors and let you know. About re-running the batch, at first sight the only missing thing is a check for NOT duplicating the "Old Default" entry, it can be fixed allright, I'll do that and the other more general polishing as soon as I have time. The PRESETUP.CMD appears to me an excellent idea, one could also try a POSTSETUP.CMD, as you already posted, it's not easily found info on WHEN postsetup.cmd is processed, but it seems like it is executed at the same point of GuiRunOnce: http://blogs.msdn.com/pointofservice/ http://blogs.msdn.com/pointofservice/archi...stallation.aspx though it seems that it is called by setuplauncher.exe: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms912403.aspx Check this oldie too: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=12566 (could we use devicesetpath.exe?) Or maybe we could use Fedit.exe: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=48200&hl= to edit WINNT.SIF on the fly? jaclaz

However, no need to post a new thread: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=102383&hl= jaclaz

Well, maybe yes, the problem might derive from the fact that, as has been reported by Dietmar on the famous Full XP on USB thread on 911CD, some utilities (NOT the HP one ) could try to interpret data already on MBR and/or bootsector. This is has been reported for XP's FORMAT command (in other words a partition formatted with XP's tools from scratch on a blank 00's or F6's drive may be different from one created over a previously existing one, as XP's FORMAT comand may "inherit" some of the previous data). This has been proved beyond any doubt for floppies: http://www.denispetrov.com/format144/ but about hard disks/USB devices I have no definite proof. So the problem might arise by a combination of the previous format with the new tool used. We can search for a file and set the variable to the drive where the file is found, using "binifix.cmd" or another "tagfile" just like the common "WIN51.IP" is used in Windows Setup, but still we need a minimal batchfile in %systemdrive% or in another path for which an environment variable is already established. Try the following add this one liner (save it as CHECKVAR.CMD): SET >CHECKVAR.TXT put it in \System32 and add this in winnt.sif: You should get a CHECKVAR.TXT file with all Environment Variables already SET when [GuiRunOnce] is run. We can even make a self-deleting batch, though it's a bit tricky, it can be done. I'll think some more about this issue and see if I can come out with and idea. jaclaz

I'll look at it, maybe some "paths" are incorrect. EDIT: My bad, just temporarily change in the batch this: :WriteBootIni CALL :attribs %source% Copy boot.txt %source% del boot.txt ATTRIB !switches! %source%>nul GOTO :EOF to this: :WriteBootIni CALL :attribs %source% Copy %BOOTTXT% %source% del %BOOTTXT% ATTRIB !switches! %source%>nul GOTO :EOF I'll re-check the batch and add a kind of error check for this in next release. It could be some kind of "glitch" in the FORMAT command. I am sorry to say so, but to help in this I need you to do a lot of work , I need 2x2x2x3 series of bootsectors AND MBR's: 1) Bootsector FAT16 made by HP utility+MBR 2) Bootsector FAT16 made by PEto USB+MBR 3) Bootsector FAT 16 made by FORMAT with Hitachi filter+MBR (made with Disk Management?) same as above FAT32 same as above FAT16 and FAT32 after the WINNT32 execution Now, ALL the above but using BEFORE 1) 2) and 3) a hex editor or a direct disk access utility like dsfo/dsfi to write hex value F6 to first 100 sectors of the stick. jaclaz

Should be this one: http://filehippo.com/download_universal_extractor/tech/?1882 jaclaz

The only reason I can see is that if some kind of error is found, instead of the default message: this one is shown: Maybe it is derived by our "unconventional" method , maybe setup "senses" that the USB stick is a Removable device and changes the bootsector to one "appropriate" for this kind of devices. All other changes, as detailed in the .xls files are consequence of the different length of this message. However, the "After" bootsectors appear to be valid so I would not worry too much about it. jaclaz

@ilko_t Checked the bootsectors, NO problems, everything is cool, results attached in a .xls file. However you lied to me You did not use the SAME procedure with FAT16 and FAT32, as the bootsectors in FAT16 have a different Volume Serial, whilst the ones in FAT32 have the same one. There must have been a FORMAT between "snapshotting" FAT16_BootSector_Before.dat and FAT16_BootSector_After.dat (I won't believe that the same operation happened with FAT32 ones and the semi-random routine that calculates Volume Serial gave two times the same number ) jaclaz compare_bs.zip

Please find attached binifix4.cmd I made a few changes, now it should do everything needed: 1) If you invoke it without parameters it will ECHO usage instructions and ask for a drive letter 2) It will take current "default" entry and add it to the end of the newly made boot.ini editing the description from, say: to Let me know if it works for you the expected way. Also, once it is confirmed to be working, we could delete the "YES" confirmation, add something like a "/noold" parameter to avoid the [OLD Default] entry, and suppress "informative" messages. jaclaz binifix4.zip

Yep, you did not , that method is using DOS + WINNT.EXE, this thread is related to direct install. A slightly different DOS + WINNT.EXE howto is here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...c=16713&hl= jaclaz

ilko_t Welcome back! No, I was waiting for you to get back, I'll do it in the next few days. About drive letter, it can ALREADY be given as a parameter, as in binifix3.cmd C: though there is no real (at the moment) parameter checking routine, the hardcoded "W" is just for testing, BOOT.INI should always be on the C: drive, at the time the batch is run. jaclaz

