Dietmar

@jaclaz I make a try with contig.exe. Before there where 6 fragments and after contig only 1. But it is not enough to defrag the HIVE "system". Still the message "Hive cant be find" happens Dietmar

Hi @jaclaz, nice to see you! I just prepare a very easy XP SP3, only with the Sata1006 driver and acpi.sys 7777 integrated. This I build with the nice Ramsey Integrator, because the error "Hive not found" happens not, when you take an original XP SP3 CD. Here is the output of extents, waaaoh what a nice tool! The question is, if the message from freeldr is correct for Hive "system" or if another bootfile is not found Dietmar PS: And soon I paste here also from the same XP install an output with working freeldr. *************************** Bytes Per Sector:512 Sectors per Cluster:8 Cluster size :4096 Filesystem :NTFS *************************** Filename:L:\WINDOWS\system32\config\system File Cluster count :576 -> in bytes: 2359296 File size in bytes :2359296 File cluster first :363856 Extents count :6 extents_[0] - VCN : 0 LCN : 363856 Lba : 2912896 Sectors : 2048 extents_[1] - VCN : 256 LCN : 342773 Lba : 2744232 Sectors : 512 extents_[2] - VCN : 320 LCN : 340357 Lba : 2724904 Sectors : 512 extents_[3] - VCN : 384 LCN : 340053 Lba : 2722472 Sectors : 512 extents_[4] - VCN : 448 LCN : 279942 Lba : 2241584 Sectors : 512 extents_[5] - VCN : 512 LCN : 332216 Lba : 2659776 Sectors : 512 And here is the working one, yepp, there are differences. This is the XP from the same installation, only copy files by hand *************************** Bytes Per Sector:512 Sectors per Cluster:8 Cluster size :4096 Filesystem :NTFS *************************** Filename:L:\WINDOWS\system32\config\system File Cluster count :576 -> in bytes: 2359296 File size in bytes :2359296 File cluster first :216893 Extents count :1 extents_[0] - VCN : 0 LCN : 216893 Lba : 1737192 Sectors : 4608

@Andalu Now I think, that the problem is at another place. It seems, that the bootfiles for freeldr need to be at the very first bytes of the harddisk. I come to this idea, because I succeed to boot an XP from Ramsey, which showed before the "Hive" error. The only thing I changed is, that I copy those files again by hand on the with Winhex to 00 00 00 everywhere wiped out harddisk. From XP SP1 I know this behavior, that it does not boot, when the bootfiles are too far away from the MBR Dietmar PS: In this case, the only thing what the original XP CD is doing better, is to put the bootfiles nearer to MBR. EDIT: I just test my idea. Fresh installed XP, via freeldr booted XP shows install "Hive" error, I copy all the files and folder of the installation to an extra Folder under another XP. Then I copy the files in this order from that XP folder after deleting all files on the harddisk with faulty XP. freeldr.sys freeldr.ini ntldr ntdetect.com menu.lst grldr The folder with whole Windows then Documents and Settings then programs then all the rest together. Pagefile I do not copy. And voila, now this XP boots via freeldr and ntldr Dietmar

@Andalu Please write exact, what you did for the success in the last try "The 2nd SSD drive I used to install the XP ISO.." Dietmar

@Andalu Crazy Nlite, needs some doing by hands, but now it works. I integrated acpi.sys 7777 also in SP3.cab and the Kai Schtrom Sata driver with storport.sys 4173. Just now I am installing Dietmar PS: 40 years ago I learned Italian language .. https://ufile.io/1eq4gdr7 EDIT: Booting this XP SP3 via ntldr and freeldr both work.

@Andalu This will not work, because freeldr checks much more than ntldr in XP Dietmar

@Andalu Do you have an original XP CD, this Italian one? You can upload the *.iso of this CD and I try Dietmar

@Andalu No need to compress those files or to put into sp3.cab, because XP knows nothing about them. After opening folder for Nlite, just use integrate driver and then choose Textmode driver, showing to Nlite the TXTSETUP.OEM from Kai Schtrom Dietmar PS: The message "missing storahci.sys at the beginning of txt-mode" can also mean, that you forget to mention storport.sys at all its places as @daniel_k told. And you have to copy by hand storport.sys into i386 folder for Nlite.

@Andalu Thats all, it works, use the TXTSETUP driver integration in Nlite greetings Dietmar

@Andalu Take your Italian XP CD and integrate the driver from Kai Schtrom by hand. https://sourceforge.net/projects/storahci-for-windows-2003/ Dont use any script, because freeldr checks a lot and if it does not like something it crashes. The storport.sys you have to integrate via Nlite with thanks to @daniel_k Just add this to TXTSETUP.SIF, under storprop.dll storport.sys = 1,,,,,,3_,4,0,0,,1,4 This must also be present in DOSNET.INF, in section [FloppyFiles.x] (where x can be 1, 2 or 3) and in section [Files]. d1,storport.sys Dietmar

@Andalu Most copy programs are blind as much as possible. They have an internal "Intelligence" with which they try to fit the copy of XP to the new bootdevice. They only think, that they are intelligent. freeldr looks for the disk signature, the size of the harddisk and the model. If there is a missmatch, the "System Hive not found" message appears. But you can trick out freeldr. freeldr looks for missmatches. When you copy the whole folder system32 by hand to your new bootdevice, there is internal all ok, because it was before. So suddently even not matching disksignatures do not matter Dietmar

@Andalu My is an via Nlite to SP3 updated XP SP1 CD from 2002 Dietmar PS: Today I make some tests more, for example which drivers can be integrated with Ramsey on an original XP SP3 CD. This is soso nice from Ramsey that you have the possibility, to use your own CD for the patcher.

