jaclaz

Easiest way (completely wipe HD): http://dban.sourceforge.net/ FREEWARE jaclaz

If you use the !mount, you shouldn't need to mount the share as z: Try first doing it manually: net use z: \\ntinstall\xpcd (login) net start filedisk filedisk /mount 0 z:\wxp.iso /cd X: filedisk /status X: dir X: If the above works, try again with !mount, without first mapping z:, if it does not work the problem is not in filedisk, but in !mount. jaclaz

If I get it right, there is no need for the Win2k files, read here: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windo..._slipstream.asp have a look at this also: http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm jaclaz

Well, actually we CANNOT: 1) bootsect.dos is MACHINE SPECIFIC, so that you have to make it by yourself, luckily enough this FREEWARE utility just do it (for FAT drives only): http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm 2) NTbootdd.sys is MACHINE and OS SPECIFIC, but you can make it by yourself, just make a copy of your SCSI driver to root and rename it NTbootdd.sys, From here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...kb;en-us;305595 Have a look here (and related links) too. jaclaz

Have a look here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...l=outlook&st=20 jaclaz

Pardon me, but it seems to me like we are going completely astray from the scope of the board and from the original question: Only valid answers are, in the CORRECT order: 1) Try to use the bootblock feature (NO risk, NO cost, NO need to open case) 2) Try to hot swap (possible RISK, NO cost, NEED to open case AND find other motherboard/bios cheap 3) Ask for professional help for changing/reflashing the BIOS, i.e. manufacturer/ht_tp://www.recoverybios.com/ (NO risk, possible COST, NEED to open case) 4) Buy a new motherboard (NO risk, COST, NEED to open case) 5) Buy a complete new PC (NO risk, HIGH COST, NO need to open case) 6) Do any of points 3), 4) or 5) through an on-site Computer service ((NO risk, HIGHER COST, NO need to open case) 7) Put house/office to fire and claim for insurance (HIGH RISK (of being jailed), NO cost, NO need to open case) Whilst we ALL agree, I think, that points 1) and 2) above are NOT 100% safe or fool proof, I reckon they do seem worth a try, if compared to subsequent options. Starting an answer from point 3) is simply not what is expected on a tech site like this, where the scope is to HELP people and LEARN new things. I am sorry that the start of the quarrel originates from a (partially wrong as per above) Moderator post, but Astalavista attitude, and BeenThereB4 reaction (though understandable), besides adding nothing factual to the thread is even LESS expected on this tech site. jaclaz

Yes, what you need is something more like the good old "SUBST" DOS command. I don't think such a file/directory redirector exists, or at least I was never been able to find it. There are two softwares that ( I suppose) use something like this, Rescue 1.2 is now released as freeware (the one for Win98) whilst rescue 2 & 3 (for NT based systems) are Commercial: http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html The other one is this: http://www.apct.net/en/index.html (site seems abandoned since 2002 i.e. before they made the XP version, but it is possible to download the demo version for Win2k up to SP2, free registration required) jaclaz

Please post the (exact) steps you did, the command lines you issued and we will be able to help you. jaclaz

Doesn't filedisk by BO Branten already work perfectly? Find here details and a plugin by Bilou_Gateux: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=38118&st=0 jaclaz

Yes, that was what I meant, sorry for the confusion. jaclaz

Actually there is something like that, it only applies to files, it is used widely in Microsoft distribution CDs, and implemented in their "internal use only" CDIMAGE. The purpose is, if you have the SAME file in ore than one directory, all occurrences of the file but one are sustituted by a link pointing to the remaining file. If I recall correctly, this feature is present in mkisofs windows port too: http://www.bootcd.us/Mkisofs_options.htm (you might need some search to find the full man page) Cannot say if this is what you are looking for, though. jaclaz

I am sure that it happens all the time to you as well, usually it goes like this with me: 1st Phone call: 2nd Phone call, (about 1 hour later): ....and a few more of this type. Usually when I finally get there, at least four people have rebooted in a way or another the PC, and (not necessarily in this order) defragged it, issued an fdisk /mbr command, ran Partition Magic to fix things up, tried reinstalling Windows and failed....etc. jaclaz

