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

No prob, I'll add the option to keep the "USB Repair" entry in the batch. Just an abstract idea, mind you, but we could make a second batch to "clean" the BOOT.INI from the signature(aabbccdd) and "USB repair" option entries on second boot, i.e. once the user is certain that the procedure worked. You are right, I'll add this check to the batch. Have fun and relax. I am not sure I fully understand this last part, but I think that if anything changes between USB stick and USB Hard Disk, we can make a detection in the batch for the type of media and have a conditional execution of different instructions. jaclaz

No need whatsoever to apologize, your contributions have been and are of the max importance. However, since the binifix3.cmd has the same functionalities of binifix2.cmd, one could stay with it, just in case some other user, with different/strange BIOS or something else, should come out with a signature(aabbccdd) entry in boot.ini. jaclaz

@wimb Please try the attached binifix3.cmd Changes: 1) Replaces (if Default entry) signature(aabbccdd)disk(0)rdisk(z)partition(w)\windir with: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(z)partition(w)\windir Both in default entry and in [Operating Systems] 2) Writes original entry in [Operating Systems]: signature(aabbccdd)disk(0)rdisk(z)partition(w)\windir="Some description" /some parameters modified as follows: signature(aabbccdd)disk(0)rdisk(z)partition(w)\windir=(signature) "Some description" /some parameters This should cover all cases , I guess that the user that uses this "experimental" way will be able to delete the (signature) entry from boot.ini manually once the new "default" one has proved to be working. jaclaz P.S.: Just found a smaller problem in binifix3.cmd Removing the attachment, will re-add it later, as soon as I fix it. OK, now it should work. binifix3.zip

@wimb Could not the batch file provide a way to automatically get rid of the signature(aabbccdd) line of your post #141? If I get it right, that line gets the correct rdisk(z), and as so it would just be a matter of replacing signature(aabbccdd) in the lines with multi(0). As "normally" there are no entries with signature(aabbccdd) syntax in boot.ini, if one is found it should always be the one created by the install. Just to be on the safe side one could just correct the default entry and duplicate the [Operating Systems] one, leaving one entry with the multi(0) and one with the signature(aabbccdd) syntax that could be manually selected in case the "direct" one, for any reason, won't boot. jaclaz

@all Please find attached a 2nd tentative version of the batch file. Unlike the first version, this will ONLY work with a BOOT.INI on root of a drive (or in a path without spaces in it) Solved three problems: 1) one or more "=" signs on the right of the "main" one 2) one or more leading or trailing spaces in entry or entry description 3) empty lines Added backup feature for original BOOT.INI, saving a maximum of three versions. @cdob I'll look at your suggestions, I have not yet a complete and definite idea on how to find the right drive. There is a key in Registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\SystemPartition where this values are set: "SetupType"=dword:00000000 "SystemSetupInProgress"=dword:00000000 "CmdLine"="setup -newsetup" "SystemPrefix"=hex:c2,0b,00,00,00,40,3f,20 "SystemPartition"="\\Device\\HarddiskVolume1" "OsLoaderPath"="\\" Though illogical as it may seem, the "SystemPartition" actually appears to represent the "Boot" partition, as opposed to %SystemRoot%. "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume1" is a "symbolic" link for which I have not found (at least yet ) a way through pure batch and through "normal" XP included command line tools. One could however use the vlm.exe utility (part of the DSFOK toolkit) to "couple" this link to actual drive letter. Otherwise we are back to "square 1" with DMDIAG.EXE. I would greatly prefer to only use "standard" tools, so any idea is welcome, maybe this is possible through a .wbs script? jaclaz P.S.: Please someone have a look at this batch: http://www.robvanderwoude.com/bootdrive.html (I have not handy a XP machine right now) Does this return "System" or "Boot" drive? binifix2.zip

