jaclaz

Just re-read phkninja's post above it has a link to it. jaclaz

If it is a simple partition problem FREEWARE TESTDISK is more than enough: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk jaclaz

@kiki burgh FYI, they are not that similar, the other thread involves booting a "whole" XP System, i.e. NTLDR+NTDETECT.COM+BOOT.INI with a directory structure like \Windows, this one involves booting an INSTALL, i.e. SETUPLDR.BIN+NTDETECT.COM+TXTSETUP.SIF with a directory structure like \I386 or \minint, similar to a BartPE or elder releases of WinPE. jaclaz

Perfect! jaclaz

Yes, what I meant was that unlike a well made "universal install CD", the WinPE solution will probably imply having several different disks for several different "type" of machines that usually are scattered around in a work environment. This, while being unconvenient enough when we are talking about CD's, becomes, as I see it, not a very viable solution when we come to USB sticks(s). Otherwise one might need to realise something more like this COMMERCIAL prog does: http://www.binaryresearch.net/products/the...imaging_utility Which however (imaging rather than unattendedly installing) is a time-saving method in Corporate environments. Yes, it CAN be done, as explained in one of the links I gave you before. The problem that still has to be resolved is that the USB stick made along method 4) must be re-generated after each use, see this also: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=92644&st=4 If you're looking for a one click solution, then you are right, it CANNOT be done. jaclaz

Maybe you are trying to make more things together and one interferes with the other. Files like UNATTENDED.TXT are not "standard". What I would do: 1) Leave alone (for the moment) nlite and any other software 2) Recreate a duplicate \I386 directory with EXACTLY the same files listed in the file attached here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25362 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25362&st=8 for the full XP version, this is Professional, use the Tacktech link given before for differences if you have Home, DELETE any file that is not in that list, ignore anything that is not in \I386 or one of its sub-folders 3) Manually apply the XP SP2 as detailed here: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windo..._slipstream.asp 4) Add the missing "root" files, as in here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...16381&st=18 This way you should be able to make a "generic" or "standard" CD. Once you have done that and it works in Virtual PC, (with the key on the back of your laptop), you can start thinking about integrating drivers and what not with nlite, RVM Integrator, making it Unattended, etc. jaclaz

Yep, but you see, that would be another "particular" solution, not a "general" one. And besides I don't own a stick with a "protect" switch.... ....the other way would be to use a Production Tool to make the partition on stick Read Only, but again it would cover only the sticks that use the particular controller the Production Tool was written for. jaclaz

No, as said, technically the particular app Partition Magic is not just a bootloader it is a program that has besides a bootloader (that only is used in the initial part) the functions of a (minimal) Operating Sustem embedded in the application itself, i.e. it has INSIDE itself a Video (with graphics), keyboard and mouse driver, it can access hard disks and write to them. These are the typical functions of an OS. There are no technical difficulties in making a bootloader capable of loading an .exe, but the .exe needs to be independent from any Operating System, which is not the case for the greatest part of them. jaclaz

Well, you must think to a VM as a Virtual Machine i.e. a "normal" PC simulated in software. If you build a "normal" PC and you forget to connect to it a Hard Disk, you won't be able to install an OS, right? When you "build" your Virtual Machine, you need to attach to it a Virtual Hard Disk, as well as a Virtual CD-ROM, check your documentation, when you do "New Virtual Machine" you are offered the choice to which hardware you want to attach to it. See this: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/article/articleview/1624/1/ jaclaz

Well, no, you don't have a CD with just Partition Magic in it, you have a CD with a (minimal) Operating System that runs Partition Magic (possibly contained within the Partition Magic code itself). In other words, that particular program has in its code all necessary code to interface with the PC bios, keyboard, screen, hard disks, mouse etc. This is NOT how normal apps work, they all need support from an underlying OS. Depending on the type of app, and of the calls that it makes the underlying OS can be DOS, Linux, Windows 9x/me, Windows NT/2K/XP/2003, VISTA, etc. jaclaz

I.E. something more like a "Recovery CD" than an Unattended Install... jaclaz

No, the .ISO seems OK, as clearly indicated, it has a problem with the hard disk. Did you configure properly an HD attached to the VM? jaclaz

