seahorser

Didn't try because the main script winsetup.lst needs RDSK variable. I set RDSK=1 in shfthd.bat as I already know that by usb --init one more device (the hd1) appears to grub4dos. The whole setup procedure from start to finish after my modifications to the shifthd.bat runs fine on the newer PC but on old BIOS (AOPEN AK86-L) it freezes when windows setup loads kernel debugger dll. I also try several e820cycles values within winsetup.lst and some grub4dos versions with fbinst without any success. I try all and some of your commands and I get hd2 (0x82) when execute usb --init, so I didn't proceed further. My modifications (mostly comment out to shifthd.bat) as I know that UFD is detected as fdd and later using usb --init became hd1 and the rest are the originals from winsetupfromusb 1.9. Is there any known issue with windows setup and/or WinSetupFromUSB when the setup freeze at kernel debugger dll? shifthd.bat original menu.lst original shifthd.bat original winsetup.lst

My BIOS doesn't have USB-HDD option and I can't able to to boot with USB-FDD option. Only USB-ZIP is working. drive 0x80(LBA): C/H/S 38913/255/63, sector count / size 625137345 / 512 partition num: 0, active, NTFS, 0x07 partition num: 1, NTFS, 0x07 partition num: 2, NTFS, 0x07 partition num: 3, FAT32, 0x0C When I use BOOTICE's UltraISO v2+ using boot code USB-ZIP+ v2, "hide boot part" to hidden with boot partition size 32MB FAT16 Grub4Dos (grldr), "Data partition" FAT32 with size the rest of space I get: drive 0x00(CHS): C/H/S 30020/64/63 sector count / size 121037824/512 partition num: 0, active, FAT16, 0x06 partition num: 3, unknown, 0x0C partition num: 3 is actually a FAT32, I don't know why grub4dos say it is unknown. In fact if I switch partitions 0 with 3 using BOOTICE, or Unhide the hidden partition, the grub4dos then report: num: 0, unknown, 0x0C num: 3, active, FAT16, 0x06 So, when the FAT16 partition is hidden only the partition ID is changing from 0x06 (unhide) to 0x16 (hidden) but the 2nd FAT32 partition is always reported as unknown where it is clearly formatted as FAT32. Then I format it with BOOTICE U.V2+ hide boot part to none, boot partition size the whole space as FAT32 (grldr), set PBR to grub4dos, copy the grldr to root and get: drive 0x00(CHS) 30036/255/63, sector count / size 121103360/512 partition num: 3, active, FAT32, 0x0C Filesystem type is FAT32, using whole disk. usb --init Found 1 USB devices. Device Num: 0x81; geometry (fd0) : Error 25 disk read error geometry (hd1) : drive 0x81(LBA) C/H/S=7539/255/63 sector count / size 121103616/512 partition num: 3, active, FAT32, 0x0C Then reformat with U V2+ hide boot part: hidden, play with Set accessible and unhide a bit then I get for (fd0): drive 0x00(CHS) 17/255/63, sector count / size 65536/512 partition num: 0, FAT32, 0x0C partition num: 3, active, FAT16, 0x16 Filesystem type is FAT16, using whole disk. This time I get the right type for the 2nd partition and I don't know why and don't know what that "using whole disk" means. using usb --init Found 1 USB devices. Device Num: 0x81; geometry (fd0) : Error 25 disk read error geometry (hd1) : drive 0x81(LBA) C/H/S=7539/255/63 sector count / size 121103616/512 partition num: 0, FAT32, 0x0C partition num: 3, active, FAT16, 0x16 On all cases the shifthd.bat hangs when it gets to the plop boot manager. Another issue just before it goes to execute the plop is when it is say "The highlighted menu entry will auto start after 10 seconds" but there isn't any menu entry so probably shifthd.bat has a bug. When I give usb --init and then root (hd1) it hangs. The winsetup.lst is the one from WinSetupFromUSB. I try to insert some usb --init, map (fd0) (hd1), map --hook etc. here and there but it hangs or goes to file not found. My latest attempt with only one partition indicates that WinSetupFromUSB has issues which are not depend to my initial setup which had two partitions.

