jaclaz

Very interesting post! I may add (Freeware for non commercial use): NTWRAPPER http://www.duodata.de/ntwrapper/index.htm Codeproject (Sourcecode only) - any taker to compile it?: XYNTSERVICE http://www.codeproject.com/system/xyntservice.asp jaclaz

Ok, this is a mirror of flyakite's Multiboot DVD, still don't quite understsnd the question, if it is: The short answer is YES. The long one is: YES, but there are several methods to identify the drive letter of a CD from a DOS/Win9x/ME batch, apart from "If exist" loops and FINDCD.EXE, I personally find this the best: FINDCD.COM: http://www.robvanderwoude.com/amb_cdrom.html or this other version of FINDCD.COM and FINDCD.BAT (not the one by Tom Lavedas, that uses Registry and is not suiteble during install) you find here): http://www.claymania.com/mtx-removal.html http://www.claymania.com/Remmtx.zip jaclaz

Yep, that's why on the referenced post: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713 is written: B) You should check that the install files have been copied to the hard disk and that the BOOT.INI on hard disk was modified, the method here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713 is based on the assumption that you take the USB stick out BEFORE running winnt.exe, that is run from the HD, from what you wrote, it seems like you started winnt.exe from the stick, this will most probably (read certainly) change drive letters, unless you are installing to a partition which is NOT First Active Partition of First Hard Disk. However you can manually add an entry to boot.ini, to boot the second part of the install, the entry should be something like: C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup" jaclaz

I am using Grub4dos, links here: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/Grub4Dos-t14.html Search on the 911Cd forum for "Grub4dos", you will find a bunch of posts with hints and examples, like this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=18045 jaclaz

Maybe if you post a description of what you would like to do it will help giving an answer.... [sarcasm] unfortunately my crystal ball is under maintenance right now..... [/sarcasm] jaclaz

That's quite strange, if I recall correctly the "Press F6" is the second or third screen. Can you describe exactly the screens you get one by one when invoking WINNT.EXE Another possibility would be trying an "unattended" setup, by using the /U: answer_file syntax of WINNT.EXE http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechn...t.mspx?mfr=true Browse the unattended section here at MSFN for reference: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=70 Also, can you describe your hard disk partitions/capacity? It is possible that you hit some kind of "hard disk size barrier", either a FAT32 > 32 Gb or a disk > 137 Gb, or some other, see this also: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=69456 I would try with a "normally sized" FAT32 partition of, say, 5 Gb. jaclaz

Yes, that means that you don't have the drivers for the SATA RAID disks. You should either feed them at installation time pressing F6 when you are asked or find a way to add them to your build in nlite, cannot remember which is the option, but there is one. jaclaz

It is not really my field, but wouldn't ACL solve the problem?: http://setacl.sourceforge.net/ (GPL) jaclaz

@Major @Biohead Well, actually it is something (booting attended and/or unattended) from a USB stick, that I do not need to do, as I rarely re-install, and regularly use Virtual Machines for test builds until I am relatively confident that the time to burn a CD-RW is not worsted. Besides, it is known that USB booting has a very large numbers of variables, so that it is quite difficult to make a one-size-fits-all solution, see just this one of the numerous trhreads by me on the matter: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=18266 To this you add that there are at least 4 possible ways to install XP: 1) from a booted 16-bit environment through WINNT.EXE 2) from a booted 32-bit environment through WINNT32.EXE 3) from a \I386 or \minint folder by invoking SETUPLDR.BIN (which is what the normal install CD does) 4) from an "expanded" pre-install bootfolder $WIN_NT$.~BT like in the flyakite multiboot DVD tutorial to which you can add: 5) from an .iso using Windows Server 2003 Sp1 or greater SETUPLDR.BIN and RAMDISK.SY_ a method that needing a HUGE amount of RAM for a RAMDISK, requires most probably at least 1Gb of Ram installed (which I don't have) And the innumerable variants the user makes to the install files by using nlite or other "tweaking" software, plus the requests for AIO's, multibooting etc. without even trying to begin from the start. From time to time, a user here or on 911CD, asks for this thing, and after having advised him that it can be a troublesome path, I start trying to help. Usually, after a few back and forth posts, the user simply disappears or drops the matter. Maybe it is me, or the extremely boring way I make suggestions, or maybe it is simply because some people just want to have what they want with one click solutions. A complete step by step guide for installing XP from a USB stick, 1) in the shortlist above, using 16 bit Winnt.exe has been posted here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713 For method 2) I suggest a build of Winbuilder/picoXP: http://www.boot-land.net/ For method 3) there is the thread at 911cd: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=17425 "abandoned" by the original requester For method 4) it should be just a matter of adapting flyakite steps to USB sticks For method 5) there is a lack of people with adequate hardware willing to experiment At0mic has posted a "tutorial" that I won't comment in this similar thread: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=82856&hl= So, here is the deal, if you two, or any other member, is willing to really try doing any of the above, and then write a simple, straightforward tutorial, I am here to help with the basics, the theory and practical ways regarding the part I am interested in, i.e. the formatting and booting or otherwise starting SETUPLDR.BIN or the install of XP from a USB stick. For AIO's, Unattended and multiple systems choice, it is not really my field of experience and knowledge. Any taker ? jaclaz