I too used to call mine Sarah, but, besides the fact that it evidently did not understand it's name as it invariably failed to come to me when I called it aloud, my wife began thinking I was: a. mad b. having an affair with another woman So I quitted. jaclaz

You are welcome. Please do keep us posted, here or on boot-land, with your proceedings and (hopefully) success. jaclaz

What you report is very strange. The subtotal function does not create a circular reference. Maybe is something else creating it. Try the attached file and tell me if it works for you or not. jaclaz testp.zip

But actually the "updated" guide should not have anything new that could possibly be related to MCE and your problems. Though both ilko_t and I tried to help you: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...1384&st=230 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...1384&st=231 You appear to have not posted any feedback....I find quite improbable that MCE compatibility will appear in the procedure by sheer magic... Maybe it would be better if you wait patiently for the release of the updated guide, then, once most probably it won't work for MCE , you start a new thread and we try together to find what the problem(s) might be and (hopefully) find a solution for them . Also, it is my opinion that the whole idea of technical boards like MSFN is or should be that of exchanging ideas and contribute, each according to the spare time and knowledge he has, so it is pretty pointless, not to say somehow rude, to put pressure on members that are working in their spare time and wish to share with the community their results. In Italy we have a saying that would sound in English something like "one that throws the stone and hides his hands", does it remind you anything/anybody? : http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=81788&st=5 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=81788&st=6 jaclaz

I guess you could also build a win98 completely (or quite) READ ONLY. Only things that actually need to be writtten is the Registry, applications settings and temporary files, (the latter two are no problem if you use a RAMDISK for them). There was a Registry Re-director by Qualystem, (not available anymore), recently a German member of boot-land found a similar FREEWARE tool: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/Setting-Re...ctor-t2293.html Since you are German talking, you should have no problem in understanding "directly" it's use. Do check the "Winimize" forum: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/Winimize-f53.html And the original thread on 911CD, where some more links and ideas are given: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...mp;hl=qualystem You might also want to consider the possibility of using grub4dos to mount a disk image as read only, this will effectively avoid any writes: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/Grub4Dos-t14.html jaclaz

There are two easy workarounds: 1. add a blank row just above the SUM() function. Say the the data is in B1 and the SUM function is in B2 as SUM(B1:B1). When you add a row between 1 and 2 the SUM formula will go in B3 but arguments will remain (B1:B1). Now change formula in B3 from SUM(B1:B1) to SUM(B1:B2) or, better yet, to SUM($B$1:$B$2). From now on, every time you add a line immediately below last data entered, NOT immediately above total, formula will change accordingly. 2. Change the SUM function into the cell B2 from SUM(B1:B1) to SUBTOTAL(9;B1:B2) or =SUBTOTAL(9;$B$1:$B$2) i.e. with the range comprising the cell where the subtotal function is. From now on, every time you add a row, whether immediately after the first row or anywhere between first row and the total row, formula will change accordingly. jaclaz

And of course most of the apps listed here, of which several are FREEWARE: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=100299&hl= jaclaz

Just for the record, I find this little app: http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Othe...krit/index.html very useful . jaclaz

Well, if you get to the BSOD, there is NO problem whatsoever with the partition, (you already booted PAST the IPL). Since you are running the whole thing from DOS, to solve the problem about active state of the partition you might want to review your WINNT.SIF, most probably you have some setting that "touches" the partitioning, which you can do before via batch. Here is a seemingly unrelated topic that enumerates the steps for fdisking/partitioning from DOS: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713 Look here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/153742/en-us also check this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/236086/en-us (though I don't think it's your case) More generally, google for "stop 0x0000006f 0xC0000034" (without quotes) usually it is a device driver that fails to initialize or a missing system file. However there are a few reports that it might be related to an incompatible CD drive (which I read also as "non-original XP install disk" burned at high speed - ALWAYS burn install CD's at lower possible speed): http://www.pcmech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103439 If I were you I would try again WITHOUT removing "from nLite the option Update/Install from DOS", just to make sure that it is not caused by that. jaclaz

I do use it. But the main reason I do it's for a couple elder machines, that do run old programs only, so there is not much sense (for me) to "tweak it" in Visual way. However, NT4 is not dead at all, the fact is that, from the beginning, it was targeted to "Prefessional" users had a much more limited diffusion than win9x/Me, so the "residual users" base is definitely smaller. I simply cannot remember having seen ANY PC that came with NT4 installed or bundled, exclusion made for servers. Some links that might be of interest for today's NT4 users (and links therein): http://www.boot-land.net/forums/Universal-...driver-f60.html http://www.boot-land.net/forums/I-found-a-...mine-t1697.html http://hjem.get2net.dk/fec/software/onebutton/ http://nt4ref.zcm.com.au/usb.htm http://us.geocities.com/mypublic99/ http://www.benchtest.com/nt_udma1.html http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm http://smallvoid.com/articles/windows-nt4/utilities/ http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=99030&hl= jaclaz