At best all I can get are a bunch of registers and by hitting any key the screen displays several more pages of them. Then it hangs. What I have to do with those DX,BP,AX etc. registers? I try to follow that approach but I'm stuck in mud. I barely understand 30% of what they say. That is not step-by-step walk-though. He jump to conclusions without to present us how he got there. What commands gave to debug (I assume that he got boot from the internal hard disk to DOS then run debug.exe). How I can get the values for LLLL and SSSS?

That BIOS you describe is very "queer". M/B is AOPEN AK86-L Grub4dos (before usb --init) sees 4 FDD partitions (fd0,0) (fd0,1) etc. That thread is huge although I'll try it. 1): I had wrote in my first post I use version 1.9 2): I just try the 1.0 version. At fbinst I reformat the UFD by using chs + zip + force options then I drag-drop grldr 0.4.6a. Test it to see if it boot to grub4dos and is OK. Then I continue with "Add to USB disk" and the two advanced options mention earlier. The results are exactly the same. The script tries to shift the drive and fail (hang) on plop boot manager. Even Ctrl-Alt-Del does not respond. Do you think it is appropriate to try even earlier WinSetupFromUSB versions and/or try earlier grub4dos? If I boot from UFD straight to DOS (no grub4dos) and then start ghost.exe from A: it fails, but the same ghost executable runs fine from internal C: in pure DOS. If I boot straight from the internal C: disk to DOS then DOS doesn't see the UFD (eg. A:) although UFD has FAT32 partitions and its there. Maybe that issue is because UFD has partitions? Also the spfdisk.exe at start it states that UFD has overlapped partitions. Alas, spfdisk does not have the ability to switch to floppy mode and check partitions there.

My old BIOS has only USB-ZIP and USB-FDD and support USB2.0. It only boot from USB when my UFD is formatted with 2 partitions. The first one had to be FAT16 32MB hidden, and the second FAT32. I create successfully and boot those partitions either through BOOTICE using the U+V2 button, with dummy.sys driver and with WinSetupFromUSB v1.9 FBinstTool. I try to install XP from USB to the internal IDE disk which I know is recognized by WinXP SP3 official ISO disk, so I select the 1st option and check the "Don't check for and install grub4dos MBR" and "Do not copy and use DPMS" at the advanced options, as I already know my UDF can start the grldr and I don't need Driver Pack Mass Storage. I also try both grub4dos 0.4.5c and 0.4.6a versions. When grub4dos script try to load the plop boot manager it hangs. The same issue which hangs plop on this old BIOS happen on another new PC, alas that new PC can successfully install XP without any double partition tricks using the Rufus 2.18 way faster as it uses USB2.0 speeds. I modify the script to just load the plop and from plop's menu I select USB1.1 mode 2 which is work through out the whole process on both PC but it is very very very sloooooow. To try to solve this issue I give init --usb command which give me drive 81 for USB on old BIOS but then I can't access files through fdd device with ls. Is it possible shifthd.bat or other script has some bug when USB has two partitions (one is hidden)? I also try to boot that old BIOS PC with UFD straight through MS-DOS (himem.sys in config.sys and smartdrv.exe) and then start winnt.exe from the UFD drive, which DOS gave it letter C to begin with XP setup. The 1st step of the winnt.exe XP setup process goes very fast like USB2.0 speed, but it suddenly reboot after it process a bunch of files. I think that either I don't need plop but I don't know how to modify the grub4dos script to begin with usb --init command so whole setup can start from there, or I need to load some DOS USB driver on old BIOS in case of MS-DOS setup. Although by using DOS setup I end with an ugly installation in drive D. Please advise

When installing from C: which is a DOS FAT32 partition on the drive, the XP setup ends up to the D: drive letter as expected which is NTFS partition. How I get the C: drive letter (SystemDrive) on Windows XP which begin to install into the second partition (or into 3rd partition etc.)? Is it possible for the XP setup to use the C: drive letter when was used initially by the setup at any other stages like T-whatever? I want to have Windows in C: where the C is assigned to second partition (or 3rd etc.).