jaclaz

I just found this: here: http://fuzzymunchkin.dyndns.org/tdot/usbkeyfob/index.php3 If this is the problem, you can change the partition type with tools and methods you can find here: http://therdcom.com/asm/mbr/BootToolsRefs.htm or using mbrfix: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=30378 http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10956 to copy the MBR to a file, then hexedit it and save it back. jaclaz

Well, yes for the moment, but things are in the going. The problem is not just Windows XP itself (in it's latest versions), but the actual hardware also. USB 1.1 will NOT work. SOME USB 2.0 "might" work, and some not. This is due to the way XP resets the USB ports during the boot process. BartPE and winPE can already boot from an USB device: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=14316 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=33916 http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7632 SP1 for Server 2003, has made possible another approach. have a look at this thread here on 911CD: http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10806 http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9685 There is not a definite guide about it, as it's still highly experimental, and, as said before, it might work, with LOTS of tweaking, on some hardware only. Actually lately there are quite a few USB "LIVE" Linux distributions, see here for a big list of Live distros: http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php of which a few have been "hacked" to work from USB devices. I tested this (based on Knoppix): Feather Linux: http://featherlinux.berlios.de/ and it works like a charm and not difficult to setup. jaclaz

Have a look at the tests this guy makes: http://www.dansdata.com/index.html http://www.dansdata.com/coolercomp.htm jaclaz

As I already posted here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=37939 You can use a first stage bootloader. See these threads also: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25100 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=26185 jaclaz

Unfrtunately it often happens executing "some" DOS programs under NT. The only working solution I know of is Commercial: http://www.tamedos.com/ a 30 day trial is available, so that you can see if it helps in your case before buying it. See this also: http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/tamewp.html jaclaz

Yes, prathapml, but actually that does NOT apply to this method: http://www.mvps.org/dts/WinME_DOS/Win-ME.htm (which is really a kind of double boot) jaclaz

Please read here a somewhat exhaustive analisys on how the swap "should" be configured: http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm another article with slightly different conclusions http://www.petri.co.il/pagefile_optimization.htm What both sources affirm is that the cluster size "should" be 4k: On a side note, unless you actually use some "memory hogs" like Paintshop with "professional" sized images, you won't use much the swap file, and, on the other hand, if you actually use a lot the swap file, you might consider adding RAM to your system. jaclaz

You "could" try this: http://www.expnet.com/know.nsf/0/88724b3ab...36?OpenDocument It worked for me on an Archos external USB CDROM. Also, you could try some of the other drivers listed here: http://www.stefan2000.com/darkehorse/PC/DOS/Drivers/USB/ namely USBASPI.SYS, reported to work with GHOST and duse 4.4. USB support in DOS is somewhat "pesky", a solution that works on a machine does not on another one. Also. post here your autoexec.bat and config.sys, it "might" have an error that someone on the board could be able to find. jaclaz

bigjoe, sorry, I understand you are new on the board, but if I get it right, your first and only post is an ADVERTISEMENT? By the way, info already posted here, by me: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=26612&st=61# Main thread: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=26612 jaclaz

At this point, I have to spend my two cents: 1) Could Bachus be so kind as to post his BATCH.INF 2) It could be the copy lhy has, i.e. maybe it is not a "full" OEM, but a modified one, just like Dell's XP OEM's are Also, cannot say if it helps, but I found this: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=208 jaclaz

Just for the record, Windows ME is patchable, to restore real mode, there are at least 3 or 4 ways to do it: http://www.mvps.org/dts/WinME_DOS/Win-ME.htm http://www.coease.com/dosfix.htm http://www.geocities.com/mfd4life_2000/ jaclaz

I would try option 1) first THEN Option 2) jaclaz

Just found this GREAT application: SIW by Gabriel Topala System Information http://www3.sympatico.ca/gtopala/about_siw.html It finds an incredible number of infos. Latest version 1.48 works under BartPE. @durex between the other things, it also has the ability to see "open files" and the applocation that opened them. jaclaz

Also you should do a thorough defrag of the volume, see here for free apps: http://www.dirms.com/ And an MFT defrag, but I think that only commercial software will do this. jaclaz

Well, the OPKinstall part in this post: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=21230 Seem to be more complete than yours, expecially these: Another thing, cannot say which one is right, but your line: has quotes around last item, whilst the other one: has not. jaclaz

