mattrix

I have a nice new XP install, to run a few older programs I still use occasionally. It is XP-sp3 and, I believe, some of the POS ready updates. The first program installs its own USB-serial driver. It installs fine but XP won't let it use its driver. When I plug the meter in, XP tries to detect it but can not find a driver for it. I have tried manually pointing to the correct driver, that turns out to be from FTDI, but windows complains that this is not a suitable driver for the meter and wont use it. Bit lost what else to try.

Yeah looks reasonable, essentially it is a low power P4, so I expect SSE equivalent to that, at least SSE2 (maybe SSE3?) There seems to be a lot of love for webkit browsers like QTweb, even though it hasn't been updated since 2013.

The new system is a celeron @2.5GHz, with 1 GB ram, will be more when I can find some old ram. So technically will run Win7 but ... Its been years since I have installed XP. I'd forgotten all the post XP configuration on the OS that was needed. Last time I had help. I'm not even sure where to start. The acronyms are killing me, who would have known the WorldMosquitoProject should be stopped?, which of course means to turn off WindowsMediaPlayer. The software search is not much better, I read good undated reviews only to find the last version of the software is dated 2010. I am not sure if this matters, if it doesn't require updated data,. I'm thinking of installing Netstalker by Ster Jo. Its not exactly a firewall, so it will still run with window firewall?, but will let me see who's accessing the net. In short, still trying to work out what I'm doing.

@Gansangriff, I survived many years with just AV and windows firewall on my old system. But I eventually crossed paths with something nasty and the system didn't completely recover. Hence my thinking I should setup security a bit better this time. @all: I guess it will be one of roytam's browsers but I don't know which one. These are all firefox deriviatives, do they have the same issues as firefox 52.9 has with script? If so I might need something to reduce script, is 'noscipt' a good choice? I'm having trouble with all the acronyms What is BOC? and UXP? Don't know what light firewall to use, nothing modern seems to work on XP.

Hey @roytam1, How good is the sandboxing in these? Do you think I would benefit from running them in sandboxie?

Thanks, there are some things there I have never heard of and will have to investigate. Of course I've heard of roytam's browsers but I've never used them. It is a monster thread and I haven't had time to go through it.

I'm planning a clean install of 32 bit XP, and was wondering now that XP is out of updates what is the best way to go for internet security that still supports XP. The hardware is from the XP era, and wouldn't run win7 well AntiVirus: apparently comodo now has min win7 requirements; avast is still providing virus updates for XP Firewall: is windows firewall OK or is there something better that I should look at. Sandbox: Is it worth adding an extra sandbox like sandboxie? Browser: chrome and firefox are out. I have issues with both opening and displaying pages, though in different ways. Basilisk is now win7. I like UR-browser but Adaptive Bee claim it is min win7, however I've seen plenty of people who claim it still runs on XP. Has anyone got a recent version of UR running on XP? Or is there something else I should be looking at? Malware checker: I think malwarebytes still runs on XP. Are there any other must haves I should be looking at? I know I'm going over the top a bit, but with no more updates from MS and what ever I choose to install is not likely to be supported much longer I feel I should do my best to take a long term view with security. Thanks, for any advice you can give.

OK. I only know what my tools tell me. was just a thought. Thanks matt

If I unpack an ISO into a partition, there is a [BOOT] directory and inside that a boot.img file. So, if I chainload that file and then boot, will things start running the same as if the CD had been booted? Can I use the grub4dos environment provided by the USB to do this? Or does grub4dos need to start from the same disk that holds the install files? Can I start the grub4dos environment from DOS after DOS has booted? When does windows drive lettering become significant? Surely the install is written allowing the CD drive letter to change, for example it would move one letter if windows install created a partition to install to. However the from DOS setup seems to use the DOS lettering to locate the source files, so you need to make sure that the DOS lettering matches the windows lettering.

Agreed. Part of the problem for me is that I have never seen the process complete successfully, so I don't recognize when things are odd. I did notice that when I chainloaded setupldr.bin grub reported that it would use NTLDR? WinSetupfromUSB does a lot of poking around in various files when it makes the USB so I don't know when things are being directed by it, or some other program. Another problem is that I don't know when things become 'case' sensitive. I have seen with some driver packs that setupORG.exe needs to be copied but windows install wants to execute setuporg.exe. Some program usually fixes this up, but not if the install goes awry. Yes we have. I still have a few questions, but since they are no longer about WinSetupfromUSB do you mind if we continue in the other thread? matt Bonus: I'm much more comfortable with grub4dos, so that's a win.

No didn't fix the problem. I had to walk away from the computer, so I didn't see where it occurred, but it was the same message. Any ideas what to do now?