Yes, it is doable. You need a command line ripper, like AKRIP: http://www.sonicspot.com/akrip/akrip.html Search for "CD ripper" on google, you'll find many of them. A MP3 encoder, like BladeEnc or LAME, if the ripper has not MP3 capbilities. An ID3 tagger, like: http://www.id3-tagit.de/english/index.htm All in all, I would suggest trying EAC: http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/ that does support command line parameters: http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/eac11.html http://www.digital-inn.de/exact-audio-copy...ne-options.html jaclaz

Well, a bootable CD implies that an Operating System boots from it. Maybe what you are trying to do is not a bootable CD, but rather an AUTORUN one, i.e. one that, once inserted in a PC with Windows 9x/Me/NT/2K/XP/2003 already installed on it, and on which the autorun feature of the CD drive is enabled, starts automatically the installation of the program. Here is a freeware app: http://autorun.moonvalley.com/autoruninfeditor.htm but there are many others, here are a few more: http://www.ezau.com/latest/articles/083.shtml jaclaz

The method is described here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14181 (Yes, LOONG thread) I tried to sum up most guides/howto in this post: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...181&st=1988 jaclaz

I think it is not that easy to make an integrated one-size-fits-all solution. The article alsiladka pointed to is just one of the methods, I tried to list them in this post: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=81788&st=6 The article describes a variant of method 2), as said in related thread, most probably a reduced winbuilder generated boot would be more handy than a BartPE build, some contributions are needed: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/Time-for-a...lenge-t644.html Method 1) is completely described and working. Method 3) is "on hold", for total lack of contributors. Porear in this thread: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=61384&hl= partially succeeded in method 4) (the USB stick is good for one install, then the files on it must be re-generated, I am still working on a way to undelete them and thus make direct re-use possible) Though I had no time to develop it, I am working along the line of re-calculating FAT tables to be able to save (and later restore) sectors that list directory entries with findpart. If anyone has some ideas or knows a better app to do the above is welcome to make suggestions. cdob tried method 5) and failed, though I think that it is possible, with some more tweaks, again, any contribution from people with powerful enough hardware is needed. jaclaz

Well, actually they have, you didn't ask for them : http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/ http://www.displaycalibration.com/ http://www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php http://www.jasc.com/support/kb/articles/monitor.asp jaclaz

Yes. jaclaz

http://www.imagingassociates.com.au/color/...x?link=software http://www.hex2bit.com/products/product_mcw.asp Take your pick. jaclaz

Well, no, I think you cannot just copy files extracted from Sp2.cab, you need to slipstream it. About the two missing files: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=26419 http://www.pennskog.com/cinemaster/hardwar...ers_details.htm http://www.pcfixtool.com/dll/5850/cinemst2.html http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintas...library/tsbyuv/ http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-files_...0/download.html You cannot remove a driver by ; if the line was there, most probably there is a reason. Check the other file (WINNT.SIF?,TXTSETUP.SIF?,UNATTEND.TXT) for references to that file, it is possible that it must be put in a subdirectory.... jaclaz

Check my FAQs too: http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...SB/USBfaqs.html All sticks from Kingston should be bootable. If the HP utility, for any reason does not work, you can try using either PetoUSB or Makebootfat: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=13784 Or any of the "workarounds" suggested on my page: http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...B/USBstick.html jaclaz

Yes, every info is interesting, but maybe Vista and WinPE 2.0 have nothing to do with windows XP, and with installing it from USB. Why don't you post a new thread with a link to the article in the Vista section? jaclaz

The Fred de Vorck method of disabling it involves the use of a modified SFCFILES.DLL, i.e. an empty list of files. http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=58049 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=71256 So it is very probable that you can modify SFCFILES.DLL deleting just the files names that you want NO protection on, though I cannot say HOW it can be done, i.e. if the file has a checksum of some kind..... jaclaz

See here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=92450 and links therein. jaclaz

Hmmm, you managed to put me into a paradox : - if I do not reply to you assuring once again that I have nothing against anyone and that I am not at all trying to increase my post count (which by the way I find to be impressive just as it is ), people might got a wrong impression about my behaviour.... - if I do reply, it could seem like you are right about my trying to increase my post count... , but maybe people will think that it is you that are trying to increase your post count.... I'll risk second choice... jaclaz