No prob, mates, it is just a matter of keeping things on a friendly level even if one disagrees. Back to topic, while I do agree on kooldrew view: I cannot agree on this: For example why would have been bootvis being developed for? From the same site you pointed to: http://arstechnica.com/guides/tweaks/sgp-tweaks.ars Most probably this and other boards would not even have existed if people did not find that some tweaking IS needed, I certainly agree that tweaking is a risky business and "reserved" to knowledgeable users. About the swap file thingy, I think you are mixing 4 GB (that is the ADDRESSABLE Page Size on 32 bit systems) with actual Virtual Memory and Swap (pagefile) size, have a look at this article where everything is explained quite well: http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm that clarifies it and explains WHY a fixed multiplier is not correct and HOW to calculate the appropriate size you should have FOR A GIVEN usage. And here a more complete article by Daniel Petri: http://www.petri.co.il/pagefile_optimization.htm And the Adrian's Rojak article: http://www.adriansrojakpot.com/Speed_Demon...mization_01.htm jaclaz

It does seem like a very good work. I'll have a look at it in the next days and post comments. By the way, thanks for the credits, but actually you seem a much more proficent batch writer than I am. By looking at your code I found a missing ^ character before the pipeline | in a simple script I was striving to write and that did not work. Though seemingly unrelated, as it just deletes empty directories, I think it might be a handy tool, it is posted here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=24961&st=43# jaclaz

According to these: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=32586 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=21230 it should work, even on the OEM version. You could try with the MSBATCH.INF posted there to see if it makes any difference. This should be the reply to point 2., I presume: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=34083 jaclaz

@KoolDrew A little suggestion, if I may, could you possibly refrain from saying that other people is stupid, and be a little less aggressive in your posts. The community here is for people trying to exchange info and knowledge, NOT insults or denigrating other people's work or ideas. Of course everyone has the right to have his own opinion and to express it, but denigrating others plainly it's not polite. Out of curiosity, can you please elaborate on this: I am running right now a win 2k machine that has 256 Mb of RAM and a 1,7 Gb Hard Disk, of which I have about 800 Mb free. I would have thought that if I set the swap file to 512 Mb I would have: Physical RAM 512 Mb + Swap File 512 Mb = 1 Gb Virtual Memory How can I have 4Gb of Virtual Memory, as I am missing 3Gb of them? jaclaz

If you do have a backup if the registry, you can boot with a DOS floppy with this driver: DATAPOL NTFS4DOS http://www.datapol.de/dpe/prod/508447959013ddf01/index.html http://www.datapol.de/dpe/freeware/ and replace the Registry files with the backup. jaclaz

That is the method that you can find in the link in my post in the thread neil pointed to, more precisely these ones: http://www.geocities.com/politalk/ http://www.heise.de/ct/english/99/11/206/ and with some variations, this one (very well done tutorial): http://www.lachiesadicristo.it/w98cd/page1.htm However, the most valid solution is this one: FREEWARE Qualystem Rescue 1.2 Free Edition http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html As it needs only a VERY small amount of RAM (only thing that goes into the RAM drive is the registry). jaclaz

And the one posted here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=8497 does not work for you? Here are the related MS articles: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/835891/en-gb http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...kb;EN-US;214714 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...727&product=w98 The reskit guide: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...t7/wrkappd.mspx and the hard to find technet one: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/w...oy/batch98.mspx and the whitepaper: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=169539 And the onecomputerguy one: http://www.onecomputerguy.com/install/install.htm I remember to have seen it working, but it has been quite a lot of time, cannot remember or find anything more precise. Re: your points: 1. can you desctibe it better or post a copy of the .inf file? 2. cannot say, which one, can you post the title of the dialog? 3. no, batch files only jaclaz

There is still the hot-swap option. Moreover, re-thinking about it, I remembered recovering a BIOS flashed by a virus this way: 1) I went to a used PC shop and bought for about 2 Euros a defective motherboard they were throwing away that had the SAME type of Award BIOS chip 2) I exchanged the chips and tried booting with the floppy and flash program (and a correct bios image) 3) The boot block worked even if the motherboard whence the BIOS came was from another manufacturer, most probably bootblock is the same for all AWARD's of the same release, as the motherboard manufacturer just changes the BIOS code, leaving the bootblock untouched. jaclaz

Actually win98 can be also installed on an extended partition, as long as it is FAT16 or FAT32 (NOT NTFS). Here is a site that has lots of info on double booting. http://www.thpc.info/dualboot.html As a freeware bootmanager I recommend XOSL: http://www.ranish.com/part/xosl.htm jaclaz

There is this FREE win9x program, READ only: http://diskinternals.com/products/ntfs-reader/ jaclaz