Thanks. That started again from the beginning, I thought I may have been able to continue from where I left off. Had I finished with the mem disk at the point I ended? I'm concerned the computer may not see the USB at the same place when I get there again. Still its started the install again, and we will see when it gets there. matt

@jaclaz, Thank you, You were absolutely correct. The USB was seen as a floppy. After adding map (hd1) to (fd0), I was able to start the setup. However at "starting windows" I get a stop: 7B. After searching, the recommended solution is a modified ntdetect.com, which I got from here. I have put it in the root of the USB (or should I put it somewhere else?) but I'm not sure how to restart the install. matt

@jaclaz, our edits crossed. Without plop the system will only boot the USB from the boot menu (F12) but geometry doesn't see it. middle of the night here, I'll find my disk editor and move it in the morning. matt

Yeah, geometry shows USB as 973/255/63. Without plop in the MBR the system doesn't treat the USB as a disk. I typed in the commands and it freezes after the first "map --hook" It gives a prompt but takes no more input. matt Edit: plop sees the USB using EHCI but can not work it out and boot it.

Hello @jaclaz, Your script reports only partition 0 is used and it is bootable, type 0c . It was formatted using FBinst. chs: 1/1/1 to 972/240/36 lba 16128 to 15614208 Thank you for looking at this matt menu.lst winsetup.lst shifthd.bat

Trying to install 32bit XP using WinSetupfromUSB. The system will boot the USB as a USB-ZIP but WinSetupfromUSB won't get past the "start part 1 menu" so I have installed plop into the MBR on the HDD, and find the USB using UHCI on Host4, Port1. HDD is SATA but bios emulates it as IDE, I don't seem to have any control over this. WinSetupfromUSB freezes after shifthd.bat. Before shifthd.bat (hd0) 0x80 is the USB, (hd1) 0x81 is the HDD, but after shifthd.bat (hd0) is still the USB and (hd1) seems to be no longer mapped. I'm still trying to learn grub4dos, but got the above information by adding geometry commands to winsetup.lst. On screen dialog: starting setup part 1 error occurred while savedefault 0x80: .... USB 0x81: .... HDD It seems plop has been loaded found 2 disks, set USB hd1 0x80: ... USB freezes I'm at a loss what to do now, any help appreciated. P.S. there is an 8MB block at the start of the USB, is this normal?

Oh, I can see now why you recommend grub4dos so strongly. I've got a lot of reading ahead of me. Mostly your links, thankyou for pointing me in the right direction.

So, if I understand correctly, if I start attached to another computer, then the setup.exe in the root of the ISO will NEVER get executed? Will winnt32.exe give me any different final result, than starting the install from DOS with winnt.exe? The old OS is irrelevant, it is nothing more than what format /s does. I'm used to windows shenanigans with drive letters and think I can get around them. So if I install from DOS then no grub4dos is needed? grub4dos is only needed if I am going to try and boot the install partition as if it were a CD. Or am I missing something? I will still look into the USB route, from the link you provided, thanks.

The version I'm trying to install does some customisations before the XP install starts. I can manage the install using winnt.exe but the customisations are missing and I get errors trying to locate certain files. This is not a 'plain' install. I haven't tested the USB yet. I don't know what software to use, that will run on XP. Ventoy looks good but there are reports that it fails installing XP. Several other candidates report the same. I can connect it to another PC but I've never done an install this way. I'd be scared the install would blindly kill the host OS. Besides I would have to run setup.exe not winnt32. Tricking it into thinking it was booted from a CD seems a good idea. I am reading the threads you pointed to. Thank you for your help.

@jaclaz sorry I wasn't clear. I want to install XP on a target machine has no floppy and no working CD drive. The installer expects the CD it came on to be booted. I wasn't sure if loading and executing the .img file was the same as booting the CD, but I figured if it was someone would have written something to do it, but I couldn't find it. I didn't think of grub as being able to chainload the .img file. I don't know much about grud4dos so your advse is much appreciated. Partitions are the first has Win98 DOS startup to command.com and the last partition has the XP installer, unpacked. I can move the HDD to another computer to transfer files and create and delete partitions. PS If I don't know how a CD boots then I don't know what I have to acheive. But a howto would be nice too! thank you

Not such a stupid question. I imagine the bios sees that it is to start a CD, locates the .img file in the [boot] directory, copies that to memory and executes it. Is there a little program where by you boot to DOS, change to the directory that is the root of the CD files, run the program and it boots the CD files as if they were on the CD? Doesn't seem too difficult. My situation is I have a HDD with several partitions, the first has Win98 DOS startup (eqiv of bDos, dos.sys, command.com) and I have copied an XP installer to the last partition. This installer does a bit of customizing that won't start from DOS.

Hello everyone, I've been using XP for over 12 years and have not had to fiddle with it much all that time, ... Until now. It has finally decided that some software that it has aquired doesn't agree with it. It has been so long since I had to play with OS's that I have forgotten all the techniques and tricks to re-install it successfully. But thats what I think I'm going to have to do. So I've come here to get some advice on how to proceed.