@Andalu Have you checked, before modding, via SHA-1, that this is an original XP SP3 CD? Because my XP SP3 CD works, I make the 2 files ;)) from it Dietmar

@Andalu Now I will try UEFI boot of XP on the Asus B85M-E board and hope of help from @reboot12 Dietmar

@Andalu You think this, but for example in the naked Ramsey *.iso are Sata drivers for Asmedia, IDE, 1006..etc. For XP with ntldr it is not a problem, it just picks one. But freeldr does not like this Dietmar

@Andalu I am happy, that it works for you!!! It depends not on the updates. Freeldr does not like different Sata drivers at the same time for the same device, thats all Dietmar

@Andalu Mostly I understand, what freeldr likes and what not. When you prepared with Grub your XP and it shows "System Hive" error, just rename in Windows your system32 ==> system32ori and in C:\ your DocumentsandSettings ===> DocumentsandSettingsori Then extract files, put at their places. Then boot compi via NTLDR one time Dietmar

@Andalu That there is only one device driver allowed at a time for one and the same bootdevice may be the problem of nice XP from Ramsey. I integrate without Nlite by hand direct acpi.sys 7777 in the naked ISO from Ramsey. Miracously appears on boot not the IDE driver but the 1006 Sata driver Dietmar

@Andalu It seems, that freeldr looks for the Signature of the harddisk and also for its physical size. This means: After grub choose in first time boot NTLDR. Then delete Key MountedDevices . Then restart, but one time more under NTLDR, because Reactos NEEDS the key MountedDevices for to recognice its Harddisk! Then you can boot via freeldr, because XP automatically has rebuilded the key MountedDevices, but now in full correctness. NO OTHER DEVICE IS ALLOWED ON FIRST REBOOT, only the harddisk. Because if there are other devices, XP build an key for them in MountedDevices also and then freeldr does not know, which it is the correct bootdevice Dietmar PS: I notice also, that grub does not like different IDE, Sata drivers installed at the same time in XP for the same device. XP has no problem with it, but grub suddently does not show the boomenu but instead 0 0 . This you can repair with new install of Grub, but Reactos also does not like different drivers for IDE, SATA bootdevice at one time on the same XP device. Only XP can manage this. This problem happens also under Win7, win10..

@Andalu Does the Asus B250 have an IDE mode? Most easy way is to use an original XP SP3 CD. There you copy by hand only the acpi.sys 7777. If no IDE mode, make a try with the 1006 driver, because it dont need any storport. Integrate it with Nlite. With the Ramsey XP sometimes I get also this message about "Hive System not found". Not clear for me why, because I also use a minimum set of drivers there. All updates (XP and Posready you can do later with the Legacy Tool on Ramsey news). I also use Firadisk. I see no mistake in your pictures, but dont use Ramseys XP for this until now. freeldr boot works for sure. I can also send to you a whole copy of my harddisk partition, if you know, how to put it via Winhex on your harddisk Dietmar

@Andalu When you install to harddisk, boot first via NTLDR and delete whole key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices Dietmar PS: I use Kai Schtrom Sata driver, install via Patch folder from Ramsey,works. I try 1006 Sata driver by hand, works. I test nvme from Kai 1.3 by hand, works. I test nvme Microsoft 2.0 from Ramsey Patch folder, works. I test USB3 from Move, Ramsey Patch folder, works. Until now, I can install any driver. ntldr and freeldr boot work also on my Asrock z690 Extreme board with 12900k cpu. I test also board Asrock z370 k6 and Asus P8H77-M, all work. freeldr seems to be sensitive about the correct Arcpath. On any board and on any device and on Fat32 and on NTFS I can boot via ntldr or freeldr.sys , choosing via grub.

@Andalu This is very strange, because I can get even Ramsey XP to work via freeldr on nvme, when I install the Kai nvme1.3 later by hand. Which motherboard do you use and which Sata? Can you install this original XP SP3 in IDE mode on your motherboard? Until now we do not know the exact reason, why freeldr fails. The message tells only, that it cant find the boot device. Works freeldr for you on your XP on harddisk Dietmar

@Andalu Make try with original XP SP3 CD and integrate the Kai nvme1.3 driver bei hand. This will work. Later you can install with the Patch folder other drivers also by hand Dietmar

@CIACIACIACIACIACIA There is the S4e methode. You can start XP for example from USB but then switch after first boot to the ahci driver of another XP with the same Signature and checksum in MBR. But this is without sense, when you have no ahci on your motherboard Dietmar

@Damnation I already updated my Bios on the Asrock Extreme z690 board for the 13900k cpu. Just not enough money for this fun now Dietmar