I would not be so pessimistic. Most modern BIOS have "bootblock" code, so they can be recovered, I would try that first, then hot-swap (as you need to find an identical motherboard). Amptron has made a nice simple howto that covers BOTH methods; you can find it here: http://www.amptron.com/ http://www.amptron.com/documents/Recover.pdf Read these also: http://www.amptron.com/html/bios-what.html http://www.amptron.com/html/bios.beepcodes.html http://www.amptron.com/html/Bios-recover.html http://www.amptron.com/html/utilities.html jaclaz

@arndt Have a look here: http://shell-shocked.org/article.php?id=284 Maybe a Symbolic link might work for you. jaclaz

Once the image has been mounted and assigned a drive letter, junction should work allright. You can try Ken Kato's VDK (see my post above) too. The problem is, if I am not mistaken, is that junctions ONLY work on the same volume. jaclaz

@bullet Yes, I actually was referring to horsecharles' one. As I see it, since the laptop has no USB, the solutions can be ANY of the suggested ones: 1) FASTER, but PRICEY: buy an HD adapter, mount the laptop HD on your workstation, transfer data. (horsecharles' and mine) 2) LONGER, but FREE: get a a network bootdisk find an appropriate driver connect through PCMCIA nic to network copy files to HD (bullet's one) 3) FAST, but QUITE PRICEY buy a PCMCIA CD-ROM, like this for example: http://www.psism.com/cde2440.htm (it does not need to be a SCSI PCMCIA + SCSI CD-ROM , which will be MORE expensive) Or, if you already own an external USB drive or CD rom, you can buy a PCMCIA USB adapter. (Astalavista's one) Jaclaz

Well, yes and no. If you have ENOUGH RAM (i.e. more than 256 Mbytes), you can set windows to run from a RAMdisk, like Franck Uberto's XMSDSK. People will be able to install, but all changes will be lost at reboot. Otherwise you can customize Qualystem solution: Qualystem? Rescue 1.2 Free Edition http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html to achieve the same result using just the space needed by a copy of the Registry in the RAMdisk. jaclaz

The one you should need is smbios: http://www.techweb.com/winmag/fixes/2000/0825.htm Though I cannot say if it works under Bart, the 16 bit version works under 2000 and Xp, so it "should" work under Bart too. If you are interested in BIOS modding, a fairly good list of progs is here: http://www.icronticforums.com/showthread.php?t=507 jaclaz

Personally, I would use BootitNG: http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/ (COMMERCIAL) Or you could do it with freeware using a mix of XOSL http://www.ranish.com/part/xosl.htm Bart's PE http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ DD for windows http://uranus.it.swin.edu.au/~jn/linux/rawwrite/dd.htm jaclaz

Cannot say, I would check Power Supply first thing, next Memory. jaclaz

Yep, it is more or less the suggestion I posted here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=38194&hl= jaclaz

For RAW images, not ISO, I still prefer Ken Kato's VDK one: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=26216&hl= as it can be installed, started, stopped, etc. directly. As ken's is a derivative from Bo's Filedisk, I wonder if it can be "extended" to read ISO files too. @Bilou_Gateux I have updated the pseudo GUI for ken's VDK, you can find it at the above link. jaclaz

This could be another nice idea on how to use it: http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10705 (Saving a NTFS compressed "Programs" directory on CD to save space) jaclaz

Yes, and that's why I replied. THESE methods are FREE: http://www.etek.chalmers.se/~e8gus/nano98/ http://winimize.com/ http://scp.gmxhome.de/msdos71/ http://www.geocities.com/politalk/ http://www.lachiesadicristo.it/w98cd/page1.htm http://www.heise.de/ct/english/99/11/206/ Qualystem Rescue 1.2 Free Edition http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html Of course, if you are looking for a FREE, completely automated tool like nlite is, I am afraid there is none I know of, each of the above needs some "work". jaclaz

If you downloaded the GUI before this post, please re-download it. (Fixed a problem with eZMount of RAW disks) jaclaz