Well, actually under 2000/XP, the actual drivers, at least those that allow read-write access to standard Mass Storage devices, i.e. those that do not have "private" partitions or other custom or brand specific formatting, are 99,99% the same, USBSTOR.SYS. Problem is the way that the corresponding .INF file is structured and the number of different ID's the different sticks have. Open with a Registry editor or viewer the registry on one of the machines of which the sticks have been mounted, at this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR or corresponding HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet00x\Enum\USBSTOR You will see a (LONG) list of all devices that were ever mounted. This happens because devices have their own identity "coupled" with the driver. Check this entry also: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\ It should be possible, but mind you, this is just an idea, to install it in the CriticalDeviceDatabase, then you may not have the need to re-install the same driver again and again each time a new device is connected, as it will already be running. Some info can be taken from this (LOOONG) thread here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14181 Particularly these posts from sisal: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...ost&p=99087 http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...st&p=101267 but you will need to read a lot more if you want to follow this hint. jaclaz

The method desribed in 1st link in my above post can be ALMOST COMPLETELY automated via batch - autoexec.bat, of course you will have to re-boot and take the stick off manually. If you read between the lines of 2nd link in my above post, that is the idea, already mentioned here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=61384 basically, you invoke directly SETUPLDR.BIN (which is the same thing that the no-emulation CD bootsector on original 2k/XP cd's) by either of two methods: 1) by using a "normal" NT/2K/XP bootsector and reanaming SETUPLDR.BIN to NTLDR 2) by using Grub4dos to directly load SETUPLDR.BIN You might need experimenting whether the /I386 directory needs to be renamed to /minint or not (I suspect so) and if there are adjustments needed in TXTSETUP.SIF. Problem with this method is that the booted-from Stick will be first Active partition of first drive, i.e. C:\. So you will need to find a way to fix drive letters in the installed image or experiment if using Grub4dos mapping capabilities the above can be avoided. If you have ENOUGH RAM, i.e. size of the install .iso+amount needed to run install, in practical terms 1 Gb or more, you can try two different methods: 1) Using SETUPLDR.BIN and RAMDISK.SY_ from Server 2003 SP1 or greater 2) Using the mapping features of Grub4dos, directly or through memdisk as hinted in this post: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...mp;#entry121758 Finally, another possible way is to start a minimal BartPE, or a similar build like batcher/Openbuilder, now Winbuilder, nanoXP or microPE: http://www.boot-land.net/ http://www.boot-land.net/forums/WinBuilder-f22.html and from it run Winnt32.exe, i.e. the 32bit install executable. Also the above can be automated via batch, but it will take more time to boot to start the install. jaclaz

It seems like you have an UPGRADE version of source files, instead of a FULL one. Is this possible? See these to identify your original CD: http://www.tacktech.com/software.cfm http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=101 http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=103 jaclaz

Well, I would call it "common sense" or "better safe than sorry", if you use it from a BartPE, AS YOU SHOULD, there are no such limits. Running any partition related program on the drive you booted from is often asking for trouble. http://www.compuapps.com/download/Swissknife/swissknife.htm jaclaz

To be more exact, you need both SETUPLDR.BIN and RAMDISK.SY_ (expanded to RAMDISK.SYS) from Server 2003 but: Server 2003 - NO WORKIE Server 2003 SP1 - OK Server 2003 SP2 - OK jaclaz

@Speeddymon Sorry, but maybe you are missing a point, there is no compression, if you use one of those .iso making programs with the right settings, it will "optimize" the CD, meaning that it will substitute any further occurrence of the SAME file, even if in different subdirectories with a "link" to the first copy. This effectively saves a lot of space when you have a number of programs or installations that use SAME files, like (probably) those you were talking about. See this: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=12595 jaclaz

If all you want to do is to make a FULL Windows 98 on CD, you can try using this approach, in which Windows is installed and configured normally and once everithing is correct, "transferred" to CD: http://www.geocities.com/freedatarecovery/ though the article refers to Windows 95, the same can be replicated with Windows 98. jaclaz

Answer is YES again. Ten steps tutorial here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713 (of course you need to keep the 16bit install files) Another possible solution is the one only hinted here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=17425 jaclaz

Yes, see this LOOOONG thread here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...c=14181&hl= Find any of Dietmar's posts, in the signature are links to the various tutorials. Check also in the same thread posts by martin and by sisal, and on the board, look for threads started by bshoangl1. For howto's to make the USB stick bootable search for posts by me (jaclaz). jaclaz

@nicke85 Sorry, but you seem to miss the point in making mindows, if you re-add: Win 98 Explorer Win 98 Shell32.dll you will need to re-add also ALL related files and the IE integration. If you also re-add sound support and Direct-X, you will most probably end up with a freshly installed Windows 98. jaclaz

I don't think that you can do that, because you cannot sum "intermediate" sheets. But why dont you make it simple: On Feb =Jan!I11 On Mar =Jan!I11+Feb!I11 etc. jaclaz

Yep, the idea was just to check it wasn't Explorer related. Next thing to check would be if you are (under current login) the OWNER of source files AND what level of permission is granted to your login on BOTH source and destination. A thing you can try (WARNING, using second one is risky business), is to use programs like these: http://grubletrang.com/Software.aspx?app=FreeFile http://grubletrang.com/Software.aspx?app=PowerPrompt To check if the files are busy, and to try using COPY, XCOPY or YCOPY from a command prompt with SYSTEM credentials. jaclaz

Happy to be of help. Please do post results of your tests. jaclaz

@oscardog The one you have is a very old link, of the time when the project was really at an early stage. Valid links are listed here: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=14# There is not much documentation on it, most info can be found in readme.txt inside package, the syntax is the same unless differently stated, of GRUB: http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/ Additional info can be "extracted" from my posts on 911CD forum. jaclaz

Ghost otr Acronis Trueimage. And if you cannot afford Commercial programs, PING (Partimage Is Not Ghost): http://ping.windowsdream.com/ jaclaz

Compuapps swissknife: http://www.compuapps.com/download/Swissknife/swissknife.htm PING: http://ping.windowsdream.com/ jaclaz