@wimb Hey, I don't want to seem unfriendly, I am not, and at times I am also an extraordinarily friendly guy , but when one asks (I guess politely) for something, like: and: Please do post some examples of these boot.ini's so that I can adapt the code. One expects two kinds of replies: #1: Yes, here are the examples required. #2: No, I will never post what you required. (and all possible variations of the above) Quite frankly telling me HOW I should correct a batch file I wrote, because it does not work with some entries of which I have not (and asked for twice) any example is a bit trying for my otherwise good manners. However, should I have failed in explaining this before, can you please post some examples of boot.ini files that do not work with the tentative batch I posted? jaclaz

@wimb This should work as well, takes into account multiple (if any) "=" but the main one, and is a bit more simple : FOR /F "tokens=1,* delims==" %%A in ('TYPE %source%') DO ( IF /I "%%A"=="default" SET DefaultEntry=%%B IF "%%A"=="!DefaultEntry!" SET EntryDesc=%%B IF /I "%%A"=="timeout" SET Timeout=%%B ) Please do post some examples of these boot.ini's so that I can adapt the code. @ilko_t Ok, I'll see what I can do with the Registry thingy. jaclaz

@cdob @wimb Good work in bug finding guys! I'll try and fix the reported misbehaviour of the batch. @cdob Yes, I just added the signature(aabbccdd) syntax as a "proof of concept" that the "logic" in the batch can be adapted to ANY situation, you are right, we can get rid of it in "final" release. About drive letter, I give as assumed that boot.ini is on the root of the drive, I wasn't sure that, at the time when the batch needs to be run, %systemdrive% represents correctly the latter (and I am still NOT convinced of it, I know I am a bit tough ) but as I usually, and from immemorable time, install Windows NT/2K/XP in extended partitions, %systemdrive% does NOT represent the BOOT drive. I had gathered from the thread that the "definitive" boot.ini is ALWAYS on C:\, boot drive, i.e. First Primary Active Partition of First Hard Disk, no matter where windows is installed, I would like to have a confirm of that, otherwise I think we need to use the batch passing to it a parameter. No problem if I can access the DosDevices key of the Registry, what I am not sure about is if at the time the batch is meant to run the Registry is accessible (I suppose not) and if the proper entry has already been written to the key. But, as said, if NO other "strange" setting has been applied, First Primary Active Partition of First Hard Disk, should always be C:\, maybe I can add the drive letter as an optional parameter for the batch (if not supplied willl default to C: ) No prob in adding a BOOT.INI -> BOOT.BAK feature, nice (and safe) idea. @wimb Can you post an example of line where the "=" sign is used on the left of the "main" "=" sign for description? Also, are there any cases where more than one "=" sign is used (besides the "main" one)? I guess I can modify the "tokens=1,2" "to tokens 1,*" or "tokens 1,2,3", but I need one (or more) example(s) to test the behaviour. jaclaz

@NOTS3W This might be of interest for you: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=69151 Various ways to implement a "tee" like command. jaclaz

Ok, here is the tentative batch to transform rdisk(z) into rdisk(z-1) As is, it is a bit complicated by the fact that it is written for debugging, it works with a boot.ini in the same directory as the batch, and, knowing how people love working in directories with spaces in them (why? ) provides support for them. Once it has been tested with positive results, it could be simplified as to work with %drive%\BOOT.INI. @ilko_t BOOT.INI should always be on C:\BOOT.INI, whatever the hard disk(s) setup is, am I correct? jaclaz binifix.zip

No, the idea is to have under win9x/Me GUI (NOT under DOS 7.x command line) an alternate command interpreter capable of running .cmd batch scripts INSTEAD of .bat ones and take advantages of most (but NOT all) added features of batch commands from NT/2K. For a replacement of DOS command.com, the reference is of course the JP Softwares 4DOS, which used to be Commercial, then was released as FREEWARE and recently became OPEN SOURCE !: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/4DOS-is-no...urce-t2549.html Start here: http://www.4dos.info/ http://www.4dos.info/4dinfo.htm if you do not know what 4DOS is. I don't get it , the download on the given site: http://cygutils.fruitbat.org/consize/ has TWO builds of it, already compiled. jaclaz